About Us

25 Years of History

In the summer of 1997, a small group of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church members were commissioned to analyze the interest and demand throughout the community for Christ-centered education. For more than 20 years, Mt. Bethel had offered one of East Cobb’s most respected preschools.  The possibility of continuing that tradition of Christ-centered excellence with lower, middle, and upper school students was the focus of the committee’s analysis. The conclusion was that the demand for quality Christian education far exceeded the supply of available options for parents in the immediate area. Following an extensive feasibility study, the MBUMC congregation voted overwhelmingly to found Mt. Bethel Christian Academy. 
August 1998 - the Academy opened its doors with two kindergarten classes. 
2002 – The Academy’s main academic building, now known as DeVore Hall after the school’s founder, Darren DeVore, opens.
2003 - The MBCA Middle School is established. 
 
2013 – Academy trustees identify the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Post Oak Tritt Road as a viable home for the creation of the Upper School. An $11M Capital Campaign, Forward in Faith, is launched to acquire and renovate the 33 acre property and hire faculty and staff. 
 
2014 - 2015 – With renovations underway, the MBCA Upper School opens in August 2014 with nine freshman students. They are able to move out of the modular structure and into the brand-new classrooms by the end of the school year. 
 
2018 – The Upper School graduates its first class. The class of 2018 had grown to 12 students by this time. 
 
2018 – Mt. Bethel Christian Academy is recognized as a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School. Blue Ribbon Recognition is awarded to schools demonstrating significant and consistent student achievement. 
2021 – MBCA had grown, was financially independent, yet remained fully aligned in mission with MB Church. The church and school collaborated to rewrite the bylaws to create independence for the school, and created a 20-year lease for use of the lower/middle school campus.  With independent governance, the Academy has since flourished and continues to grow in all areas. 

2022 
  • MBCA contracted with Transformed PD, a Christian professional development organization, to guide us through a comprehensive training program.  This includes coaching, training, materials, teaching tools, and techniques to ensure that we are who we say we are as a Christ-centered school.  In addition, there has also been a significant emphasis on pedagogical (teaching) skills through this training, and our teachers have deepened their expertise in the classroom as a result.
  • The Film Academy opens at the Upper School in its new home, The Meadows House. 
  • Completed the 5-year strategic plan that encompassed eight key areas of growth and development.  To date, over 90% of this 5 year plan has been accomplished.
  • Embarked on Phase 1 of the Master Facility Plan.
 
2023 
  • Arrow Field was constructed. This multipurpose turf field has become the home of the Eagles football, lacrosse, and soccer programs, plus a central hub for many MBCA gatherings and activities.  
  • The Upper School graduates its largest class ever (52) and maintains its track record of a 100% college acceptance rate. New to the commencement festivities, the Academy held its inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony, recognizing legendary coach Roger Kaiser, the Academy’s first Athletic Director.
  • Renovations to the STEM facilities at the Upper School allow for expanded programming and upgraded workspaces for teachers and students.
  • August 2023 – MBCA reports record-high enrollment and the largest freshman class to date. 
  • MB Church leadership decided to exercise a clause in our existing lease for the Lower/Middle School Campus that allows the church to terminate the lease in 60 months (i.e., 5 years).  The 5-year termination period will expire on August 3, 2028, by which time the Lower and Middle School will have needed to relocate to other facilities. This was the catalyst for leaving shared facilities and the execution and expansion of plans to consolidate the entire school on the 33 acre campus owned by the Academy.
  • September – The Building Up Campaign is launched to fund campus expansion.
 
Present (2024-2025)
  • Now serving nearly 700 students across two campuses in grades Junior Kindergarten through 12th grade 
  • Celebrated the largest Upper School enrollment in the history of the school at nearly 200 students
  • Phase 1 of the master facility plan has been completed – which includes a performance turf field, two new STEM labs, a Film Academy media production studio, a cross country trail, parking, and campus beautification.  No additional debt was incurred through this process.
  • Broke ground on the 20,000 SF Student Center, a state-of-the-art facility serving student needs in the areas of athletics, meeting space, press/digital design, conference room/classroom space, concessions, and more. Scheduled for completion by June 2025
MBCA offers a wide variety of award-winning sports and co-curriculars to ensure we have something for each student’s interests, including 17 sports (55 teams), robotics, performing and visual arts, humanities, and an extensive array of clubs. In 2022, softball and football programs were added to our sports program offerings. In 2024, girls flag football was established. At MBCA, students are encouraged to participate outside the classroom in athletics, arts, service opportunities, mission trips, and leadership development. 
The Academy’s curriculum engages students intellectually, and faculty challenge them to be the best they can be. We believe that an educational experience is only meaningful when it prepares students for matters of both earthly and eternal significance. 
MBCA’s leadership and faculty are deliberately focused on professional development, and a key component in that training is the discipline of Biblical integration. This is a reflection of the philosophy that MBCA was built upon, as explained in the Founding Principles Document shown on our website. MBCA is as committed to offering a premiere Christ-centered education today as it was in 1998 – and always will be.
P: (770) 971-0245   F: (770) 971-3770