Founders

Geraldine Gray Thompson was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and educated by their public school system. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from LeMoyne College of Memphis, Tennessee and a Masters of Arts degree from Atlanta University. Mrs. Thompson was one of nine young African-American women from the south to be selected as the first Catherine Hughes WaddellScholars of Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Mrs. Thompson ministered the Word of God weekly during the Friday Night Family Enrichment Seminar, served as Headmistress of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, and as the Manager of Communications for the Fellowship of Faith Church, International. She has served as a consultant for several local and national agencies and was the Executive Director of the Voter Education Project, Inc. She was also the Regional Administrator of the largest region of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Region #4. In 1976, she was Coordinator of Field Operations in the ten southern states for the Presidential campaign of Jimmy Carter. 

In 1973, she served as Coordinator of the Maynard Jackson for Mayor of Atlanta campaign and after his election served as Special Assistant to the Mayor of Atlanta for Community Affairs and as Director of Federal Relations for the City of Atlanta. She, too, served as Associate Director of the Atlanta NAACP in 1972 and taught English at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta from 1966-1967. A member of many organizations, Mrs. Thompson has been especially distinguished as a volunteer with such organizations as the NAACP and the American Red Cross. She has received many awards including the Department of Housing and Urban Developments two top awards:the Certificate of Merit and the Distinguished Service Award.  She was one of the early recipients of the Ten Outstanding Young People of Atlanta Award in 1974. Mrs. Thompson was married for 48 years to Wayne C. Thompson, the founder of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy and Senior Pastor of the Fellowship of Faith Church, International in East Point, Georgia. She resided in Fairburn, Georgia and had five children: Patrice Michelle Francis (Terry), Melanie Nicole, Samuel Wayne, Hannah Grace, and Naomi Ruth, and fivegrandchildren, Jacob Cordell, Kai Alana Francis, Kenya Elise Francis, Michael Francis, and Joseph Francis.