july / august 2016
Educational Evangelism Grows Clarksfield School
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larksfield Adventist Academy, known as “the school in a cornfield,” is one of the oldest in the Ohio Conference. Built in 1897, this school once boasted nearly 100 students when the town of Clarksfield was a stop on the railroad for nearby farms and their families. The school has produced countless Adventist missionaries, teachers and conference leaders. But by 2012, as the population of the area declined, enrollment in the school was reduced to five students. That year teacher Leona Bange came to the school, wondering if this might be the final year. She quickly reached out to the community and, together with local church support and involvement, enrollment in the K-12 school grew from five students to 49 students in May 2016. The majority of students are now transported in from the greater Cleveland area. Bange began making connections in the community and created a homeschool co-op. Then she began collaborating with pastors and members of Adventist churches as far away as Brooklyn. Soon she and her family were involved with Pathfinders and Adventurers at the Westlake church, where she recruited a friend, a credentialed music teacher, to volunteer at the school. Before long the Brooklyn and Elyria churches became connected through their Pathfinder and Adventurer programs. Due to these relationships with children and their families, parents felt they knew the Clarksfield school leadership team, making it easier for the children to transition to the school.
Leona Bange teaches Bible to several of her academy-aged students.
Students at Clarksfield utilize the online APLE High School program through Griggs International Academy to help supplement course instruction provided at the school. Not all students or their families are Adventist. This provides an enlarged mission field for the school staff. “We’re here to support our families—whether in Clarksfield, homeschool, or public school—that’s how we build connections,” says Leona Bange. Ken Knudsen, superintendent of education for the Ohio Conference, adds, “It has been [this] philosophy, which has allowed the school to use education to minister to their community. We are in a prime time for educational evangelism.” Bange shares countless stories of connections Clarksfield has made. Most notable is the story of 16-year-old Jacob Hunka who wanted his family to return to church. After Bible studies last fall with the local pastor, he expressed interest in Adventist Christian education. “What do I need to do to go to your school?” he asked Bange at their first meeting. Soon Hunka enrolled, followed by his two siblings, and now the family attends church regularly. “This is the mission field,” noted Bange. Prayer has been front and center for Bange, the students and her dedicated team of volunteers. Throughout this journey they have identified needs, prayed faithfully and shared news of God’s blessings before praying about their next need. “Where God takes it from here, I haven’t a clue,” says Bange. “We struggle to not lead ahead of God.”
July/August 2016 VISITOR | 25