Mt Bethel Christian Academy announced on Saturday that Vivian Lovett, who served as the first head of school at the East Cobb parochial school, has passed away.
A message on the school’s Facebook page did not disclose the cause of death or other related details, but said that “we will share more details regarding her celebration of life soon.”
Lovett was the head of what was then only the Lower School of MBCA when it opened in 1998, on the campus of what was at the time called Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church.
The school was a direct ministry of the church, and was started because, according to its mission statement, “the demand for quality Christian education far exceeded the supply of available options for parents in the immediate area.”
Over her 20-year tenure, “Mrs. Lovett’s vision, faith, and unwavering commitment established the foundation upon which our school stands today,” the MBCA message continued.
She “was the heart and soul of the Mt. Bethel Christian Academy community. She was more than an administrator—she was a mentor, leader, encourager, and faithful servant whose influence extended far beyond the walls of the classroom. She knew students by name, celebrated their successes, comforted them in difficult moments, and inspired them to pursue both academic excellence and a deeper relationship with Christ.”
Lovett retired in 2018, as MBCA was undergoing a major transformation. That was the year of the first graduating class for the school’s high school component, which held classes on a new campus on Post Oak Tritt Road.
That same year, MBCA was honored as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
In 2021, MBCA became independent of the church, and in 2023, the school lease was terminated by the church, which had separated from the United Methodist Church.
MBCA, which has until 2028 to leave the Lower Roswell Road campus, is in the process of relocating K-8 grades to the Post Oak Tritt Road facility after Cobb approved major site plan changes last year.
More than 700 students attend MBCA, making it the largest religious-affiliated school in East Cobb.
“Her greatest legacy lives in the thousands of students who walked our halls and the families whose lives were forever changed through the ministry of Mt. Bethel Christian Academy,” the MBCA message stated about Lovett.
“Her steadfast faith, compassionate leadership, and genuine love for children helped shape countless lives and left an enduring mark on our community.”
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