STEPPING INTO THE FUTURE, TOGETHER

Written by Victoria Bardega

the new school year begins at Lakeland Christian, it’s an exciting time as LCS welcomes its new Head of School, Bryant Black. Dr. Mike Sligh’s successor steps into the role with a deep love for Christ-centered education, a desire to further elevate student success and a longing for students to grasp Coram Deo — “Life in the presence of God.”

Bryant began his career as an educator at Chattanooga Christian School (CCS) in 1995. He served as a history teacher and history department chair, as well as Director of Curriculum and Instruction, before his promotion to Upper School Head, a position he held from 2013-2019.

“I’ve kept an eye on LCS over the years––the school truly has a strong community,” Black said. “We have so many aspects we can easily take for granted that are truly exceptional—from our incredible Board of

Directors to our students, staff, and faculty.”

When the Lord opened an opportunity for his wife Ashley to become Director of Operations at Heart for Winter Haven, a Winter Haven-based non-profit, the couple moved to Florida. Bryant joined the LCS faculty as a high school history teacher in 2021 before moving into the role of Director of Curriculum and Instruction during the last school year.

“The Head of School role wasn’t on my radar when I first came, but after Dr. Sligh announced his retirement and the Board kicked off their national search with Carter Baldwin Executive Search, I felt led to apply,” Bryant said.

“As a board, we were committed to finding someone who would embrace our mission to educate students in the light of God’s Word,” said LCS Board Chairman Kevin Knowlton.

“During the interview process, it was abundantly clear that Bryant’s passion for Christian education and proven educational leadership experience made him the best candidate,” Knowlton said. “He holds an unwavering commitment to the school’s mission, to pursuing academic excellence at every level and to developing our students into individuals who possess strong moral character with a solid foundation for faith and life.”

With the new school year getting underway, Bryant hopes to focus on several areas of student development and educational growth. There will be additional emphasis on discipleship to give students opportunities to grow deeper in their faith, as well as a commitment to student engagement within the Lakeland community.

“My calling and passion are one in the same,” Bryant said. “It’s the cultivation of a school community that is redemptively Kingdomminded in every aspect of school life. I long for our students to see the beauty, the love, the life and the scandal that is Jesus.”

“We want our school to feel like home for our students,” Bryant said. “My prayer and hope is that we continue to build our students up to take ownership of their faith and engage with the world outside of the classroom.”

Creating a Christ-centered space for students to innovate creatively, to reflect deeply and to think Biblically continues to be a driving force for the administration. Bryant is especially excited about how the new high school building will elevate the science programs.

“I feel fortunate to be stepping in with an incredible new high school building. We have fantastic, state-of-the art labs in place that are top tier for our science classes. We are also looking to grow our amazing robotics program,” Bryant said.

Yet for Bryant, student success isn’t limited to getting good grades in the classroom or winning a championship trophy on the athletic fields. In fact, sometimes the most important lessons are learned during difficult times.

“My wife and I always encouraged our three sons to engage people and to take advantage of opportunities as they navigate who they are and who God created them to be,” he explained. “I want our students to not fear failure but to embrace it. Failure is a part of life. How we walk through our failures matters.”

With a desire to carry out the mission of the school and the Great Commission in this city, Bryant is excited for what’s to come. Through it all, the school continues to focus on keeping Christ at the center.

“What Jesus did impacts everything––from the way we communicate to the way we forgive one another,” Bryant said. “There’s a saying that goes, ‘our students will preach what we preach and practice what we practice.’”

This thought is something he keeps at the forefront as a mentor and leader in education and encourages others to keep this in mind, too.

“The legacy [at LCS] has held a commitment to a mission that includes a lifetime of service from the leadership. [My desire is] that we continue to cultivate this culture that reflects our mission and the mission of Christ, our hope,” he said.

“I am invigorated to cultivate a biblical vision of ‘The Good Life’ for the next generation. The LCS student experience must be an invitation to the ‘good life’ in Jesus Christ. More than ever, our kids need to experience love, forgiveness, relationship and community, restoration, exhortation and discipline in the spirit of the Lord.”