First Assembly Christian School (FACS) was founded on February 4, 1972. The school was established during a time of great social upheaval. A recent ban on prayer and the pervasive adoption of secular values in our culture made Christian education a matter of urgency to families desiring the full measure of truth in their children’s education. First Assembly Christian School opened its doors to elementary students in August of 1972, adding grades each year. The first class of seniors graduated in 1979.Our three-pronged approach has been and remains: 1. Every student has an opportunity to know Jesus Christ as Savior. 2. Every student knows what a Christian believes and why. 3. Every student is academically prepared to follow God’s call into college or career. In November of 1999, the school and its 430 students moved from the original 6.75-acre campus on North Highland Street in Memphis to what is now a well-appointed 55-acre campus on Walnut Grove Road. Today students in grades PreK-12 learn and grow here. In addition to outstanding spiritual development and academic instruction, the school offers a full complement of fine art, athletics, student leadership,
and Christian service opportunities to develop students’ unique gifts and abilities. In all, 2,226 students have graduated from FACS. Deeply rooted in Christian worldview, these graduates have made a significant impact at colleges and universities throughout the country. They have gone on to build strong families and careers and make a positive difference in the communities in which they live and work.
Facilities For more than a quarter century, FACS was housed on a 6.75 acre campus on North Highland Street. In November of 1999, First Assembly Memphis and First Assembly Christian School moved east to what is now a 55-acre campus in Cordova. The main church and school building is known for its beautiful spire atop the highest point in Shelby County at 8650 Walnut Grove Road.
In 2009, FACS opened a second academic building on the same campus; the new facility was given its own address, 8636 Walnut Grove Road. And in 2019, a large addition to the original 8650 Building was completed.
Today all of the school’s preschool and elementary classes (grades PreK-6) and most of its high school classes (grades 9-12) are held in the 8650 Building, while junior high classes (grades 7-8) are conducted in the 8636 Building.
FACS students have access to two full-size gymnasiums, two cafeterias, a state-of-the-art music wing for chorus and band, a large new multi-purpose room with theatre staging, lighting, and sound, spacious multi-purpose activity rooms for children and youth, well-equipped science, computer, and art labs, and beautiful worship spaces for chapel and musical performance.
In the spring of 2018, the campus grew from 42 to 55 acres with the addition of 13 acres gifted by FACS parents Jack and Candace Savage.
In 2012, with the help of the late Hermon Jones and his wife, Bonnie, the school renovated a beautiful log cabin on the FACS campus to serve as The Jones Center for Guidance and Counseling. The front portion of the cabin is the oldest homestead still standing in Shelby County.
Frazee Athletic Complex, which includes football, softball, and baseball fields, was made possible through the generosity of the late William Frazee.
The Tate Fieldhouse is a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Earl Tate.
Significant renovations to the baseball field and an indoor baseball training facility were completed in 2016, made possible through the generosity and hard work of FACS parent Brenda Carter and other members of the Baseball Boosters.
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