ABOVE Vidalia students meet at
Tabernacle Baptist Church for the Bible
class. Allowing students to leave campus
for Bible classes has actually been
allowed since the early 1900s.
Hometown Living At Its Best 45
this ministry in which his wife teaches
Bible to public high school students
every single day off campus during
school hours for an elective credit.
That was in April 2013. By August
2013, I had founded this ministry. In
January 2014, I started my first Bible
class at Montgomery County High
School.
TCM: DO YOU RECEIVE STATE OR
FEDERAL FUNDS?
GADY: No. This is a privately funded
ministry. The CLC does not receive
any tuition from students, nor does it
receive any local or state educational
funds from the public-school system.
We are completely dependent upon
local churches, businesses, and
individuals that are willing to invest in
our ministry through donations and
gifts. Without such support, we cannot
fulfill our mission.
Many families would love for
their children to have the Bible
teaching that is offered at Christian
or private schools but can’t afford
to pay hundreds of dollars a month
for tuition. Through this ministry,
there is no charge to students. This
gives all students, regardless of school
affiliation, the chance to receive a
Biblical education.
I’ve been hearing people say that
the problem with our nation is that
Bible and prayer have been taken
out of schools for as long as I can
remember. But public schools have
had the legal right to allow students
to leave campus during school hours
to receive religious instruction since
the early 1900s because of something
called the Released Time Education
Act (RTE).
TCM: WHAT IS THE RELEASED TIME
EDUCATION ACT RTE?
GADY: The Released Time Education
Act is a federal law that allows parents
to remove their children from public
school in order to receive religious
education during the school day. In
1952, the Supreme Court upheld
Release Time Religious Education
as being constitutional in all 50
states. Justice Williams O. Douglas,
speaking for the majority, concluded
that the first amendment prohibits
governmental financing of religion
or in taking religious instruction, it
does not require the government to be
hostile toward religion. In 1952, the
United States Supreme court approved
Release Time Education.
We can’t facilitate our classes on
any school-owned property during
school hours, but classes can be
held off campus as long as three
requirements are met: 1-Parent
permission, 2-The class has to be
completely privately funded, 3-The
class has to meet off school property,
which requires students to have their
own transportation. If they want to
carpool with another student, they will
need parent permission. These classes