Rockhill School, still standing on the campus of UBCS and Bethel Baptist Church
Upper Bucks Christian School is a ministry of Bethel Baptist Church. Bethel Baptist Church began as a Mission Sunday School, an off-shoot of First Baptist Church in Perkasie. Sunday School was held in the one-room Rockhill School on East Rockhill Road in Sellersville. Richard A. Harris was called to pastor this small flock in December 1961. Under his leadership, Bethel Baptist Church was constituted on October 31, 1962.
As the number of families in the church increased, it became evident that more needed to be done in order to train the young people in the church to serve the Lord. Dr. Harris, founder of Upper Bucks Christian School, recalls:
Pastor Richard A. Harris, Founder of UBCS
It was in 1968 that the burden to found UBCS was deeply impressed on my heart. Our children and teens spent seven hours (each day) in an environment where the mention of God was not welcome. We needed a school that would put Christ back in the center of our children’s lives. For this reason, Upper Bucks Christian School was founded.
The school began in September 1968 with a kindergarten class of 12 students. Mrs. Marjorie Bozzuto was the first teacher and did much of the initial planning. Pastor Harris acted as a principal and the church deacon board became the school board. First grade was added the next year and second grade the following year. High school grades were added in 1971 and by September 1975, an entire K-12 program was offered. The first Commencement took place in 1976 with nine graduating seniors. In 1981, the first student to complete the entire K-12 program graduated. We now have second-generation students graduating from UBCS.
God has blessed this modest beginning and today over 250 students in Day Care-12th grade attend on two campuses where they obtain a Christian education from a staff of more than 50 full and part-time faculty & staff.
Graduates of UBCS are serving around the world as doctors, nurses, teachers, pastors, youth leaders, missionaries, secretaries, servicemen, businessmen and active church members. Several graduates have taught or are teaching at UBCS.
We’d love to talk with you about how you and your child can become a part of the UBCS story. Contact us today!
