|
Bio Sketch
The
Rev. Richard Jones was born and reared in New Orleans, Louisiana. After
graduating from High School in 1965, he served as a Sonar Technician in the US
Navy until 1970. Upon being discharged from the service he enrolled at Louisiana
State University (Geaux Tigers!), where he majored in History with an
emphasis upon Classical and Medieval studies. In 1974 he was awarded a Bachelor
of Arts degree. He later received his theological training at Reformed
Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS and received a Master of Divinity degree in
1979.
After
graduation he leased a car – a two cylinder Citroên - and traveled throughout
Europe for about nine months. Finally deciding he needed to grow up, Richard
returned to the US and began his career as a teacher in Southern California.
For
fourteen years Richard served as the Bible Department Chair at Bellevue
Christian School in Washington, where he taught classes in Philosophy of
Education, Church History, Christian Ethics, and
Apologetics. He also created and hosted the Bible Abroad program
which escorted students and family members to Israel, Egypt, Turkey, and Greece.
An
ordained presbyter in the Reformed Episcopal Church, Rev. Jones served as
the rector of Christ Reformed Episcopal Church in Bothell, WA, and later as
the vicar of St. James’ mission in Bellevue.
Richard
and his wife Suzanne now reside in Visalia. They have two daughters. Dana
currently lives in Orange County, and Jodi lives in Texas with her Air Force husband
Eric, baby Vivian, and big brother Dylan.
My Grandkids
(Just indulge me, okay?)
|
|
Educational Credo
Since the God of
Scripture calls us to a covenant relationship of love and obedience, I believe it is the
duty of the Christian school to instill a keen sense of what it means to be covenantally faithful to Christ in every area of life. To do this, Christian
educators must seek to promote a covenantal knowledge of God and His world, and a
Biblical understanding of community.
First of all, we
must promote a covenantal knowledge of God. In Christian terms knowledge is not
simply theoretical. Rather, it is intensely personal, ethical, and relational
in nature. Christian educators believe, therefore, that knowledge is never an end in itself;
its goal is that of closer communion with God. Thus, the purpose of Christian
education is to help the students know God in an intimate, personal way.
Secondly, we
must encourage a covenantal understanding of God's world. The
Scriptures teach us that the
whole universe is revelatory of God. Thus, every discipline taught in the school
increases the students' knowledge of God as they study the various aspects of
His creation. Conversely, as they increase in their knowledge of the Creator,
they also gain a greater understanding of the created order. Therefore, the
Christian school should seek
to equip its students to respond to God's call that they be responsible stewards of His
world.
Thirdly, we
must promote
a Biblical understanding of community. The Bible views man as an inherently
social being who is created to love. This is because God Himself is a social
Being whose essential nature is love, and man is the image of God. So our
school must call its students to community, a sense of Christian responsibility in
their social relationships. We must challenge our students to answer the question,
"How am I to live Christianly in my family, church, school, and
society?"
In speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, Colossians 1 tells us that all things
"...were created by Him and for Him . . . and in Him all things hold together."
This means that Christ is the unifying truth of all reality. Since the
Scriptures are the Word of Christ, I believe that a knowledge of the Bible is basic to the
process of Christian education. Accordingly, we should study the text of Scripture as
a starting point for our ideas. Furthermore, the Bible classes should be designed to
establish the foundational principles upon which the other disciplines build by
providing the students with a unifying conceptual framework for the Christian
Life and Worldview. They must nurture a commitment to the distinctiveness of
Christian thought, to the practical implications of the Bible for daily living,
and to a sense of vocation as the students mature in the faith.
To
know God, to understand the Creation, and to love others as we love ourselves.
These are essential elements of the Christian Life and Worldview. And these
goals are essential to the Christian school.
|
Home 
