On the plains of Northern Montana, a place where many describe as ?the middle of nowhere,? stands an academy for rebellious teenage boys called the Anchor Academy. The landscape is truly striking at first sight. Vast, open, and remote, the scenery supports Montana?s nickname ?Big Sky Country?. In the wintertime the temperature can drop to ?30 creating what looks like an enchanted wonderland of snow, frosted tress, icicles, and unbearably cold air.
The Anchor Academy began accepting young men in trouble, between the ages of 13-17, back in 1999. They have the capacity to keep fifty boys at a time and usually run full. The adolescents seem to struggle with every problem on earth, but by the time they leave the academy they are respectful, hardworking, and significantly different young men.
Sturdy buildings, once inhabited by military personnel manning a USAF Radar Base, dot the property owned by the Anchor Academy. From the outside these edifices show the wear of time and duty. On the inside, most of the buildings have been remodeled into a comfortable living environment. The facilities do not transmit an institutional feel but rather a family atmosphere with traces of personal touch everywhere.
The boy?s dormitory is a big open room with bunks uniformly arranged along the outside wall. The beds are all made inspection ready tight reminding one of a military barracks, except for an occasional stuffed animal neatly perched atop the blanket. In the middle of the room is a large open area where the students can lounge on comfortable couches. Against one wall is a large oak hutch displaying dozens of books, board games, and pictures of days gone by.
The Academy?s academic and living programs are highly structure, as one would expect, focusing on spiritual growth, academics, and character building. There are no guards, barbed-wire fences, or security cameras. The young men are simply given a level of trust and expected to function responsibly as a member of a team.
?We take students from all types of backgrounds? says Dennis McElwrath the director of the academy a red haired man in his late twenties with a medium build and hazel green eyes. ?Some of the young men come to us in trouble with the law, and using drugs, others are just extremely defiant toward authority. Either way, their parents are usually at their wits end when they turn to us for help.?
A first glance the students do not look like they are former troublemakers. Everyone?s hair is short and neatly parted to either the left or the right. Their shirts are usually tucked in and when they speak to an adult they will invariably address them as ?sir? or ?ma?am?.
?When we go places we get all kinds of complements,? declares Brandon, a stocky sixteen year old from Louisiana. ?People notice us because the way we are dressed and the way we talk. Most teenagers these days don?t show any respect.?
When Brandon first came to the Anchor he looked like a full-fledged gang member and even had the attitude to go along with it. ?I always knew I was missing something and tried to fill the void with drugs, rap music, and the wrong friends. I was constantly getting into trouble and my parents and the judges were getting sick and tired of seeing my face in court.?
?My parents tried everything until they heard about the Anchor. When I first got here my heart was hard as a rock but one month later during a Sunday night service I felt a heavy conviction because of my sin. I broke down in tears and cried out to God to save me. I?ll never forget that night as long as I live,? Brandon says with a convincing smile.
The Anchor Academy believes that the Bible is the instruction manual for solving life?s problems. The boys attend chapel services, memorize Scripture, and often sing at area churches and community events. The church services center on enthusiastic congregational singing and preaching. Visiting parents and area residents often participate.
?We stand strong on the biblical values this country was founded upon and we make no apologies for it!? says Dennis McElwrath. ?So many of these young men were searching for significance in their lives and we have the unique opportunity to show them the truth.?
Though the Anchor Academy is not nationally known, it has no problem finding enrollees. On average the academy receives three calls a day from parents who desperately need help for their teenage sons. Not all the boys who come to the Anchor Academy succeed, but most of them will return home and be hard working, respectful members of society.
In six years of working at the Anchor it has been my privilege to minister to hundreds of young men in need. I believe the work done at the Anchor Academy is an investment in the future. The destiny of our nation rests in the hands of today?s young people.
The Anchor Academy is a faith-based ministry of the Hi-Line Baptist Church in Havre, MT. We take troubled and at-risk boys ages 13-17 for a minimum stay of one year. The program is very structured and focuses on character building, respect for authority, hard work, establishing goals, and reconciling families. We work on changing the outside, while God works on the heart. This creates an atmosphere of tough-love discipline where the young men are taught to take responsibility for their actions.
The boys have daily Bible reading and prayer, memorize scripture, attend daily chapel services, and participate in weekly worship services. The boys are also taught to work with their hands and participate in building projects, maintenance work, upkeep on the grounds, and cleaning buildings.
We run a private Christian school that uses the ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) curriculum. Each student is given diagnostic tests to place him in the correct level of work. The curriculum is self-paced and focuses on each student?s individual needs to enable him to succeed academically. The boys attend school Monday-Friday during the regular school year, and summer school sessions are offered for students who need additional ?catch-up? work.
With so many troubled youth in our society, we are excited that young men exiting our program demonstrate a changed life. The majority will stay in school, hold down jobs, respect their parents, and become law-abiding citizens. Presently, our ministry takes 3-5 calls per day from parents hoping to get their sons into our program.
--Dennis McElwrath, Superintendent
406-394-4454
My name is McKenzie Smith, from Coos Bay, Oregon, and I'm seventeen years old. I was raised in a good home with loving parents. When I was seven, my parents got divorced; but both of my parents still supported me.
I started being rebellious when I got into junior high. I began to get involved in the wrong stuff. On June 26th, when I was sixteen, my parents sent me here to the Anchor Academy for boys. Right from the start the staff and other guys here started giving me the Gospel.
Although I grew up in church, it wasn't until I came here and saw a difference in the people, that on July 26th, the Lord convicted me and I got saved! From that point on, the Lord has given me countless blessings. He made me a leader in the dorm, I graduated from high school early, and many other wonderful things. In the future, I plan to attend college and get a degree in criminal justice with the goal of working in law enforcement.
Listen to the
Anchor Academy sing
"He Is Mine."
Anchor Academy
24247 Base Rd.
Havre, MT 59501
406-394-4454
