About CHEF of Alabama

The Christian Home Education Fellowship of Alabama was formed in 1988 to encourage home educators by providing information and resources and by promoting a safe legal environment for home schooling in Alabama. CHEF is a nonprofit corporation under IRC § 501(c)(4). That means, we are organized as a community development organization with emphasis in education from the Christian perspective. This type of organization allows us to provide services as a nonprofit tax-exempt entity while giving us the freedom to speak to legislative and public policy issues that might affect our constituency. We accept donations as a non-profit organization, but these donations are not tax deductible because of our § 501(c)(4) status.  In that regard, we work closely with the Christian Coalition of Alabama to monitor the activities of Congress and the Alabama legislature in matters relating to home education and family concerns.

In 2001 and 2002 CHEF was a membership organization.  However, our Board of Directors determined that since our mission from the Lord is to minister to all home educators from a Christian perspective and not limit our services to members, CHEF phased out membership during 2002 and became a service organization dedicated to working with all home educators in Alabama.

CHEF is governed by a self-perpetuating board of veteran home educators from across Alabama. Each family unit on the board has been active in local leadership for a number of years and brings to the board a wealth of experience in Christian home education.

CHEF's Mission

God has called Christian Home Education Fellowship of Alabama to encourage private home schooling from the Christian perspective. To that end, we adopted the purposes listed below. All of our activities are designed to enable us to accomplish these purposes. Here is a description of our main purposes and activities:

Promote home education in Alabama from the Christian perspective, with emphasis on family values. We believe home education is essential to building strong families. We also believe that all knowledge must be understood from the perspective of the Bible and Christian principles. Our various activities to promote home education will encourage home educators responding to the call of God to educate their children from a Christian point of view.

Present conventions and seminars for Alabama home educators and local home education leaders across the state. We host the annual state convention, regional one-day conferences in various locations around the state, and two one-day conferences for church school administrators and support group leaders.

Protect rights of Alabama home educators by working to keep home education legal and safe in Alabama and the United States. We stay up to date on legal issues, matters of legislation in Montgomery and in Washington DC, and important events affecting home schooling.

Provide assistance in establishing home education church schools and support groups across the state. We work with local leaders across Alabama to help them establish legal church schools that are compliant with Alabama law and most effective for facilitating home schooling under the church school law. Our information is free and easy to follow.

Publish information on various aspects of home education in Alabama from the Christian perspective. Through this website and planned printed publications CHEF will work to keep home educators in Alabama informed of developments in the area of home education, and provide resources for home educators and home education leaders.

CHEF Board of Directors for 2008

CHEF is governed by a self-perpetuating board of fourteen veteran home educators from across Alabama. Board members serve as husband-and-wife teams. Each family unit on the board has been active in local leadership for a number of years and brings to the board a wealth of experience in Christian home education. Here is a brief introduction of our board members: 

Garland and Alicia Borowski. The Borowskis live in Mobile and have been homeschooling since 1996.  They homeschool their six children, and have served in leadership positions in their local homeschool organization since 2004.  Garland is self-employed as an engineer and is the vice president of CHEF.

Jimmy and Lisa Burnham. The Burnhams live in Bay Minnette (Baldwin County).  They have homeschooled since 1993 and have five children and one grandchild.  Their two oldest are homeschool graduates.  The Burnham's have been leaders in local homeschool groups in Mobile and Baldwin county since 1993.

Paul and Sharon Hubbard. Sharon Hubbard is CHEF's administrative assistant, answering the phone and responding to mail to the CHEF office.  She and her husband, Paul, live in Montgomery.  Paul serves as pastor of Lakeview Baptist Church in Montgomery.  They have three children.  Their two oldest children are homeschool graduates.

Rusty and Phyllis Tate. Rusty is president of CHEF.  The Tates started homeschooling in 1990 and have four children. Their two oldest are homeschool graduates. The Tate's live in Springville, where Rusty pastors Springville First United Methodist Church.

Rick and Lyn West. Rick serves as treasurer of CHEF, and Lyn as recording secretary. Rick and Lyn live in Dothan where they serve as administrators of Ridgecrest Christian School.  Rick is also the minister of Christian education at Ridgecrest Baptist Church.  The Wests have five children. Two of their children are homeschool graduates.

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