Religious leaders petition for Bible-based education in a Central Georgia school district

Religious leaders and community members in Middle Georgia are trying to implement Bible instruction for students in Twiggs County.

Daniel Wright, pastor of Jeffersonville Baptist Church, said the optional initiative will allow Twiggs County public school students to be taught biblical concepts with parental consent.

“We’re living in some strange, difficult times today, and we want to be able to teach our children right and wrong,” Wright said. “We want to help families support teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The religious instruction would come through LifeWise Academy, a Christian nonprofit organization that provides free biblical education for public school students off campus during regular school hours. The program launched in 2019.

Lifewise Academy operates under released time religious education regulations, which require the program to be privately funded, parent-permitted and off school property. The law stemmed from a Supreme Court ruling in 1952 that allowed public school students to leave campus during school hours to attend religious services.

LifeWise Academy currently has a running program for elementary students in Cartersville – about 40 miles northwest of Atlanta.

“The great thing about the instruction is that it will take place during school hours, which is the key because of how difficult it can be for students to juggle extracurricular activities before or after school,” Wright said.

Elly Worsham, a private school teacher in Hancock County, said she signed an online petition to help launch the program for Twiggs County students because she believes it is critical to offer an optional, Christian education in a public school setting, where there is more regulation on what can and cannot be implemented.

“The LifeWise curriculum also focuses a lot on conduct and how you deal with things in life,” Worsham said. “I think that can have a great impact on our school system because there’ll be lessons on discipline issues and maybe some people don’t receive that at home.”

The petition, which needed at least 50 signatures to start the preliminary process, currently has 70, but the community is still able to sign, Wright said.

This would require approval from the Twiggs County Board of Education first.

School officials said the group will present a logistics plan for the program’s implementation at the next scheduled board meeting on Aug. 13 for questions.

The approval process comes at a time when a recurring national debate about religion in schools has resurfaced, particularly after Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters mandated that all public schools use the Bible as a regular teaching tool.

Although Wright said he wants to see Georgia legislation pass biblical teaching in public classrooms, LifeWise Academy is strictly volunteer.

“This is not our way of pushing this onto the kids in any way or violating parental rights. It is a program that would require consent from them,” he said.

More about the process, program

A steering committee made up of Wright, Pastor Brian Mclean of Dry Branch, a LifeWise representative and other community stakeholders are working to obtain official approval from the Twiggs County Board of Education, Wright said.

“We believe that Lifewise is a great opportunity to reach our community and have a great connection with the schools,” he said.

The committee’s next goal is to recruit a program director and a method of transportation for students, Wright added. It is looking to launch a LifeWise Academy pilot program in January, starting with Jeffersonville Elementary School and possibly working up to additional grades.

Wright said the off-campus instruction would initially take place at his church, where students would receive instruction from approved volunteers, including pastors and teachers.

The curriculum has a character education component, where students can learn about forgiveness, gratitude and respect, said Christine Czernejewski, a spokeswoman for LifeWise Academy.

“In the upcoming school year, we will be serving over 30,0000 students in more than 500 schools across 27 states, a testament to the demand for our program,” Czernejewski said in an email. “There are 25 other districts in Georgia that have started the process of launching a LifeWise.”