I still remember the moment we walked into our first NCHE conference. It was 2005, our oldest daughter was five years old, and Dana and I had already decided to homeschool—we just had no idea what that would actually look like. We encountered thousands of families gathered together with a shared vision, parents taking responsibility for their children’s education and speakers casting a clear and compelling picture of what homeschooling could be. We came to find curriculum, but we left with something much bigger. We realized we were part of something significant, and that moment shaped our journey.
Over the past two decades, homeschooling has been one of the greatest blessings in our lives. Dana and I have now launched five of our children into adulthood—four of them married—and we still have four at home. Through all those years, what we have valued most has been time together, the relationships we’ve built, and the opportunity to disciple our children daily. Homeschooling is not just an educational choice; it is a way of life. Through every stage of that journey, NCHE has been there.
About ten years after that first conference, Dana and I began serving with NCHE as regional liaisons. Not long after, I was asked to serve as media director, and then in 2017, I stepped into the role of president. At the time, I was also serving in pastoral ministry. We had helped start a church in Boone in 2005, and ministry was our calling. But in 2018, as we sought the Lord’s direction for what was next, something unexpected happened. On our way home from an NCHE board meeting, Debbie Mason called and asked if I would consider serving as NCHE’s full-time executive director. As Dana and I prayed and the board agreed to extend the invitation, it became clear that this was not simply an opportunity—it was God’s direction for our next season of ministry.
It has been a privilege to serve alongside an extraordinary team. I am especially grateful for Spencer and Debbie Mason, whose decades of faithful leadership have helped shape NCHE into what it is today. Their commitment to this mission has impacted generations of families—including ours. Most of our current board members have also served faithfully for many years, and I am grateful for their heart for serving homeschool families. That is really the story of NCHE: faithful leadership over time producing lasting impact. North Carolina is one of the best states in the country to homeschool, and that is not by accident. It is the result of decades of vision, sacrifice, and service from people who were willing to step forward and lead.
As I write this, I am transitioning out of my role as president of the NCHE board while continuing to serve as executive director. In May, Rick Madl will step into the role of president. This change represents our growth and the continued expansion of leadership within NCHE. It is a reminder that this work has always been bigger than any one person and that it will continue as new leaders step forward to serve.
While we have much to be grateful for, we are also entering a time that requires conviction and strong leadership. Across the country, homeschooling is facing new challenges. Some are advocating for government funding of homeschooling through scholarships and ESAs, often without recognizing the long-term consequences. Others are pushing for increased regulation under the claim of protecting children. These are not small issues; they strike at the very foundation of what has made homeschooling strong: freedom, flexibility, and the authority of parents to direct their children’s education. What has been built over decades must now be guarded for the future.
And that brings us back to where this story began. A young family walking into a conference and realizing they were part of something bigger than themselves. That story has been repeated thousands of times. Some of you reading this are just beginning your homeschool journey, and you may not yet realize the full scope of the support, encouragement, and leadership available to you through NCHE. Others of you have walked this road for many years and have experienced firsthand the blessings of homeschooling and the strength of this community.
Wherever you are in your journey, I hope you’ll consider the need for future leadership. If NCHE has served your family, if this community has strengthened your homeschool journey, and if you believe in the importance of protecting homeschool freedom, I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider how God might be calling you to serve. That will begin in your own home and church, and may grow into serving a local homeschool group or other families across your community. For some, it may include stepping into leadership roles with NCHE or engaging more directly in protecting homeschool freedom in our state and nation.
We need parents who are not only committed to homeschooling their own children, but who are also willing to invest in the broader homeschool community for the sake of the next generation. If you are sensing that kind of calling, I would love to hear your story. Please reach out to me directly at matthew.mcdill@nche.com. I would be glad to connect, answer questions, and help you consider how you might serve. You can also take a first step by filling out our volunteer application at nche.com/partner/serve.
For our family, what began as a decision to homeschool has become a calling to support and strengthen other families. As I reflect on the past decade of leadership, I am filled with gratitude—for people God has used, doors He has opened, and lives He has changed. I pray that with your help, the best days of this homeschool movement are still ahead.
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