[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 128 (Friday, July 28, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE OPENING OF THE NEW STONEGATE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY CAMPUS

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                          HON. KENNY MARCHANT

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 28, 2017

  Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate 
StoneGate Christian Academy on the opening of their new school campus, 
located in Irving, Texas.
  Founded in 1976 as a ministry of the Shady Grove Church in Grand 
Prairie, Texas, StoneGate Christian Academy was built to foster the 
educational and spiritual needs of the prospering communities that made 
up its congregation.
  In 2008, the Academy's board of directors faced the tremendous 
hardship of having to relocate their campus to two separate buildings, 
neither of which possessed the facilities to adequately host StoneGate 
Christian Academy's growing student body. By the grace of God, 
StoneGate Christian Academy continued to grow for the next nine years. 
During this time, StoneGate leased practice venues for its sports 
teams, band, choir, and drama programs, in order to ensure its students 
access to their sports and award-winning fine arts programs.
  In 2014, word began to spread that the Lakewood Baptist Church in 
Irving, Texas, was considering selling its property. After two years of 
discussion and prayer, Lakewood Baptist Church's board of directors 
reached a decision to sell the property to StoneGate Christian Academy 
in December of 2016. For the next seven months, StoneGate worked 
tirelessly to raise enough finds to complete the purchase of its new 
academy campus, which includes a schoolyard, auditorium, and gym. 
Through the tireless efforts of alumni, students, parents, teachers, 
and staff, StoneGate Christian Academy now has adequate facilities to 
support its growing student body and sustain this growth well into the 
future.
  Today, StoneGate serves as one of the most affordable private 
Christian schools in North Texas, providing an outstanding education to 
its students and teaching valuable lessons about community service and 
civic duty.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize StoneGate Christian Academy 
and congratulate them on the opening of their new campus in Irving, 
Texas. I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in 
congratulating StoneGate Christian Academy for this monumental 
achievement.

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