A Wake-Up Call for Christian Parents: Who Is Discipling Our Children?
A clip from the late Pastor Voddie Baucham has resurfaced, raising a question that Christian families can’t afford to ignore: Who is really discipling our children?
“If we continue to send our children to Caesar for their education, we need to stop being surprised when they come home as Romans.”
— Pastor Voddie Baucham
Photo by Hope Reformed Baptist Church - YouTube (Time: 4m28s) – View/save archived versions on archive.org and archive.today
In an age where secular ideologies saturate the classroom and biblical literacy is declining, Pastor Voddie’s observation is a stark reminder that discipleship doesn’t happen automatically. As Jesus said, “Everyone, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).
The reality is that the public schools are not neutral. They are shaping students with worldviews that often directly contradict Christian belief. Ryan Helfenbein, Vice President of Communications & Public Engagement at Liberty University and the Founding Executive Director of the Standing for Freedom Center, and Virginia Rep. Nick Freitas discuss this in more detail:
Why are public schools producing so many little communists???
— Standing for Freedom Center (@freedomcenterlu) November 12, 2025
“We cannot continue to send our children to Caesar for their education and be surprised when they come home as Romans.”
-Voddie Baucham@NickJFreitas and @RHelfenbein discuss! pic.twitter.com/wVkz3cBexJ
Many families are no longer willing to outsource discipleship to a system built on values hostile to the faith. They are turning to solutions built on truth, like Christian schools, and policies that make those options accessible.
One example is the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship highlighted in a recent Restoration News interview with Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) President Aaron Baer. These scholarships enable Christian families to choose faith-based schools without incurring financial penalties. As Aaron explained, it’s a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save the next generation, and save America.”
This is where advocacy networks step in to support families: the Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN) and the national Christian Education Network (CEN). OCEN has been equipping Ohio families since 2018, growing into the largest state advocacy network of Evangelical and Catholic schools in the nation. OCEN helps churches launch new Christ-centered schools, strengthens existing ones, and ensures families have genuine options rooted in Scripture. Building on this model, CEN, led by Todd Marrah, is expanding this advocacy nationwide, including launching statewide Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) to distribute tax credit scholarships to Evangelical, Catholic, and classical nonprofit schools.
Pastor Voddie’s recirculated clip is a reminder that the stakes are high, but through OCEN, CEN, and the growing number of Christian schools, parents have a path to form their students in faith, wisdom, and virtue.
For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or contact@ccv.org. For media inquiries, email media@ccv.org.
As Ohio's largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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