Local & State Headlines

Byne head to leave school

• Byne Memorial Baptist School's headmaster is moving to South Carolina.

Joshua Brown

ALBANY — Byne Memorial Baptist School Headmaster John Davis says he has resigned his position to accept the same post at a South Carolina Christian school at the end of June.

Davis informed the Byne school board that he was accepting the headmaster position at the nondenominational Dillon Christian School in Dillon, S.C.

“What I told folks is in Christian ministry, you put your trust in the Lord and when opportunities come up you pray and you seek the Lord,” Davis said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “We believe the Lord’s given us clear direction for this move.”

Davis took over as headmaster in June 2006 after the former headmaster, Jerome Grenade, resigned in December 2005 during a time of unrest amount Byne students and parents.

To help make the transition between administrators easier, Davis said he will stay on until late June if needed.

Davis said he has experienced an improved relationship between the school and Byne Memorial Baptist Church during his stay in Albany.

“It’s been a great experience,” he said. “We’re looking forward to what God has for us and sad to leave Byne. It’s been a joy to be at Byne.”

Byne School Board Chairman Scott Satterfield said the headmaster “definitely” improved the school.

“He truly is a great man and is definitely leaving our school in much better shape than when he came,” he said. “(W)e have practically revamped a lot of our staff since Mr. Davis has gotten here. All of our test scores are up.

“He has just brought a lot of leadership. ... We truly believe he was the man God sent us to lead us over the last two years.”

Satterfield credited Davis with a significant increase in student enrollment.

To replace the outgoing headmaster, the school has begun advertising the open position with the Association of Christian Schools International, Satterfield said. It will accept applications for about two to three weeks before screening the applicants, he said, after which officials will begin the interviewing process.

The board hopes to have a new headmaster before the school year begins in August, he said.

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