By Chris Hall, Founding Family and Former Board Member (1997-2023)
During our 2025 Homecoming festivities, Mars Hill Academy held a joyful and symbolic mortgage burning ceremony with a letter from the bank noting the school building was paid in full. With gratitude for God’s provision and the faithful stewardship of our board and families, the mortgage on our school building was paid off—nine months ahead of schedule.
Twenty years ago, when MHA was just one-third of its current size, we faced a crossroads. We had outgrown our fourth facility and risked splitting into multiple locations unless God provided land and resources for a new building. Our people prayed, and the Lord answered with nearly a million dollars in donations from our community and the opportunity to piece together three parcels of land for a permanent home.
We were still $600,000 short of the down payment for construction. Again, our people prayed, and the Lord provided—this time through godly men at the bank who stood up for us with the underwriters and negotiated a bridge loan, contingent on personal guarantees from board members. The Lord called six families to step forward in faith, pledging their financial stability to stand in the gap for nearly ten years.
By 2006, our vision became reality: a 35,000-square-foot facility with 21 classrooms, later expanded through generous gifts to include two additional classrooms, a gymnasium, and soccer field. Today, our campus totals 50,000 square feet.
Through refinancing, the board was able to release the guarantors and reduce interest rates. This summer, however, careful stewardship of our board and continued generosity brought the journey to an early close: Mars Hill Academy is now debt free!
As we celebrate this milestone in our 30th anniversary year, we look forward with faith to what God has next and are thankful for those in our community who are giving sacrificially to support the future of Mars Hill.
To God be the glory.