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About The M. H. Newton Family Life Enrichment Center

Students Working Students Working The M.H. Newton Family Life Enrichment Center is a community -based center owned and sponsored by Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church. Our Mission is to provide services to families in the Greater Sumter Community. Our goal is to reach the community through Evangelism, Fellowship, and Discipleship. Our focus is personal development for the whole person, mind, body and soul.

The M. H. Newton Family Life Enrichment Center opened its doors on July 4th 1999. The center opens as part of a greater vision that was given by God to our Pastor Marion H. Newton. God gave him the vision to build a facility for children and families on the South Side of Sumter. The family life center is over 15, 000 sq. ft. with classrooms and a computer lab, full court basketball court with a bleacher seating capacity of 300. The building is also equipped with wireless internet access.

Barney Gadson, director of the Enrichment Center, is proud of the many accomplishments achieved over the past twenty years. Many residents believe the Enrichment Center has much potential in the South Sumter Community because it offers public meeting space, recreation for youth, and realignment services for children who have been expelled from school. The Enrichment Center is located next door to the JMBC Christian & Academic School. The facility is unique because it creates an atmosphere of excitement and learning for about 140 children, who are able to take advantage of rich, age appropriate learning curriculums, state of the art computer labs with Internet access, and a multi-media center for entertainment and learning.

Mr. Gadsen Mr. Gadsen The M. H. Newton Family Life Center is the headquarters for the HYPE (Helping Youth Pursue Excellence) After School Programs. The #1 Jesus Basketball League is open to children between the ages of 5 and 18. Our season runs from January thru March. We have five different age divisions: Tiny Tots 5-6, Small Fry 7-9, Mites 10-12 Midgets 13-14, and Juniors 15-18. Basketball games are played on Fridays and Saturdays at five different locations. Project PATH (Positive Action for Today's Health) is a partnership with the University Of South Carolina that aims to improve the health of the residents in the South Sumer area through a walking program, which is paired with an existing free health screening program.