Welcome Mr. Mike Annis as our next Head of School

Dear Stillwater Community,

It is with excitement that we write to convey an important announcement regarding a transition in leadership at Stillwater Christian School. After five years at Stillwater including three years as Head of School, Jeremy Marsh will be stepping down effective June 11 to begin serving as the Head of Institutional Advancement for his alma mater, Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, Missouri. God has used Jeremy to accomplish a great deal during his tenure as head of school. Jeremy was instrumental in the creation and execution of our current Strategic Plan, SCS21. Through that effort, the school has grown in nearly every way: enrollment, staff, facility, programs, and sustainability. Jeremy successfully navigated Stillwater through both an ACSI accreditation and a CESA institutional review. We are so grateful for Jeremy’s service and strong, effective leadership.

Announcing New Head of School
We are excited to announce that Mr. Mike Annis, secondary principal, has been selected by Stillwater Christian School’s Board of Directors to serve as the next Head of School effective June 12, 2021.  While the timing of this transition was unexpected, we clearly see God’s hand in calling Jeremy to a new role in St. Louis and bringing Mike to Stillwater two years ago.  We are excited for the opportunity to employ one of our own to succeed Jeremy who will continue our pursuit of excellence in all of our programs. Mike came to Stillwater through an extensive national search which lasted several months. For the fourteen preceding years, he served as the Head of School for Heritage Christian School in North Liberty, Iowa. The last two years have validated that Mike is a leader who lives out the mission and values of SCS.  Mike is well qualified and brings a wide variety of experience to Stillwater from 26 years in education. He is passionate about creating an environment where students flourish spiritually and intellectually; ready to be used by God to transform society wherever God calls them. Jeremy and Mike have worked closely together and will transition leadership in a measured and thoughtful manner. The administrative team wholeheartedly endorses and embraces Mike’s new role and is excited for this new chapter in Stillwater’s history. The Board of Directors is unified and confident that Mike is ideal to lead SCS and commits to provide appropriate support and guidance through the transition process.  Please join us in prayer for this important process. God has been so faithful to our school in the past, and we wait expectantly to see what God will accomplish in our future.

SCS Board Chair on Behalf of the Board
Justin McKerrow, SCS Board President

Words from Jeremy Marsh
As I shared in a recent announcement to parents, I feel extremely grateful for the opportunity God gave me to serve as a leader at Stillwater Christian School.  Looking back on my five years here, I can only marvel at God’s perfect timing in bringing our family here when he did to be a part of this work for this season in the school’s and in our family’s life.  While we are very excited for what awaits us in this next assignment in our hometown of St. Louis, we are truly sad to say goodbye to this community.  

I depart believing that Stillwater is in a good place and that the Head of School transition to my friend and colleague, Mike Annis, will be a smooth, healthy, and positive one.  I could not be more pleased and excited about the Board’s decision to promote him to serve as Stillwater’s next Head.  Mike is an exceptional leader and I’m eager to see how God uses him in this role to further Stillwater’s mission and vision in a dynamic season of growth and change.  It’s been my joy to work with him these past two years and I will certainly do everything I can to help him and help Stillwater in this transitional period and beyond. 

Words from Mike Annis
It is my honor to serve the Stillwater Christian School community as the next Head of School. From my earliest conversations with Jeremy Marsh in December of 2018, I recall talking about the significance of Stillwater’s mission, the current needs of the school, and potential it has. The content of those conversations is what God used to draw me here. I remember telling my wife “that’s the kind of school I want to be part of.” It is the content of those same conversations that excites me still.

I cannot adequately express my respect for Jeremy Marsh and his leadership. I am humbled to receive the “baton” from him and look forward to running the next leg of the race with the uniquely talented team that God has assembled at Stillwater. I enjoy working alongside them and their quality, dedication, and passion is inspiring. l pray that God continues to unify us in our pursuit of the school’s mission and vision and that He provides the wisdom and understanding we need to serve our students and families well.

I am eager to begin. With great anticipation, I look forward to watching God continue the work He started here 40 years ago. Ours is incredibly important work—equipping of each generation with the tools for learning through a Christ-centered education. I am glad to be doing that work at Stillwater.