Briarcrest Christian School Systems Inc. 
The information on this page was last updated 3/6/2026. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Briarcrest is a co-educational, Christian school for grades K2-12 with an enrollment of more than 1,700 on our campus located in Eads, Tennessee. For more than 50 years, we've supported exceptional students as they pursue academic, artistic, and athletic excellence.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Briarcrest Christian School Systems Inc.
76 South Houston Levee
Eads, TN 38028
Website: www.briarcrest.com
Phone: (901) 765-4600
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 620894165
CEO/President: Caron Swatley
Chairman: Jamie Augustine
Board size: 14
Founder:
Ruling year: 1973
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
Briarcrest Christian School will glorify God by inspiring young men and women to become authentic followers of Christ, while challenging them to achieve their highest academic, creative and athletic potential.
Mission statement
The mission of Briarcrest Christian School is to challenge and inspire college-bound students to:
know and honor Jesus Christ
seek God's truth and wisdom in all disciplines
pursue excellence and integrity in their academic, creative and athletic endeavors so that they may "grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men." Luke 2:52
Educating Minds.
Engaging Hearts.
Equipping Disciples.
Statement of faith
We believe in the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired by God, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are of Supreme and final authority in faith and life.
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is true God and true man.
We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned, and thereby incurred, not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed.
We believe the Lord Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate.
We believe that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will personally return and set up his kingdom wherein He will rule and reign in righteousness.
We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, and thereby become children of God.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the blessedness of the saved, and the retribution of the lost.
We therefore, believe in The Deity, Virgin Birth, Vicarious Death, Physical Resurrection, Ascension, and personal return in Glory of the Lord Jesus. The Personality, Deity and Work of the Holy Spirit. The Personality of Satan. The Great Scriptural Doctrines of Sin, Salvation by Grace, Redemption, Regeneration, Justification by Faith, Prayer, Physical Resurrection, the Reward of Believers and Retribution of Unbelievers.
Articles
| 3/27/2026 | Four Ministries Rise to Highest Donor Confidence Scores |
Donor confidence score
Show donor confidence score details
To understand our donor confidence score, click here.
Transparency grade
D
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: K-12 Schools/Academies
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 1088 of 1435 | 177 of 191 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 442 of 1435 | 89 of 191 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 1417 of 1435 | 190 of 191 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 931 of 1436 | 146 of 191 |
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 11% | 8% | 7% | 12% | 17% | 24% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 13% | 10% | 13% | 12% | 7% | 4% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 87% | 90% | 87% | 88% | 93% | 96% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 83% | 46% | 55% | 56% | 53% | 49% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 93% | 87% | 81% | 82% | 90% | 93% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 76% | 40% | 44% | 46% | 48% | 46% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 7% | 13% | 19% | 18% | 10% | 7% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 6% | 9% | 14% | 14% | 8% | 5% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 14% | 53% | 44% | 42% | 46% | 50% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.54 | 0.30 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.29 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.99 | 2.21 | 2.29 | 2.23 | 2.21 | 2.39 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.80 | 0.67 | 0.66 | 0.69 | 0.68 | 0.68 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 2.80 | 1.62 | 1.58 | 1.49 | 1.46 | 1.41 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.35 | 0.62 | 0.63 | 0.67 | 0.68 | 0.71 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 3.98 | 6.88 | 6.69 | 5.72 | 5.57 | 5.15 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 29% | 48% | 52% | 54% | 57% | 58% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 10% | 19% | 24% | 23% | 26% | 28% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 117% | 173% | 167% | 151% | 139% | 145% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Cash | $27,578,901 | $24,737,257 | $23,528,557 | $21,522,839 | $19,590,182 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $14,590,082 | $13,573,822 | $12,450,876 | $12,062,314 | $10,561,084 |
| Short-term investments | $1,191,285 | $2,848,851 | $1,942,946 | $2,090,684 | $1,049,902 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $43,360,268 | $41,159,930 | $37,922,379 | $35,675,837 | $31,201,168 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $52,588,230 | $52,863,453 | $44,074,550 | $42,893,469 | $43,214,680 |
| Other long-term assets | $62,585 | $232,597 | $2,579,637 | $167,650 | $19,493 |
| Total long-term assets | $52,650,815 | $53,096,050 | $46,654,187 | $43,061,119 | $43,234,173 |
| Total assets | $96,011,083 | $94,255,980 | $84,576,566 | $78,736,956 | $74,435,341 |
| Liabilities | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $1,451,676 | $1,531,221 | $2,096,962 | $1,474,230 | $1,441,066 |
| Other current liabilities | $25,356,966 | $24,485,019 | $23,426,334 | $22,947,558 | $20,625,696 |
| Total current liabilities | $26,808,642 | $26,016,240 | $25,523,296 | $24,421,788 | $22,066,762 |
| Debt | $17,979,455 | $22,619,055 | $19,664,456 | $20,477,884 | $21,174,561 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $1,329,971 | $189,868 | $213,062 | $236,995 | $261,589 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $19,309,426 | $22,808,923 | $19,877,518 | $20,714,879 | $21,436,150 |
| Total liabilities | $46,118,068 | $48,825,163 | $45,400,814 | $45,136,667 | $43,502,912 |
| Net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Without donor restrictions | $48,369,204 | $44,000,001 | $38,456,051 | $31,128,018 | $29,606,131 |
| With donor restrictions | $1,523,811 | $1,430,816 | $719,701 | $2,472,271 | $1,326,298 |
| Net assets | $49,893,015 | $45,430,817 | $39,175,752 | $33,600,289 | $30,932,429 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Total contributions | $3,456,404 | $4,353,566 | $3,839,231 | $1,985,303 | $1,007,234 |
| Program service revenue | $28,286,539 | $27,456,387 | $26,676,766 | $24,277,763 | $21,213,759 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $1,004,306 | $1,123,011 | $550,526 | ($135,880) | $359,916 |
| Other revenue | $578,808 | $500,469 | $526,461 | $776,438 | $372,068 |
| Total other revenue | $29,869,653 | $29,079,867 | $27,753,753 | $24,918,321 | $21,945,743 |
| Total revenue | $33,326,057 | $33,433,433 | $31,592,984 | $26,903,624 | $22,952,977 |
| Expenses | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Program services | $13,169,432 | $14,832,278 | $14,509,350 | $12,799,599 | $10,495,617 |
| Management and general | $15,417,512 | $12,023,775 | $11,045,220 | $11,089,175 | $10,528,357 |
| Fundraising | $276,915 | $322,315 | $462,951 | $346,990 | $243,323 |
| Total expenses | $28,863,859 | $27,178,368 | $26,017,521 | $24,235,764 | $21,267,297 |
| Change in net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $4,462,198 | $6,255,065 | $5,575,463 | $2,667,860 | $1,685,680 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $4,462,198 | $6,255,065 | $5,575,463 | $2,667,860 | $1,685,680 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Caron Swatley | President | $358,416 |
| Jd Frizzell | Director of Fine Arts | $194,733 |
| Phil Massey | High School Dean of Studen | $187,991 |
| Elizabeth Stone | Vice-President of Business | $162,854 |
| Jason Ellis | Director of Student Ministry | $142,250 |
| John Harrington | High School Vice-Principal | $134,209 |
| Lendon Ellis | Director of Development | $127,719 |
| Ryan Stone | Director of Information Technology | $125,830 |
| Chad Gilbert | Director of Communications | $120,541 |
Compensation data as of: 6/30/2025
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 3/6/2026. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
It all started on September 8, 1971. A committee was appointed by East Park Baptist Church to study the possibility of establishing a church-sponsored private school. The purpose was to form a school that would provide academic excellence within a Christian environment for students of all races. East Park was a small Baptist church with approximately 200 members located at Park Avenue and White Station Road in Memphis, TN. The pastor was Rev. Wayne Allen, and it was his vision that led to the founding of Briarcrest Christian School. After much discussion and searching, suitable land was located on Sweetbriar Road in east Memphis. A special church business session was called to consider the purchase of 14.2 acres of land as the site of the new school and relocation of East Park Baptist Church. After much prayer, the church voted to make a bid of $426,500 for the property. The sealed bids later revealed that East Park Baptist Church had outbid all other competitors by only $400.
Eighteen months later, on January 3, 1973, the East Park Education Survey Committee recommended the establishment of a church-sponsored private school. The property that was purchased was previously named Briarpatch Estate by its owners. Mrs. Maxine Ford, a member of the church, suggested Briarcrest as the school's name by using the word "briar" from the original name of the property and "crest" because the founders fully expected to have the top school in the area. The school colors were selected by Pastor Allen because his alma mater, Central High School, had the colors green and gold. The mascot, a St. Bernard dog, was adopted; and the student body was known as the Briarcrest "Saints."
https://www.briarcrest.com/about/history