THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 15, 1996 TAG: 9603130149
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
NOT MANY THINGS happen around Alliance Christian that Rev. Earl Freeland doesn't know about.
But Sunday night Freeland was completely surprised when the new sign was unveiled that will be going up in front of the gymnasium.
Henceforth it will be the Rev. Earl W. Freeland Gymnasium.
In a special Alliance Christian School Founders Celebration, speaker after speaker acknowledged the special efforts of Freeland as the school celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Freeland, who retired from the ministry in 1988, was the pastor at Alliance Christian when the private school on Portsmouth Blvd. began in the church building in 1971.
Alliance School opened as a high school with 21 students. Now the school extends from kindergarten through the 12th grade and the enrollment is 310.
It didn't take long for Freeland, who once served a three-year stint as interim principal while in his pastorate, to know a sports program was essential for the growth of Alliance School.
``I can remember when we put a basketball net on a light pole in the parking lot,'' recalled the 80-year Freeland. ``That was our first basketball court.''
The team then advanced to practicing at the YMCA.
Now there's an 800-seat gymnasium and nine acres of athletic fields.
A contribution in memory of Roy Taylor will refurbish the Freeland gymnasium.
Sports became an important part of Freeland's own life as a youngster in West Virginia. Born in the coal-mining community of Cunningham, where there were only eight houses, Freeland went 25 miles daily to high school in Barrackville. He played football (``Soaking wet, I was a 135-pound defensive end.''), basketball (forward) and baseball (second base). The baseball team won the county championship three straight years.
He found ``an emptiness'' as he started into a coal mining job and was ``led to the Lord'' by a Christian Alliance minister.
Moving his wife and children to New York, Freeland began studies at Nyack Bible College to become a minister. He was ordained in 1947 and later received a bachelor's degree in theology from the American Bible College in Florida.
``I served three pastorates in Pennsylvania,'' he said. ``I had two calls from churches in New York and one from a church in Texas. Then I had a call inviting me to be a candidate for Alliance in Portsmouth, Va. Back then they had a candidating system whereby three preachers would come in and one would be selected for the position. Alliance already had three but they asked me to come.
``I told my wife the Lord wants me to go to Portsmouth and build a church. And that has been his will.''
When two of Freeland's children attended Cradock High School, he served as a chaplain for the football team. After the Admirals registered an upset 12-7 victory over Granby in 1965, Cradock football coach Larry Weldon and the team members attended an evening church service at Alliance and presented that game ball to Freeland.
``A teacher and coach at Cradock (Alvin `Andy' Anderson) had been asking me what I thought about a Christian high school in Portsmouth,'' Freeland said. ``I remember telling him at first, `You have got to be out of your tree.'
``I was praying about it when I got a call from someone wanting to know if I would be interested in school desks. They were offered for 50 cents each.
``I said I wasn't sure. Then out of the blue came an offer for about 3,000 books at 10 cents apiece.
``The first thing you know we had chairs and a library and Alliance School was on its way. And it has been one miracle after another that has us where we are today.
``Seeing my name on that gymnasium isn't something I deserve. There ought to be 50 names on that sign.
``I can remember when the secretary, the treasurer and the cook at the school all worked for nothing. I remember the day our kindergarten teacher came to my study door and offered her services. And when we started our sports, volunteers were there to serve as coaches. There were just so many involved.
``We've come a long way from a basketball net on a light pole.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
The Rev. Earl W. Freeland stands by the sign announcing the new name
for the gymnasium at Alliance Christian.
by CNB