In September, I had the opportunity to attend the largest teacher’s convention in the Southeast. Nearly 2,000 Christian educators gathered at the 2024 Southeast Christian School Convention at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. These teachers are impacting thousands of students across the Southeast, and they come together every year to improve their classroom methods and reignite their passion for teaching.
I attended this convention with eight other education majors from Bob Jones University, led by BJU education staff member Daniel Dillard and his wife, Aimee. This opportunity was part of the Ashford Rexroad Christian Educator’s Scholarship, which was made in honor of the 1960 BJU School of Education graduate and was paid for by a generous donor. The donor also provided the all-expense paid trip to the convention.
The convention started on Wednesday with a joyful and encouraging general session of all the attendees where we worshipped in song with educators from different backgrounds. Dr. Renton Rathbun, BJU’s Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview, preached at two of the three general sessions. Other specialized sessions included a wide array of teaching topics – everything from gamification to differential instruction to classroom management.
The convention was made for any Christian educator on any path of life. Teachers shared resources and ideas that they discovered in their educational careers with others to most effectively mentor their students. I gained practical and useful information that I hope to use when I become a teacher. We spent afternoons as a group growing closer to each other and enjoying Myrtle Beach.
Friday morning the hurricane hit. While Myrtle Beach was not hit as hard as the Upstate of South Carolina or other areas, it was damaging. The power flickered on and off all morning, and several tornado watches occurred throughout the sessions. What amazed me was the commitment of the teachers leading each session. In the sessions I attended, the speakers continued to share the tools or stories of their passion for teaching, and the attendees remained focused in spite of alarms buzzing on their phones.
The convention ended Friday afternoon with a general session filled with singing and preaching, but our return to campus was delayed by a day because of storm damage.
Despite the unexpected chaos caused by Hurricane Helene, I loved my time at the convention. It was a privilege to be surrounded by faithful Christian educators who were unified in Christ and to have the opportunity to grow closer to fellow education majors at BJU. As we all went our separate ways, I considered how these educators were returning to their schools newly equipped to share biblical principles in every subject area that would form the foundation of students’ worldview and last for generations.
