Celebrating 55 Years of Faithful Ministry

Baptist Temple's desire to meet the needs of our community set the tone for what became the longest-running community ministry in San Antonio’s South Side: the Baptist Temple Early Learning Center. In 1970, it was not yet evident that the program would endure decades of change. The first day, just three children arrived. But founding director Bea McEntire saw something much larger taking shape. “It was a chance to teach the children about the love Jesus has for them and to teach them to get along with each other,” she said.

Teachers like Billie Anderson, who would later serve as assistant director for two decades, remembered the spiritual atmosphere. “I loved sharing Bible stories, verses, and songs about Jesus with the children,” she said. “Hearing them sing... I was blessed.” 

By 1975, enrollment expanded, kindergarten and summer programs were launched, and the center’s license grew to serve 110 children. Children who attended sometimes came back years later as parents.

Serving families quickly became more than childcare—it evolved into a broader community ministry. It marked an era when Baptist Temple began to focus on ministering to a neighborhood that was rapidly transitioning, in keeping with the words of Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you.”

When McEntire retired in 1988 after 18 years of service, her successor, Audrey Good, continued the Christian-centered model of care. Good ensured that faith remain the thread running through everything. “We are a Christian program that provides songs, prayers and other activities that acknowledge God’s love for children,” she said.

The Early Learning Center (ELC) adapted across generations: remodeled facilities, expanded age groups, after-school programs, accessible playground construction, and the acceptance of CCS vouchers for working families.

But no challenge was greater than COVID-19. Kathleen Lanzalotto, became the center's director just as shutdowns began. With medical workers and first responders needing childcare to perform essential tasks, closing wasn’t an option. She re-trained staff, created safety protocols, and reopened after a two week break. Under her leadership, the center grew, bought a new van, expanded after-school care, and earned a dramatic jump in its online ratings.

The program has reached the highest distinction available from the Texas Rising Star program: a Four-Star rating, recognizing excellence above state standards. “We are aiming for best practices,” said Baptist Temple Executive Pastor Jonathan Clark. 

For many parents, the difference is obvious the moment they arrive. “It looks and smells clean,” said Assistant Director Cindy Mendez.

One parent, Eric Estrada, said he once planned to keep his baby at home. But after enrolling, he changed his mind. “It feels like she’s with adults who care about her as much as we do,” he said.

Staff say their philosophy is simple: you can teach skills, but you can’t teach a heart for children. “If you love kids, you’re paying attention to them,” said a staff member.

What sets the ELC apart isn’t only the curriculum or the professional standards. It’s the consistency of mission. Faith remains central, with chapel services every Wednesday to honor the Proverbs 22:6  imperative to “Train up a child in the way he should go...”

After more than 25 years of service to ELC, Pat Mejia became director in 2025.She started at ELC as a teacher in 1999 and became an office assistant in 2020. After completing the required courses, she was promoted to assistant director in 2023. 

Through neighborhood transformation, economic hurdles, changing family needs, and even a global pandemic, the Early Learning Center’s 55-year story is not just a timeline—it’s a testament to endurance, faith, and the generations who shaped it.

Baptist Temple’s Early Learning Center receives top rating

Often praised as among the best childcare centers in San Antonio, Baptist Temple Early Learning Center’s (ELC) has raised their level of care. They recently received a Four-Star Texas Rising Star program rating (the highest) from the Texas Workforce Commission. This means that they have been recognized as being above and beyond the strict minimal standards for licensed childcare facilities. “We are aiming for best practices,” said Baptist Temple Executive Pastor Jonathan Clark. “These include additional training for teachers and staff, optimizing the environment for children, and a focus on teacher/child interactions.”
 

Director Corchelle Mabry and her staff performed well as they prepared for the evaluation. “It’s a step in the right direction,” Mabry said. “It's only the beginning. Now we have to maintain it. I know we can do it. I have the right staff. They're willing to get the training that they need, and we'll keep it going.”

Pat Mejia, who has been working at the ELC since 1999, expressed excitement over receiving the highest grade. “We all worked very hard,” she said.

Mabry has only been director for a little over a year, but she brought a clear vision of building on past successes to improve the ELC image as more learning center than daycare. Her thirty-six years of experience in the childhood education field have prepared her well for this task.

“This is a learning center”, said Mejia. “Lessons begin at four months.”

It begins with classroom decoration. “The wall decorations need to reflect the curriculum and change with the lessons,” Mabry said.

The appeal of our facility is immediately noticeable. “It looks and smells clean,” said Cindy Mendez, who has been employed at the ELC since 2008. “It is a pleasant place to work.”

Parent Eric Estrada (not the actor) is particularly pleased by the almost daily pictures he receives of his child while at the ELC. He was initially impressed by the quality of facilities, the longevity of the staff, and the noticeable way the teachers cared about the children.

“Our original plan was to keep the baby at home with a family member. When that didn't work out, we found the ELC. Here, it feels like she's with adults who care about her as much as we do. We should have done this from the start!” said Estrada.

Loving children goes beyond just liking to be with children. “I'd rather have people here that love to do the job because anybody can come in the door and say I love children,” said Mabry. “If you love kids, you're paying attention to them.”

That’s the reason why generations have been served by the Early Learning Center. It is not unusual for someone who received care from us to return with their own children and find their teachers still here.

Faith lessons are also part of our teaching, with age-appropriate lessons that focus on God as Father, creator, and Lord of all. There is a chapel service every Wednesday in each classroom.

The ELC was established in 1970 to meet the growing need for childcare in our community as moms were entering the workforce in increasing numbers. Over the years improvements continued to be made. The building that houses the ELC was gutted and remodeled in 1989, updating the 1930s era classrooms to contemporary standards.

In 2012, the ELC began accepting vouchers from Child Care Services (CCS). These scholarships are available to help working parents who make less than a living wage and those who are searching for work or attending school. This allowed the ELC to increase the level of service to our community. Furthermore, they started accepting infants and offering after-school care, in response to community needs.

The ELC continually expands its scope to fill unmet needs. Grants from the Charity Ball Association, the Baptist Mission Foundation, Baptist Health Foundation, HEB Tournament of Champions, fundraisers, local businesses and individual donors helped them build an accessible playground where children with disabilities and typical abilities can play together. It was the first of its kind in the Southside.

Perhaps the biggest challenge came during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ELC retooled and retrained and remained open to serve the needs of parents who were essential workers. In the aftermath of COVID, many childcare centers failed to reopen, and it became difficult to find childcare workers. Grants from the Small Business Administration, the United Way, and others helped them to stay open and fill the gap that was creating a crisis across the nation.

Mabry says our next growth step is NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) certification. The goal of NAEYC is for the early childhood profession to exemplify excellence and be recognized as performing a vital role in society.

Kathleen Lanzalotto leads the BTELC through challenging times

Born and raised in New Jersey, Kathleen Lanzalotto became the Director of the Baptist Temple Early Learning Center last year, just as the pandemic hit. At first, the decision was made to shut down the ELC, but the child-care needs of medical personnel and other essential workers led us to reopen.

Leading the training and creation of new protocols, Kathleen created a safer environment for teachers and children. In two weeks, we were back in business. By the end of the year, we acquired a new van and expanded our after school program by providing services to other area schools.

Kathleen always wanted to be a teacher but had been told she was not smart enough. Kathleen has dyslexia, a disorder that makes learning difficult. Refusing to accept limitations, she attended school part-time and earned a Bachelor’s degree in child development and business.

Her personal struggles with traditional learning systems helped her to raise two children with dyslexia. Both achieved academic success. The oldest received an Associate’s degree in cosmetology, the youngest is in college studying to be a doctor and has a 4.0 Grade Point Average.

Following her husband’s death in 2010, Kathleen moved to San Antonio to be closer to family. Having previously operated a Montessori Academy in New Jersey, Kathleen opened an early learning center in San Antonio, applying her academic training and her sensitivity to children who learn differently.

She sold her successful business but soon returned to the field of early childhood learning. Feeling there was more for her to do, Kathleen accepted the position at Baptist Temple. Kathleen wants to take BTELC to the next level, so it becomes the standard for other schools to follow. Our Google rating went from half a star to 4.3 stars in her first year.

Kathleen's leadership has enabled the BTELC to excel through challenging times.  We recently passed all our inspections with no negative observations. Parents are saying, “I’m calling you because you have a five star rating.”

Ministry in the Marketplace

There is a world of possibilities that can expand the ministry reach of any organization when business and church work together. Add to that dynamic the interaction of a person's vocation and faith and we see the potential more clearly.

Churches have long operated day cares and thrift shops and some have, even, started moving and landscape businesses to provide jobs for their members. The merger of business and ministry in these instances provided a sustainable way to use existing resources to benefit the community by providing needed services.

A growing number of churches are tapping into the business expertise of church and community members to create new opportunities. They ask the question, “What kind of business can we start that will benefit our community by providing jobs and meeting real needs?”

The types of businesses started by churches include coffee shops, bakeries, landscaping, print shops and more. The chronically unemployed can be hired and trained. Further training in such life issues as financial management can be offered, as well. The businesses provide a profit that can be used by the church for overhead, missions or reinvestment in other business ventures.

One pastor of a congregation that had stagnated after building their small church came up with a creative solution. He and his wife started a daycare and payed the church rent for use of the facilities during the week.

The church could not afford to pay him a full time salary, so they expected him to have a job. The daycare kept him close to the building and put him in direct contact with families who were prospects for his church. This is certainly an easy model to follow in just about any community.

Starting a cleaning or landscape business is a little more complicated. These are often started to help men and women coming out of incarceration. A nonprofit group can start such a business with the help of a group of churches and businesses that will agree to use their services. Although it is complicated, there are groups that use this model.

At the other end of this spectrum are businesses that either operate as ministries (publishers, bookstores, AWANA, etc.) or use their business as a tool to support Kingdom objectives. Examples of the latter include using profits to support ministries, hiring people who come from job training programs, and providing free services.

The church in the marketplace creates many opportunities to do good.