Meet Teresa
Teresa Bristow Kelchner
Bio in Brief
Teresa Kelchner has always been known as someone who likes to grow things. Not only is she an avid gardener, but she’s also been known to grow people, programs, and dollars. Working with churches; developing volunteers and problem solving are her strengths. Energetic and passionate best describe her indefatigable efforts when on a mission for Christian education.
Teresa encompasses more than 30 years of experience working in clinical practice, medical research, patient education, sales, marketing, web-publishing, venture capital, fundraising, communications, teaching, and volunteering in both for-profit and non-profit organizations, serving on action boards; a myriad of professional experiences which she applies to growing vibrant Christian schools.
Since 2012, she has worked to build capacity with 425+ Christian schools, both large (>1300 students) and small (<30 students). For 10 years, as a parent volunteer, she guided the enrollment growth of a K-8th into a PreK-10th grade school; implemented a volunteer program with 90% of parents participating; developed robust after-school enrichment programs and raised thousands of dollars annually to improve the facility and programs of the school. In the past year, schools have both maintained and increased their school enrollment; many by more than double digits. Across the nation, she has worked to start up (plant) 20 new Christian schools. An average of three (3) school plants each year over the past few years!
Teresa Kelchner
Christian Education Advocate, Champion and Coach
Christian education clients include schools that are independent Christian schools, Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) schools, Mid-Atlantic Christian Schools Association (MACSA), and multiple schools including full conferences of Seventh-day Adventist schools (the largest Protestant Christian school system in the world).
‘52+ Ways to Promote Your School At Church’ was intended to be Teresa’s first book, which scripted a weekly message to minister to church members on the value of Christian education. In 2021, she launched this concept into a turnkey automated customized messaging platform called Ministry Spotlight (www.MinistrySpotlight.com). Ministry Spotlight, Funding Spotlight (www.FundingSpotlight.com), and other ‘Spotlight’ initiatives offer professional quality customized solutions and ‘gets things done’ for busy school leaders.
Teresa is an enthusiastic speaker for both small and large group meetings, conferences, and camp meetings. Her favorite topic is ‘Raising A Daniel In Today’s World’. She is a Christian university guest lecturer for both education and seminary pastoral students. A foreword written by Teresa is in a recently published book on Christian education, The Elephant In The Room, Church Schools Are Drowning-Champions Needed, written by Sadrail Saint-Ulysse, PhD, a NJ Conference Superintendent client.
Teresa is a board member of the SFFC Foundation. The SFFC Foundation’s mission is to help trusted partners’ philanthropic dreams come true through Partnering for Eternity (PFE) Scholarship for K-12 private Christian schools, Nourish Grants for individuals/families, and Community Grants to support nonprofit organizations’ programming. PFE has invested over $10 million into Christian education, conducted over 700,000 hours of visits, and created countless meaningful relationships. Partnering for Eternity is currently being operated in over 200 partner schools nationwide.
Teresa served as an invited member of the North American Division Educational Taskforce (NADET), a think tank group to study the state of Seventh-day Adventist education. Having a finger on the pulse of urgent needs in Christian education, Teresa is working to secure funding for a scholarship initiative that will recruit and retain Christian Education teachers. Christian Education Matters is a NAD preferred provider.
As a National Merit Scholar recipient, (a product of 4 different Adventist schools across the nation), Teresa holds Bachelor’s and Master of Administration degrees from the University of Maryland. She prays daily to be God’s CONDUIT. Connecting people, places, and things; Opening opportunities and overcoming obstacles; Never giving up; Developing relationships; Unity in the community; Innovation and creativity; and Teaming with God.
Teresa lives in Belleair Beach, Florida, and is joyously married to Pete, a CPA, they have 2 adult children: a daughter, Michelle, who is a diagnostic heart nurse director, and a son, Scott, who is a police officer.
Full Bio
Teresa was nurtured in the arms of Christian education; her father was a minister and principal. Her mother, the school’s secretary, often would work for free so the school could have extra money for teachers. She frequently moved around the United States as her dad helped turn around one Christian school after another. Teresa grew up seeing the impact her parents made in young lives. These early influences would strongly call her into service for Christian education.
Medicine was a strong first love for Teresa. While still in college, she was asked to lead a research team of professionals to study the relationship between a patient’s level of angina, contributing risk factors and coronary bypass surgery. The study was later published. In college, she joined a podiatric medical practice where she streamlined billing practices and oversaw the expansion of the practice to another regional location. During her senior year, she was hand-picked by her Endocrinology professor to conduct male fertility research at the National Institutes of Health.
Teresa was invited to participate and successfully completed a clinical fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at the National Institutes of Health. She uncovered something that was undocumented in her research and published this finding. Teresa later joined a nationally recognized Reproductive Endocrinology private practice, helping infertile couples become parents locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Because information and education are so critical to any understanding, Teresa became actively involved in educating patients on what to expect during their fertility treatments and experiences. She published a study on how sharing treatment expectations and information helped to decrease patient anxiety and result in a more satisfied patient. She taught educational seminars for physicians and nurses. She guided the educational seminar platform into a marketing strategy which grew the medical practice into three regional practice centers.
Teresa joined a burgeoning web-publishing company as VP of Sales and Marketing. In the course of 5 years, she directed the sales of simple websites to high-end, complex database sites including several award-winning designs with seven-figure contracts. Many of the sites included regional hospitals, national associations, auction; and both local and federal government web presences. The company grew from 3 employees to more than 25 in this short time. She was an active part of the business which spun-off as an internet start-up providing marketing solutions for listing high on search engines using keywords. This opportunity offered valuable experience in Venture Capital/Angel funding development.
Teresa’s next professional challenge was with a 15-store chain pharmacy. Here, as Specialty Sales Development Manager, she successfully designed, implemented and taught professional sales programs that delivered solutions in specialty medicines and medical equipment for patrons. Many of these innovative niche practices were adopted by big-chain pharmacies.
When one of the country’s oldest long-term care facilities was in need of marketing, communications and strategic planning coordination, Teresa directed efforts for services that included long-term nursing care, sub-acute rehabilitation care, Alzheimer’s care, inpatient and outpatient hospice and the newly expanding field of palliative care. Her efforts helped to brand this organization as a leader in the industry.
Teresa took a career hiatus to focus on raising her family (Chief Mommy Officer) and gave her time to her community (Professional Volunteer). In 3 years as a founding member of the FC Frederick Boosters Club, she led fundraising efforts to more than $150K each year. She served as a substitute teacher in both Christian and public schools. Always an actively involved parent, Teresa wanted to make a difference at her children’s school. Her vision was to create programs that enhanced the development of the other side of the brain, complementing the academic rigor the students received and solving, “we have no money to do anything” problem! She was challenged with the task to grow after-school programs and provide extras for students (funds for merit scholarships and financial aid). Her leadership efforts yielded after-school art programs; interscholastic championship level athletics; high value, high return fundraisers (>$100K); 90%+ volunteer participation; school and community outreach programs; enhanced communications and public relations; and the implementation of intervention and enrichment reading programs. She facilitated enrollment growth of the school by 18% in a single year, working one day a week. The school began to experience steady growth adding Pre-K and later becoming an accredited junior academy. Teresa served as the Director of Admissions, Home & School leader (PTA), Communications, Fundraising, and Athletic Director until her children graduated.
Teresa has worked to build capacity with 200+ Christian schools, both large (>1300 students) and small (<30 students). She has worked to start up 9 Christian schools, with independent Christian schools, ACSI schools, and schools including entire conferences of Adventist schools (the 2nd largest Christian school system in the world). She is currently writing her first book, ‘52+ Ways To Promote Your School At Church’, which will script a weekly message to minister to church members on the value of Christian education. Teresa is a board member for the SFFC Foundation which administers and awards Partnering for Eternity (PFE) scholarships for K-12 private Christian schools.
Teresa feels strongly she is called by God to use her education and experiences to further serve the Lord in this ministry: “I have prepared you for what I am calling you to do.” Jeremiah 29:11 Teresa has been married to Pete, a CPA, for more than 30 years. Her daughter graduated first in her nursing class from Andrews University and works as an ER nurse. Her son has worked as an Apple Master, consistently winning national sales awards for Best Buy and is currently a police academy cadet. (Teresa and Pete are enjoying the return on investment from many years of Christian education). When not helping schools grow, she can be found growing fruit, vegetables and perennials in her garden.