FAYETTEVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Administrative Staff
Tammi Peters
Head of School
Mrs. Tammi Peters is a co-founder and has been the Head of School of FCS since its inception in 1986. Originally from California, she attended Southern California College, now Vanguard University, where she received a BA in English Education and teaching credentials. She moved to Fayetteville not long after with her husband because of the military. After the birth of her first daughter Erin, she began to consider Christian school opportunities in Fayetteville. Desiring a non-denominational and developmental program that was not available in Fayetteville, she co-founded such a pre-school program. As her daughter grew so did the growing number of parents wanting to enroll their own children in the school. In 1990 the founders recognized that God was growing the school and the decision was made to develop the school into to a full-fledged Christian school that would reach out to the area's Christian families. Godly men and women from other churches were invited to be part of the school's first school board to help fulfill this vision. The school continues to grow and has reached enrollment capacity of 650 students.
Mrs. Peters has her Masters of Education and Administration. Her two daughters, Erin and Lindsay are now grown. Erin earned her Doctors of Physical Therapy from UNC and Lindsay is a licensed CNA. She has 6 grandchildren who all live in the area and are or will soon be attending FCS just as their moms did so many years ago. Her husband Col. Rick Peters, ret. Now serves in the VA Hospital as a Physical Therapist.
Mrs. Peters loves to remind people that her life's verse is Corinthians 1:25-31 because it shows us that God can take any person with a willing heart and work through them to accomplish His calling in their life. She is thankful and humbled that God allowed her to be part of the establishment of Fayetteville Christian School.
Email:
tpeters@fayettevillechristian.com
Lauri Ake
Elementary Principal
Mrs. Lauri Ake joined FCS as an educational therapist in the fall of 2007. She worked for two years as Special Projects Coordinator before becoming the Junior High/Elementary Principal in 2009. As of the 2023 school year, Lauri's main focus is the Elementary School.
Raised in Fayetteville, she graduated from Cape Fear High School before receiving a BA in Elementary Education from Elon College, now Elon University. She was a recipient of the prestigious North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship. After fulfilling her public school teaching service, Lauri felt the Lord calling her into Christian education professionally and personally desiring Christian education for her own children. She has taught multiple grade levels in elementary/junior high including Kindergarten, First, Second, Sixth, and Seventh. Her husband Tim is a LT. with the Fayetteville Fire Department and native of Cumberland County. They have two children Nathan(class of 2017) and Abbi (class of 2021) who are proud Warriors! Lauri considers the call to FCS a tremendous blessing in her life and shares the vision to assist families in the raising of children with a biblical worldview to build and serve the Kingdom of God.
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9
Email:
lake@fayettevillechristian.com
TW Webb
Junior High Principal
T.W. Webb grew up and graduated from a Christian school in Roanoke, Virginia. He has served in Christian education for 24 years in various roles – middle and high school teacher, Athletic Director, Guidance Counselor, Principal, and Head of School. T.W. received his bachelor’s degree in education from Piedmont Bible College and his master’s degree in education from Liberty University. He and his wife LouAnne have three children (Cherith, Marcus, and Michael) who have all graduated from Christian schools. He is well qualified to join our admin team and serve you.
TW grew up in a home that attended church regularly and served in Christian ministry and always assumed that he was saved. It wasn’t until the age of 12 that he understood that salvation was a personal experience and relationship with God. After accepting Christ as personal savior at 12, he was continually guided to grow closer to the Lord by members of his family, church leaders and Christian school teachers. Because of the impact these groups made on his life, T.W. surrendered to serve God through Christian education. He is amazed how God can use family, church and Christian education in partnership to impact the lives of children to accept Christ as personal savior and lead them to a personal service to God in the area He has created for them.
His verse is “I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” – Psalm 40:8
Email:
Karla Daniels
High School Prinicpal
Mrs. Karla Daniels is the High School Principal at Fayetteville Christian School. She joined FCS in 1999 and has taught in the elementary, junior high and high school departments. She has served in a variety of roles through her years at FCS as the Junior High Activities coordinator, After School Study Hall supervisor, and Junior High department head, all while maintaining strong relationships with her students in the classroom. She has been the High School Principal since 2016.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
Email:
Stephanie Weldy
Office Manager
Stephanie Weldy joined the FCS staff in the fall of 2008. She faithfully served as a third grade teacher for 13 1/2 years. During that time she organized the Elementary Spelling Bee and served as a mentor for new teachers. She became the office manager in January of 2022.
Stephanie grew up in Springfield, Ohio. She graduated from Cedarville University with a Bachelor's degree in elementary education. She taught for four years at two Christian schools in Ohio. She left teaching for a while and attended the English Nanny & Governess School in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, to become a certified governess. She worked as a governess for four families in various cities across the country: Dayton, Ohio; Ft. Wayne, Indiana; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Southern Pines, North Carolina. When she felt God calling her back to the classroom, she knew it would be in a Christian school. Stephanie feels blessed and honored to be a part of the ministry at FCS.
2 Timothy 4:7-8: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."
Email:
Nicole May
Admissions Director
Mrs. Nicole May is the Admissions Director at Fayetteville Christian School. She has been a part of the FCS family since 2021. Nicole grew up in Germany and The Netherlands. She attended college in Maastricht where she studied interpreting English to Dutch and European Business & Communication before meeting her husband, David, while he was stationed overseas. Nicole moved to the United States in 2004 and became a proud US citizen in 2016. Nicole’s introduction into the classroom was when she was asked to teach German as a junior high elective at a Christian school her daughters were attending at the time. This is where she discovered a love for teaching. She has taught throughout elementary and junior high at Christian schools while stationed at various Army duty stations with her husband. They have three daughters, Sami, Sienna, and Sofia. Sami graduated from FCS in 2023. Sienna is class of 2024 and Sofia is class of 2027.
Nicole transitioned into the role as FCS Admissions Director in the summer of 2023 and loves her new position in the office. It is a great team to work with and she enjoys meeting our new families.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
We do not know what God has planned for our lives, but we can rest in knowing that there is a plan. God will take care of us.
Email:
Cheryl Stewart
Registrar
Mrs. Cheryl Stewart has been the Registrar and PowerSchool Administrator at FCS since 2009. She is originally from Sacramento, California and met her future husband, Bob at the Christian camp where they both worked summers. Bob later joined the Army and the two married in 1992. As an Army wife, Cheryl completed her education in a variety of locations, and holds a BS in Psychology and Sociology, as well as a degree in nursing. Cheryl and Bob have two children that graduated from FCS. Son Morgan graduated in 2012, went on to UNC Charlotte and now works in software development. Daughter Madison graduated from FCS in 2017, then from nursing school in 2022.
Romans 8:28 promises “For we know that all things work together for good for those that love the Lord, for those who are the called according to His purpose.” Learning to trust in God’s long-range plan helps make sense of the many seemingly random events and circumstances Cheryl has encountered in her life, which eventually led to being called to serve at FCS.
Email:
Jesse Autry
Athletic Director
Mr. Jesse Autry is the Athletic Director at Fayetteville Christian School. After graduating from South View High School in Hope Mills, N.C., Coach Autry attended Randolph Technical College in Asheboro, NC. After a year and a half, he realized a change in his life was in order and came home. After two years of working and saving, he enrolled at Fayetteville State University, where he would graduate Cum Laude with a Bachelor of the Sciences in Social Sciences Education and a concentration in History.
With his degree in hand, Coach Autry returned to his roots at South View Junior High School, where he taught Civics. After three years, he moved across the parking lot to South View High School. He spent the next 26 years teaching Civics, Advanced Government, A.P. European History, U.S. History, World History and Freshman Seminar. In 2016 Coach Autry was named the South View High School and South View Attendance Area Teacher of the Year. Ironically, his daughter, Rachel, was chosen South View High School Senior of the Year at the same time.
After his first year of teaching, Coach Autry married his college sweetheart, Maria Riddle. They have been married for almost 30 years. Mrs. Autry graduated from Fayetteville State and later joined Coach Autry at South View High School, where she still teaches English. They have two children, Jesse and Rachel, who both live and work in the Charlotte area. Coach and Maria Autry attend RockFish Church.
In his first year of teaching, Coach Autry became involved in coaching middle school-aged boys’ basketball with the Hope Mills Youth Association. During his five years coaching the Hope Mills Celtics, the team went from the bottom to the top of the league. In his sixth year of teaching he was “persuaded” to take over the high school cross country and track team for one year as an interim coach. He went on to coach the Tigers for the next 23 years, winning over 60 combined men’s and women’s conference titles in cross country and track. His teams won the NCHSAA State Championship in 2003 and 2015. In his time at South View, Coach Autry was the founder and director behind two of North Carolina’s premier scholastic athletic events: The Jungle Run Night-Time Cross Country Meet and the Tiger Relays. These meets saw a combined average of over 2500 participants each school year.
After the 2019-2020 school year, Coach Autry retired from coaching in high school and started a faith-based running club called the Carolina Liberty. In the age of Covid, it was intended to be an outlet for his displaced high school runners to train and compete, but it grew into something more. In their inaugural season, the Carolina Liberty hosted three invitational meets with over 1000 competitors between them. Surprisingly, they went on to win the men’s and women’s High School Division of the NC AAU Cross Country State Championships. In track and field Coach Autry’s Liberty squad produced multiple all-state athletes and individual state champions.
In June of 2021 Coach Autry retired from the public school system. Although he planned to slow down and just substitute teach on the side, he felt led by The Lord to become involved in Christian Education. Coach Autry also teaches fourth and fifth grade physical education.
Coach Autry believes that everyone has gifts and that we were given those gifts to work for the greater good of everyone, while lifting up the name of Jesus. He consistently emphasizes work ethic and commitment. One of Coach Autry’s favorite passages is from Galatians 6:9, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” One of his favorite coaching and teaching sayings is that “You don’t get what you wish for. You get what you work for.”
Rose Hedgpeth
Guidance Counselor
Mrs. Rose Hedgpeth is the Guidance Counselor at Fayetteville Christian School. She joined FCS in 2024 with 18 years of combined experience in Business and Education. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from UNC-Pembroke. She has served in a variety of roles, including banking investment associate, banking manager, elementary school teacher, high school teacher, NC CTE teacher, NCDPI curriculum team member, and community college instructor.
She and her husband, Michael, are from Hoke County, NC. They have three sons, two of which are FCS students. Michael is the owner and operator of Hedgpeth Plumbing Company in Hoke County. They are faithful members of Breezewood Church in Fayetteville, NC and look forward to being a part of the FCS family.
Rose’s favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 46:4b “I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (NIV).
Email:
FCS
Board of Directors
President - Dr. Suzanne Faykus
Secretary - Amber Mabus
Financial Advisor - Garry Winebarger
Xan Allen
Andy Griffith
Dr. Edwin Newman
Kevin West