LifeWise Academy is a Christian ministry founded in 2018 by Joel Penton. Its existence is tied to the 1952 Zorach v. Clauson Supreme Court ruling that allowed “public school children to leave campus during school hours to attend religious instruction and services.” As a result of this decades-old decision, LifeWise has been able to legally establish chapters at over 500 locations across 23 states, which has resulted in roughly 31,000 students who now regularly engage in biblical teaching during their time at school.

However, “with that success comes a backlash from the legacy media … anti-Christian groups, and even some state legislators,” said Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, on Monday’s episode of “Washington Watch.” He referred to an article published by The Associated Press, which he described as an “attempted hit piece of concern about children receiving instruction from the Bible.”

The AP wrote, “Critics … worry the programs spend public school resources on religion, proselytize to students of other faiths and remove children from class in a state already struggling with literacy.” But most of the evidence shows that LifeWise has been more of a positive addition to public schools rather than inflicting any sort of harm. According to the 2023 LifeWise Outcome Report, improved attendance, lower discipline rates, and higher academic performance are all benefits enjoyed by the public schools that contain LifeWise chapters.

And so, while AP is sounding false alarms on a program that is aiding communities, Perkins posed the question: “Where is the concern about children being exposed to the sexualized messages of the LGBT agenda?” And while “many public libraries are doing these drag queen story hours,” he added, AP is choosing to lament over students “going off of school property [when] no school dollars [are] involved,” and with parental consent to learn about faith.

Penton, who is the current CEO of LifeWise, joined the discussion on Monday’s episode. “[T]hey try to make it sound like a controversy,” he said. “[B]ut I’d have to say it’s a manufactured controversy because the truth is, we are being welcomed with open arms when we go and meet with schools.” Ninety-three percent of those meetings end with an agreement between the program and the school. Penton also mentioned LifeWise has “incredible responses from parents [and] from community members,” so it’s really just “a small segment of our society … [that] doesn’t like to see the next generation in increasing numbers being taught the Word of God.”

The reality is, Penton explained, “[I]f people are concerned about literacy rates, if they’re concerned about kids missing class, then they should love what we’re doing with LifeWise Academy.” He added, “[W]hen LifeWise Academy is implemented … kids are showing up for school that much more. They’re spending a lot more time in class, which is why you’re seeing behavior improve. You’re seeing test scores improve.” As Perkins emphasized, “[W]hen kids are able to step outside of the school for an hour a week … and hear a message that there’s a God who made them and loves them, it gives them motivation to go to school and do their best.”

He added, “It’s not a surprise … that when you invest the Word of God into the hearts of children, it produces fruit.” And it’s especially important “that we talk to these kids during this very formative time in their life, when their worldview is being formulated.”

“The truth is that this can work anywhere across the country,” Penton explained, and the way LifeWise is established in schools “is through local people voicing their support.” All it takes is going to LifeWise.org and choosing the school district you’re interested in. At least 50 signatures are needed for each community to begin the process of implementing the program. But ultimately, Penton said, “it starts with people saying, ‘I want this in my community.’”

Perkins concluded, “If there was ever a time that our kids needed the ability to hear this message that God created them, loves them, and they have a future, now is the time.”