On Roswell Street in Marietta, Georgia, a non-denominational congregation called Covenant Christian Ministries has been gathering for more than three decades. Founded on October 13, 1991, by Pastor Frederick T. Anderson, Sr., the church became best known in the wider Marietta area for the K-12 academy it ran for twenty-five years, from 1994 to 2019, and for a basketball program that produced NACA national championships and players who went on to the NBA Summer League, the ACB in Spain, and the NBL in Australia.
Founder, Family, and a Church Born in 1991
Pastor Anderson is a native of Syracuse, New York. He is the son of a Baptist preacher, the tenth of fourteen children, and the eighth of ten boys. By the time he was twenty he had already begun to preach, and by twenty-six he was pastoring his first church. Years later, he felt prompted to step outside the denominational world and start a ministry of his own. On October 13, 1991, he founded Covenant Christian Ministries Church in Marietta, where he has continued to pastor ever since. He studied social work for two years at Syracuse University, spent two more years at Bryant and Stratton Business Institute, and went on to further his education at More Than Conquerors College.
He married Vanessa on December 29, 1984, and the two have built the ministry together. Mrs. Anderson is a native of Kenansville, North Carolina. She came into a life-changing relationship with Christ at age seventeen and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in middle grades education from North Carolina Central University and a master's degree in speech-language disorders from Syracuse University. She later completed a Doctor of Education at Oral Roberts University, defending her dissertation in the spring of 2019. Alongside her husband she has overseen the daily operation of the Christian academy, provided orientation for new members of the church, conducted women's meetings throughout the year, and ministered to the wider body as directed. The Andersons have two children, Frederick Jr. and Patience.
From its single Marietta base, the Andersons' ministry has grown to encompass several locations. The main worship facility is at 995 Roswell Street, Marietta, Georgia 30060. The church's stated heartbeat, drawn from Deuteronomy 6:6-7, is to help parents rear a godly seed.
Twenty-Five Years of the Academy, 1994-2019
Three years after founding the church, the Andersons opened Covenant Christian Ministries Academy as an outworking of that calling. The school served students from kindergarten through twelfth grade for twenty-five years and matriculated more than one hundred students along the way, drawing both local families and students sent from overseas. Classes were kept small so that teachers could track the needs of each child, and spiritual emphasis was woven into the day: daily Bible class, prayer, memory work, and weekly chapel. A Beka Book served as the primary textbook across grade levels, supplemented by other resources. According to the school's own records, more than half of the graded population maintained A/B honor-roll status, and approximately eighty percent of those tested scored on or above grade level.
The Academy's mission statement ran like this: "to prioritize the wisdom of God first and include Him in every aspect of our lives, as we provide a quality academic program equipping students for higher learning and guiding them to a productive life in society." That framing - wisdom first, then college, then a productive life - shaped how the school organized its days.
From Phonics to AP: The K5-12 Curriculum
Elementary, K5 through fifth grade, centered on a phonics-oriented reading program alongside English, history, spelling, science, penmanship, math, literature, technology classes, and physical education. The middle school years, grades six through eight, and the high school years, grades nine through twelve, shared a core curriculum of Bible, English, math, science, history, and foreign language. Electives at those levels included technology, physical education (with offerings such as swimming and bowling), and study-skills courses. Advanced Placement and honors courses were open to qualified high school students.
The Academy also made room for international students who arrived with very different educational backgrounds. Alumni rosters list graduates from the Bahamas, Haiti, Cameroon, Serbia, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Suriname, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Antigua, and Senegal - a striking range for a school of its size, and a reminder that the work was as much cross-cultural as it was academic.
Faith at the Center: What the Academy Believed About Education
The Academy spelled out its convictions in a "We Believe" series used on its materials:
- Excellence: a commitment to excellence in education (Philippians 1:10).
- Lifestyle: teachers are the "living curriculum" and must exemplify what they teach (James 1:22).
- Wisdom: the wisdom of God is key, and full understanding is obtainable in every academic area (Proverbs 4:7; Proverbs 3:5, 7).
- Image: each student is created in the image of God and capable of success (Genesis 1:26; Philippians 4:13).
- Bible: understanding and application of Biblical principles enhance a student's ability to succeed (Psalms 119:130).
- Ministry: education is a ministry to be performed as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23).
- Standards: a high standard academically, spiritually, emotionally, and physically (Philippians 3:14).
The school's motto, drawn from Philippians 1:10, was: "Approve things that are excellent, being sincere and without offense till the day of Christ." Mrs. Anderson's own doctoral journey - completed at Oral Roberts as her students were still in the classroom - embodied the same ethic she asked of her teachers.
The Crusaders on the Court: Basketball, Volleyball, and a Coach's Calling
From seventh grade up, students at the Academy could compete on interscholastic teams in volleyball, basketball, and football. Younger students took part in intramural sports and physical education on campus. The athletic program existed, in the school's words, "to promote the physical, mental, moral, social, and emotional well-being of the team's individual players," with an emphasis on sportsmanship, ethical conduct, spiritual development, and fair play.
Basketball was the centerpiece. Coach Anderson first picked up a clipboard as a high-school freshman back in 1976 and went on to spend more than two decades shaping the game. He founded the Elite team in 2005 with a specific vision: bring the most gifted players from all over the world to Marietta and train them "mentally, physically, and spiritually." The teams were called the Crusaders, and they became a force inside the National Association of Christian Athletes, capturing NACA National Championships in 2008 and 2011, finishing as runners-up in 2009, 2013, and 2016, and reaching the Final Four in 2010 and 2012. He coached the Elite squad, while Raymond Thomas led the Junior Varsity (taking over from Myca Townes) and later also took the head role for girls' volleyball, with Patience Anderson serving as assistant coach.
Junior Varsity home games were played at All Tournament Players Park, 3910 Canton Road, Marietta, Georgia 30066.
From Marietta to the Pros: The Alumni Pipeline
Covenant's small enrollment made every graduate visible, and the tracked list of alumni reads like a roll call of NCAA programs, overseas leagues, and graduate schools.
On the basketball side, Demitrius Conger - who led the Crusaders to the 2008 NACA title as a junior and averaged twenty-four points a game as a senior in 2008-09 - went on to St. Bonaventure (2013) and then turned pro in Italy, Greece, and Belgium before an All-NBL First Team season with Australia's Illawarra Hawks and a stint with Joventut Badalona in Spain's ACB. In 2018 he joined the Boston Celtics for the NBA Summer League. Martins Igbanu played at the University of Tulsa (2020) and then professionally with Mladost Zemun. Tope Arikawe, originally from Lagos, set records at Panola College, helped the University of North Texas Mean Green win the CBI Championship, and was ranked among the top JUCO players in the nation. Lazar Bogdanovic went on to Colgate (2013); Christian Mekowulu to Tennessee State; Eric Van Beek to Morehouse; Roger Hubbard to Fort Valley State; Issac Abergut, originally from South Sudan via Melbourne, earned a post-graduate certificate before signing with Miles Community College and then Shawnee State.
On the academic side, Lauren Brewington graduated Summa Cum Laude (3.93 GPA) from Oral Roberts University with a degree in convergence journalism and received the ORU Outstanding Senior award for that program. Meaghan Gamboa earned a bachelor's in political science with a minor in business administration from Florida A&M, graduating Magna Cum Laude as an honors scholar and continuing as an HBCU Fellow at Columbia University's graduate program in analytics. Eilaina Smith-Gregory finished at Kansas State University with a degree in life science; Brianna Reid earned a degree in sport management from Ohio University; Vyctori Anderson graduated from the University of Florida in family, youth, and community sciences; Jillian Bundy finished at the University of Georgia. Reid and Anderson, the Class of 2014, served as the Academy's valedictorian and salutatorian respectively.
The roster of places represented - Nassau, Lagos, Bogota, Suriname, Cameroon, Haiti, Melbourne, Sydney, Antwerp, Badalona, Tulsa, Boston - is part of how the school framed its mission.
Foreign to Domestic: Helping Students Afford Christian School
Long before the Academy formalized it, taking in students from abroad was already a habit. In more recent years the Andersons turned that practice into a structured giving initiative called Foreign to Domestic. Their stated goal is to gather sponsors willing to give one hundred dollars or more toward the tuition and fees of international and domestic students who cannot afford a quality private Christian education.
The Class of 2019 was, for the second time in the school's history, an all-male graduating class made up mostly of international students. Foreign to Domestic exists to keep that door open for students whose families could not otherwise pay for a Christian education in Marietta.
Giving: Annual Fund, Walk for Education, and Ten Categories of Support
Support for the Academy has always run through several channels. The three primary vehicles are the CCMA Annual Fund, the Walk for Education, and retail sale purchases. Donations can also be directed to one of ten specific categories:
- Domestic and Foreign Education - to continuously educate students, both foreign and domestic.
- CCMA Annual Fund - to continuously enable all areas of the education ministry to expand.
- Walk for Education - to enhance employee benefits and supplement additional educational needs.
- Academic Support - to attract and retain the best educational staff.
- Georgia Christian Schools Scholarship Fund - to make Christian education more affordable.
- Athletic Support - to provide the best facilities for physical fitness and practice.
- Booster Club - to keep athletic teams equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
- Library Resources - to provide research, study, and reading materials.
- Technology Support - to give students, faculty, and staff access to current computer and internet technology.
- Other - to provide field trips, character-building retreats, and periodic scholarships.
Giving is handled through the school's office by contacting the business office directly.
The School Year Together: Walk for Education, Honors' Programs, and the Legacy 5K
The Academy built a recognizable rhythm around the year. Quarterly Honors' Programs recognized students who had earned their place on the honor roll; the Walk for Education brought families, students, and supporters onto campus in the fall to raise money for staff benefits and academic needs; the Thanksgiving Feast and Christmas Treats gathered the school community; and at the close of each year the class moved on - the lifers in particular leaving behind a mark that the school tracked year by year.
To honor the founder after the Academy closed its classrooms, the church organized an inaugural FTA Legacy 5K, with proceeds directed toward the ministry. The event is meant to recognize Pastor Anderson's decades of service and to keep the Foreign to Domestic work visible to the wider community.
After the Classroom: Transcripts, Inquiries, and the Road Ahead
Although the Academy has stopped enrolling new students, the office continues to serve alumni. Transcripts can be ordered online for a twenty-five-dollar fee and are typically processed within three to five business days. The office can be reached by phone at 770-919-0022, by fax at 770-919-2098, and by email at office@ccmacademy.org. The mailing address is P.O. Box 4065, Marietta, Georgia 30061.
Plans for reopening the Academy are still under review, and inquiries are still being accepted and kept on file for future reference. The Alumni Oath, written and signed by past graduates, captures what the school hoped to send into the world: "It is our duty and responsibility to uphold the standard and reputation of the school from which we graduated. We not only represent the school and those who came before us but most importantly, we represent our Lord, Jesus Christ."
That conviction is the thread that runs through every part of Covenant Christian Ministries. The church began with it in 1991, the Academy grew around it for twenty-five years, and the wider ministry - from women's meetings to NACA national championships to the Foreign to Domestic initiative - continues to be measured by it today.