Baptist and Reflector
Jeremy Sandefur and his wife, Lisa, with their three children, Josiah (age 11), Lindley (8) and Jonathan “Cooper” (5).
SEYMOUR — In a special called meeting March 4, the board of trustees of Harrison-Chilhowee Baptist Academy/The King’s Academy unanimously elected Jeremy Sandefur as the 141-year-old institution’s next president and headmaster.
“We are delighted to welcome Jeremy Sandefur and his family to The King’s Academy,” said board chair William Horner. “We believe he is God’s person to lead our school at this moment in its rich history. He brings to the academy a wealth of knowledge and experience not only as a teacher, coach and administrator, but also as a husband, father and minister.”
The board of trustees received Sandefur’s recommendation from the Presidential Search Committee, a 13-member group consisting of trustees, alumni, parents, administrators and teachers. Sevierville Attorney Bryan Delius, board vice chair, chaired the committee during a six-month-long nationwide search process.
“It was with the greatest confidence that the search committee recommended Mr. Sandefur,” Delius said. “This assurance came not from our own efforts in evaluating over seventy applicants but from the clear direction given by our great God. The committee members earnestly prayed for God to reveal His choice for the person to lead into the future. He did!”
At the end of the current school year Sandefur will relieve interim president/headmaster Walter Grubb, who has filled the role since August 2020.
Jeremy Sandefur will assume the role of The King’s Academy President and Headmaster when he concludes his current school year as Head of School in Cottage Hill Christian Academy in Mobile, Ala.
Sandefur and his family will be moving onto campus at the conclusion of his current assignment as Head of School at Cottage Hill Christian Academy in Mobile, Ala., where he has served for the past eight years. Sandefur said he and his family and “are incredibly humbled and honored to partner with The King’s Academy to continue the tradition of developing strong biblical foundations, rigorous academic offerings, and outstanding extracurricular activities while developing servant leaders who will change the world for Christ.”
Sandefur’s wife, Lisa, is a Major in the United States Air Force Reserves and serves as a flight nurse. They have three children: Josiah (11), Lindley (8) and Jonathan “Cooper” (5).
“From the moment that we stepped foot on campus, Lisa and I felt that TKA was an incredibly special place with a rich history and an even brighter future,” he stated. “The Lord is clearly at work through the ministry of TKA, and we are excited to serve alongside the dedicated team in place to lead this school community into the next season that the Lord has prepared.
“We are truly excited about the opportunity to make campus our home and build lasting friendships within the TKA community.”
Sandefur asserted that through service-based learning, a well-rounded academically challenging curriculum, and a community based upon respect, students will be best prepared to face the challenging world facing them. That same kind of environment must be provided for educators, he added, allowing them to further their own education and build camaraderie and trust. He stated, “I personally view myself as a servant leader who focusses on serving those around me, to invest and equip others in reaching their full potential in Christ.
“A cornerstone of my philosophy in Christian education is the importance of teaching and displaying service leadership in all aspects of the school community. I look forward to continuing the heritage of service throughout our community, state, nation, and the world,” he said.
Sandefur served as Lower School Principal (2013-2019) at Cottage Hill Christian Academy in Mobile, before being named Head of School, a position he has filled the last two years. As school head, he led the school to two consecutive years of record enrollment, (714).
During his tenure at First Baptist Academy, Universal City, Texas (2011-2013), he taught Bible, History and PE; coached basketball and track/field; and served as Assistant Principal of the Upper School.
Sandefur has served on church staffs, including Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., he led weekly Bible studies for middle school and college students.
Sandefur is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham and Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Sandefur holds principal certifications from Virginia and the Association of Christian Schools International, and is a Certified Observer for Effective Learning Environment Observation Tool (ELEOT). He is certified to teach social studies in Alabama.
Originally chartered with the State of Tennessee in 1880, Harrison-Chilhowee Baptist Academy has been doing business as The King’s Academy since 1993. TKA is one of three educational institutions affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Since 1932, TBC has elected the academy’s board of trustees and supported the school financially through the convention’s Cooperative Program. B&R
