A Message on the Passing of Former Headmaster David Roth
The extended Wheaton Academy community lost a faithful prayer warrior with the passing of Headmaster Emeritus, Dr. David Roth. Dr. Roth went to be with the Lord on January 16.
David Roth’s legacy is deeply rooted in both spiritual and educational foundations. He faithfully served as the Wheaton Christian High School/Wheaton Academy headmaster from 1989 until 2006. During those 17 years, his visionary leadership significantly shaped the school’s future.
When the Board of Trustees hired David in 1989, he brought exactly what the school needed at that critical time: stability, credibility, and humility. The Board trusted and respected him, not only for his wisdom but also because he was a familiar and proven leader, having previously served for 20 years as principal at Wheaton Christian Grammar School.
David’s arrival at Wheaton Christian High School (WCHS) brought much-needed stability during a time wrought with significant challenges: cash flow problems, outdated and deteriorating facilities, and declining enrollments. The regular turnover of headmasters exemplified the turmoil the school was experiencing. David was an answer to many people’s prayers.
One of David’s most significant contributions to Wheaton Academy was adopting the new school motto: “Soli Deo Gloria,” “For the Glory of God Alone.” For David, Soli Deo Gloria conveyed that “everything that is done is for God’s glory to the exclusion of humankind’s self-glorification and pride.” The motto encapsulated the school’s purpose to prioritize God’s glory above all else and remains a guiding principle.
In addition to focusing the school under the umbrella of a new motto, David knew that WCHS needed a clearly articulated mission statement that would encapsulate the school’s educational philosophy—namely, that WCHS served as a partner with parents and the church in “training up a child in the way he should go.” This led to the creation of the mission statement: “Wheaton Christian High School seeks to nurture growth in our students through relationships, excellence, and service to the glory of God.”
Other significant milestones under David’s leadership include the launch of Winterim in January 1991, widely regarded as one of the school’s most distinctive curriculum innovations, and the official reclaiming of the name “Wheaton Academy” on August 1, 1995.
Today, as we mourn David’s passing, we remember the man who taught us by his example to “protect the soul of the school.” He described this soul as “the vital core or the essential parts of the school.” In 2006, as he transitioned to his role as Headmaster Emeritus, he urged the Wheaton Academy community to safeguard this sacred essence:
“The soul of a Christian school is important because, when protected, God uses it to raise up men and women who glorify God with their lives… when it is protected, something very special happens… 2 Chronicles 16:9 happens. That verse says, ‘the eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him’…The soul of the school is important because when it is protected, we raise up a new generation who use God’s power, not their own.”
David Roth protected the soul of Wheaton Academy with unwavering dedication and every fiber of his being. We are profoundly grateful for his steadfast commitment to the Lord, this school, and the community he so faithfully served, supported, and prayed for. David Roth lived Soli Deo Gloria.
Details regarding Dr. Roth’s service will be posted to our website as they become available.
Please complete the following form if you’d like to share a memory of Dr. Roth or a word of encouragement to his family at this time.