This will be the history of Mitchell Christian School as recounted by Dr. Stan Haidle, founder of MCS, in his book The Battle is the Lord's.

The Call We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 A story never begins the day it happens. Almost always there are events that lead up to the magic moment. Such is the story of Mitchell Christian School. In the fall of 1983 I was associate pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Huron, South Dakota. It was a wonderful parish but after five years I was restless. I was looking for a new challenge but nothing presented itself until I learned that Dakota Wesleyan University, our United Methodist four-year college in Mitchell was looking for a Vice President. I applied. I resigned at the church and began my new job on September 1. I commuted on weekends because we owned our home in Huron and Ruthie was teaching at James Valley Christian School some fifteen miles north of Huron. Our son Luke was enrolled in kindergarten at JVCS so we decided at least for the coming year to maintain our Huron residence, besides, houses weren’t selling. I had an apartment at the college so we made it work, at least for awhile. James Valley Christian School was and is primarily Mennonite. Then, located in a valley along the James River it is a close knit community; Christian families committed to each other and their school. Ruthie enjoyed her work at JVCS and Luke thrived in kindergarten. Eventually my job required our moving to Mitchell. I was initially the Director of Development but was later named Vice President for Institutional Advancement. My job included alumni, public and church relations as well as fund raising and planned giving. We were about to embark on a major campaign. My staff would be responsible for the funding raising and construction of the Christen Family Recreation/ Wellness Center. The college needed me after hours and weekends for University sponsored events. If nothing else I needed “to make an appearance.” Hoping the housing market would improve in Huron I commented to Ruthie that we needed to move to Mitchell. Though supportive of my new job her ultimatum was short and sweet. “I’m not moving to Mitchell if they don’t have a Christian school.” I remember it as a short conversation. I also knew she was dead serious. I asked around and found several excellent schools but none of them met our criteria. We wanted a Christian School meaning it had to be protestant, with strong academics based upon a Biblical foundation. In the past various churches had made an effort to start such a school but had failed. None existed. Our Roman Catholic friends had two fine elementary schools and I thought either might be a viable option. Their religious classes were optional so we might be able to make it work. It might be our best option even though we were conservative United Methodists. To justify my rational I called Carl Ritenour. Carl was Superintendent at Sunshine Bible Academy south of Miller, South Dakota. We initially meet Carl at James Valley Christian where he had served on the board when Ruthie was hired to teach their sciences. I explained my dilemma. Ruthie wouldn’t move if Mitchell didn’t have a Christian School and Mitchell didn’t have one, not an accredited private one like James Valley Christian. I never got a chance to mention the Catholic option. His response was so casual but unbelievably powerful: “you need to start one.” I stuttered, made some unintelligible argument and hung up. For five minutes Mitchell Christian hung in the balance. I argued with the Spirit. I didn’t have the time. I knew nothing about Christian schools. My job was too big; I had an important position that required my total attention. Besides the Lord had called me to Dakota Wesleyan to bring an evangelical presence to the campus. Where would I find parents or students? Did anyone else in town really want a school? Efforts had failed before so why me? Where would I find the money? A building? Staff and equipment? And then I knew. As surely as I know anything, I knew God wanted me to start a Christian School in Mitchell. I closed my office door and paced. My eyes teared up. Many times it was the power of that call that sustained me. More than a few times in the next six years I wanted to quit but I knew I couldn’t. Once I fervently prayed that God would let the new school fail so that the burden would go away. At that moment I didn’t care if the teachers got paid, where Luke went to school, how Ruthie would react, or what they said about me in the local newspaper. I just couldn’t quit. I made some mistakes along the way but in the end we had a school because I knew, and I still know that I had been called and when God calls you don’t quit. Some months later, Pastor Warren Koker, who was a key player in the new school, put it in perspective. He casually commented that the real reason I came to Mitchell was to start Mitchell Christian. The work at the college was just a way to make a living. He never knew how that statement humbled me. The response to my call was immediate. I went to the yellow pages, literally, that same afternoon. Names. I needed names. As yet I had no contact with the evangelical churches. My work was with the college, community leaders and alumni. I didn’t know the “invisible church,” but there had to be some evangelical pastors and their churches that would help start a Christian school. I made a few phone calls and even a couple of stops to ask; would you be willing to help? Over the next couple of weeks I contacted most of the city’s pastors. Some said “no”--politely, of course. Maybe I scared them off with my credentials as a pastor in the United Methodist Church and besides I worked at the local, liberal University. Mostly they said “no” because they didn’t believe in Christian Education. Lots of pastors said “maybe.” A wait and see approach. It was one of our biggest hurdles. A lot of people sat on the sidelines waiting to see if the school would make it, would it be any good, would it deserve their support? We had to prove ourselves first. Two pastors were enthusiastic and said “yes.” Rev. Warren Koker of the First Church of the Nazarene and Rev. Robert Grossmann of Grace Reformed Church. They were willing to help. Almost immediately we began to meet weekly. The adventure had begun, and I would learn that “The Battle is the Lord’s.” To find out more about this adventure stop in at the MCS Library and check out the book "The Battle is the Lord's."