This fall, some 300 students started or returned to Champion Baptist College in Hot Springs, Ark., thanks in large part to Glenn Gallas, owner of Mr. Rooter and Mr. Electric franchises in the city.
For years Gallas had mulled over building a faith-based college. Four years ago, the dream came to fruition through Gallas’ financial support, leadership and service. Last spring, the college graduated its first 20 students.
The close-knit campus and its focus on personal attention are popular with the students. “The love, care and concern that accompanies our students throughout the campus makes it all worth it,” Gallas says.
Dose of inspiration
Gallas’ inspiration began years earlier. Raised Roman Catholic, he was surprised when his two daughters, who attended a tiny Baptist church in Hot Springs, came home every Sunday inspired and joyful.
“I had to see what that was all about,” says Gallas. He started attending Gospel Light Baptist Church, in an old cinder block storefront building. He discovered a church unlike any other, with a mission to bring compassion to the hearts of young people.
“This gave me a burden to want to help,” Gallas says. He made it his private mission to attract more young people to the congregation. He also helped with preaching and devotionals and taught Sunday school.
He eventually took on the role of ministry director, and with his vision and enthusiasm, the church grew from a handful of people to more than 1,400 for Sunday attendance. With so many youth touched by a religion based on the King James Bible, Gallas felt compelled to move the mission and philosophy a step further through post-secondary Christian education.
Powerful values
“A child is a blank slate,” Gallas says. He feels parents and leaders must fill that slate through love and compassion. He has continued to support the college by teaching a financial class and giving private scholarships through his franchises, Mr. Rooter of central Arkansas and Mr. Electric of Hot Springs.
Those businesses employ 31 people motivated by Gallas’ commitment to balance personal and professional priorities. He expects his employees to “have a life” and makes certain they do. “The average guy is out there working 42 hours a week just to provide for his family,” he says. “Here, there could be opportunities to work longer hours, but we want our employees to spend more time doing the things that are important to them.”
Early in his work life, Gallas felt stuck in a dead-end job. A plumber by trade, he was approached with the idea of buying into a franchise as a way of opening doors to a more successful future. “When I started my business, my number one priority was to create a place where my plumbers and electricians could retire from,” he says.
Gallas created a strict policy of faith and family first. To that end, his franchises pay better than the industry average, while offering medical and dental insurance, paid holidays and vacations, and retirement benefits with a matching contribution program.
“If you have your priorities in order, everything falls into place,” he says. “The trick to business success is to learn to organize, delegate and be happy.”
All-around excellence
Champion Baptist College is a direct result of Gallas’ vision and high standards. “The college encourages excellence in scholarship and academic achievement, and it offers the kind of education that can produce happy and disciplined lives while building a compassionate heart and Christian character,” Gallas says.
The college is authorized as a post-secondary educational institution by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. It offers two- and four-year degrees in Christian service fields including education, pastoral studies, church administration, music ministry, youth ministry and secretarial science.
It also offers a one-year masters program in Bible studies, biblical counseling and religious education.
