Garywood Christian School

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Garywood Christian School was a Christian private school located in Hueytown, Alabama, in the western suburbs of Birmingham. It is affiliated with Garywood Assembly of God, a large Pentecostal church that houses the school's facilities. The school has currently suspended operations as a result of the parent church's action toward moving to a new location.

The school was founded in 1985 by Garywood's pastor, Rev. John A. Loper Jr. At its inception, the school offered classes in kindergarten through eighth grades, adding a higher grade each successive school year until all twelve grades were offered. The school offers Bible-based curriculum in all standard school subjects. In 2003, the school also offered sponsorship of home school students, giving such students the legal "umbrella organization" required by Alabama law and also allowing them additional opportunities, such as sports participation.

GCS fielded varsity sports teams in eight-man football, boys' and girls' basketball, volleyball, baseball, and fast-pitch softball. The teams played under the nickname "Crusaders". Their uniform colors were blue, black and white. In 2003, the Crusader football team won the National Association of Christian Athletes Division 3 national championship, the first post-season championship in school history. The teams competed in the National Christian Sports Conference (formerly the National Christian Athletic Association) at the time the school suspended operations.

Amanda Kleiser was the school principal at its closing. Executive Pastor Randal Ray is the member of Garywood Assembly's ministerial staff with direct oversight over the school.

One of the school's teachers, Lyn Turk, took part in The Amazing Race 10 and became part of the first all-female team to ever make it into the final three in the show's history. Her tam finished third overall.

[edit] Suspension

In 2004, Garywood Assembly announced plans to move the church and school facilities to a new location in McCalla, Alabama, about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of the current facilities and adjacent to Interstate 459. After a sale of the initial property intended for the new facility, the church purchased another site in 2007, approximately a mile away. Because of uncertainty about when the new facility would be ready and when the current facility would have to be vacated pending its sale, the church board voted to suspend operations of the school for at least the 2007-2008 school year. The suspension was announced on May 7, 2007.