Welcome to the Consortium!

We provide support for Classical Christian schools that collaboratively partner with parents in the Biblical education of their children via a significant mix of centralized classroom and remote classroom environments.

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Statement of Faith

We believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We affirm His life and works as outlined in the Nicene Creed: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen

Additional Deeply Held Religious Beliefs

 

  • We believe in the authority of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments as God’s word.

  • We believe that parents are the God-ordained, primary instructors of their children (Deuteronomy 6:1-9).

  • We believe in a God-designed progression of human learning (John 3:10-12, Acts 17:22-28 and 1 Corinthians 13:9-12).

  • We believe in the ministry of all Christians to influence the world around them in accordance with the honor and for the glory of Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 29:4-9, Matthew 5:13-16 and 1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

  • We believe that a male is a human being that normally has both an X and a Y pair of sex chromosomes. A female is a human being that normally has two X sex chromosomes. A boy is an adolescent human male. A girl is an adolescent human female. A man is an adult human male. A woman is an adult human female (Matthew 19:4-6).

    We define marriage as the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” union of one man and one woman, intrinsically ordered to procreation and biological family, and in furtherance of the moral, spiritual, and public good of binding father, mother, and child.  (Genesis 1:27-28, Genesis 2:18-24, Matthew 19:4-9, Mark 10:5-9, Ephesians 5:31-33). We believe that sexual acts outside marriage are prohibited as sinful. Consequently, we must resist and refrain from any and all sexual acts outside this definition of marriage - including but not limited to adultery, fornication, incest, bestiality, pornography, prostitution, voyeurism, pedophilia, exhibitionism, sodomy, polygamy, polyamory, or same-sex sexual acts. (Exodus 20:14, Leviticus 18:7-23, Leviticus 20:10-21, Deuteronomy 5:18, Matthew 5:27-28, Matthew 15:17-19, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-13, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 4:17-19, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, Hebrews 13:4,)

    We believe that God created mankind in His image: male (man) and female (woman), sexually different but with equal personal dignity.  Consequently, we affirm their biological sex and refrain from any and all attempts to physically change, alter, or disagree with their predominant biological sex — including but not limited to elective sex-reassignment, transvestite, transgender, or non-binary gender-queer acts or conduct. (Genesis 1:26-28, Romans 1:26-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

    We believe that God created and ordered human sexuality to the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” union of man and woman, intrinsically ordered to procreation and biological family, and in furtherance of the moral, spiritual, and public good of binding father, mother, and child.  Consequently, we affirm and require that our members affirm the sexual complementarity of man and woman and resist any and all same-sex sexual attractions and refrain from any and all same-sex sexual acts or conduct, which are intrinsically disordered. (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 10:5-9, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 5:25-33, Revelation 19:7-9, Revelation 21:2)

    We believe that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and should seek redemption through confession, repentance, baptism, and faith in Jesus Christ. Consequently, Christians must welcome and treat with respect, compassion, and sensitivity all who experience same-sex attractions or confess any sexually immoral acts but are committed to resisting sexual temptation, refraining from sexual immorality, and conforming their behavior to the Statement of Faith. (Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 3:23, I Corinthians 10:13, Ephesians 2:1-10, Hebrews 2:17-18, Hebrews 4:14-16)

    Biological Sex and Gender - As part of our deeply held religious beliefs, every member of our community should diligently seek to embrace and live consistent with their God-given biological sex. No member in good standing of the community may publicly identify or behave as a gender that does not correspond to his or her biological sex. This includes any of the following actions when taken for the purpose of identifying as a gender that does not correspond to the person’s biological sex:

    • Using or requesting others to use a different name or nickname;

    • Using or requesting others to use pronouns that do not correspond to one’s biological sex;

    • Presenting as a gender that does not correspond to the one’s biological sex. (Matthew 19:4-6, Deuteronomy 22:5, 1 Corinthian 6:9-11, Romans 1:24-32) 

  • We believe that the use of recreational drugs, including marijuana, is physically, mentally, and spiritually harmful, especially to adolescents and young adults. Recent scientific evidence has unequivocally established the correlation of devastating phenomena such as schizophrenia, loss of mental acuity, diabetes, and loss of motivation, with illicit drugs such as marijuana. Additionally, scripture clearly declares that we are to be sober and that we should not damage our bodies with mind-altering drugs. For this reason, our schools and employees will stand firmly against illicit drug use including marijuana, especially for adolescents and young adults. Faculty and Staff must also serve as positive role models for our students in all aspects of their Christian walk including abstaining from illicit drug use. (2 Timothy 1:7, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Peter 1:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21)

  • We believe and interpret the Nicene Creed to be explicitly Trinitarian: God is one substance in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – a Trinity consubstantial and undivided. All of the persons are equal in divine majesty. The Father is true God, the Son equally true God, and the Holy Ghost true God; but yet, so that in the three Persons, there is only one Tri-personal God.

Leadership

Barbara Nicholson Freeman, M.Ed.

Barbara Nicholson Freeman came to NAUMS, Inc. as Founding CEO on July 2, 2002.  She served in that position until her semi-retirement in July of 2025.  She had previously served as teacher and public school principal in Mississippi before moving to Texas in 1970.  

Once in Texas, she became an integral part of Effective Schools Research, led by the Texas Education Agency(TEA) and pioneered by Ron Edmonds. This sytem demonstrates that all children can learn, and schools can override student background factors through high expectations, strong leadershijp, and an orderly environment. Key factors of excellence include a focused mission, frequent monitoring of student progress, maximum instructional time, and orderly school climate.

While serving in the Raymondville Independent School District for twenty-one years, she became the second female school principal, later serving as Federal Programs Supervisor, authoring Title I Guidelines for RISD, grades K-12, while in this position.

She holds master’s degrees in education and school administration, including life-time certitication by the TEA in K-12 teaching, supervision, and school administration.

She entered the field of Christian education when she became high school principal at Ft. Worth’s Southwest Christian School, leading the school to SACS-CASI Accreditation and later becoming an Academic Specialist.

In spring of 2002, she met and prayed with a founder and member of the Grace Preparatory School Board, as well as the founding principal of that school.  Grace Prep later became the nation’s first University-Model® School. That position led Mrs. Feeman to serve as the founder and CEO of NAUMS, Inc. for twenty-three years

One of her children, who was valedictorian of her Senior Class in high school, enrolled two of her children at Grace Prep, the nation’s first University-Model School, and this experience led Mrs. Freeman to hybrid education in Texas.

Currently, she is in the process of serving as founder and CEO of the 4C Consortium, serving hybrid schools in Classical, Christian, and Collaborative Education across America.

She married John Nicholson III, her childhood sweetheart, in 1962, and upon his death in 1997, she met and married Chuck Freeman in 1999, an architect and owner of Callahan & Freeman, Architects.  Mr. Freeman passed away in December of 2024, but Mrs. Freeman continues to stay active in the field of Christian education.  As she says frequently, “Children are my life and Christian hybrid education is the lifeblood of education today.”

One of Mrs. Freeman’s passions is recognizing teachers as essential drivers, helping them remain well-prepared and passionate about their students.  They are indeed the heart of their schools, essential for quality education.

Mrs. Freeman’s most recent honor was being asked to serve on the board of ChrisCorps Commission in Wyoming.  She looks forward to serving the educational needs of Christian parents and students in Wyoming, Texas, and beyond.

Alan Marshall, Ph.D.

Dr. Alan Marshall currently serves as the Vice President of the Consortium of Classical Christian and Collaborative Schools (C4 Schools). He previously served for several years in various positions including the President of the NAUMS, Inc. University-Model® Schools. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with Honors and a double major in Astronautical Engineering and Math.

He then went on to pilot training and after various flying assignments, became a U-2 pilot and served as the squadron commander of the U-2 combat flying squadron supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Colonel Marshall completed his 27-year active-duty military career as the Director of Safety for Air Combat Command responsible for aircraft mishap safety investigations for the majority of combat aircraft in the U.S. Air Force. 

Dr. Marshall’s teaching experience includes his time as an Assistant Professor and Course Director in the Department of Mathematics at the USAF Academy. He taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Oral Roberts University, and the Ph.D. level at Regent University. He also taught calculus and astronomy for several years at Sandhills Classical Christian School (SCCS) in North Carolina and Coram Deo Academy (CDA) in Texas.

As the Head of School for SCCS, he led the school to full accreditation with the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS), and as the President of CDA, he again led the largest Classical Christian school and largest University-Model® school in the nation to accreditation in ACCS.

Dr. Marshall holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Math from the University of Washington and a Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Sciences from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He also holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University. Dr. Marshall and his wife Kendra have two sons, Nolan and Joshua, who were educated in a Classical Christian and Collaborative school and currently both attend the the U.S. Air Force Academy.

David Ritter, Ph.D.

Dr. David Ritter, Ph.D., is a prominent consultant and executive leader in Christian education. He is currently the Senior Consultant and Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Imago Dei Group, an organization specializing in Christian school consulting, head of school searches, and operational development.

His background in education and leadership includes a specific mix of experience and roles:

  • He has served as the Director of Classical Christian Education at Trinitas Classical School, Interim Head of School for The Veritas School, and Interim Head of School at Naperville Christian Academy.

  • Dr. Ritter frequently partners with Christian Schools International (CSI), facilitating school improvement (SWOT analysis), strategic planning, and administrative executive searches for institutions across the country.

  • Dr. Ritter holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, an M.A. in Educational Ministries from Wheaton College, and a B.S. in Secondary Education.

Ellen Schuknecht

Ellen Schuknecht has spent more than 21 years partnering with parents at Veritas Academy, a classical University-Model® school in Austin, Texas. With a deep love for the hybrid model, she is passionate about strengthening the relationship between school and home so that students flourish academically, spiritually, and relationally.

Ellen serves as Family Ministry Director for NAUMS, Inc. and is a frequent speaker at conferences, including the annual UMSI Summit and the annual SCL conference. She also speaks regularly at classical, hybrid schools, encouraging parents to embrace their God-given role with confidence and faith.

A trusted mentor to parents, Ellen’s greatest aim is to love God, bring Him glory, and love others well. Married to Glen for 51 years, she treasures her role as wife, mother, and grandmother to eleven grandchildren. On school days, you will often find her joyfully teaching her grandkids at home, living out the very model she champions.

Bart Cannon

Bart Cannon has developed a well-rounded business philosophy by working for some of the best in the banking industry in both Texas and Mississippi and by teaching biblical principles of leadership to college students (since 2003) and to church groups in the United States, Central America and Southern Africa.

In addition, his life-long love of music finds expression in a broad repertoire of solo acoustic guitar work, as well as playing lead guitar as part of a band in church and secular settings. He loves providing acoustic background music for various types of events and playing as part of a band in church or other settings (60s Classic Rock is his specialty).

Karen Cannon

Bio coming soon!