Christian Heritage Academy (CHA) is a vital ministry extension of the University Boulevard Church of the Nazarene (UBNC) in Jacksonville, Florida. It first opened its doors to 24 students for the 1975-76 school year.

The school was started as a result of the vision of the pastor (R. E. Zollinhofer) and members of the church.  They envisioned offering "quality education in a Christian atmosphere so that students are exposed to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and are encouraged to develop their individual abilities." Then and now, that is the CHA mission.

The school's name was chosen by design.  Many church affiliated school names used "Christian" in the middle, so in order to be distinctive "Christian" was used first. Also, since a main purpose of the school was to give students a Christian heritage, the name became Christian Heritage Academy.

CHA began by offering classes only to 6^th and 7^th graders because there was a demand at the time for education alternatives to the public sector that was bussing these students from their neighborhoods to special grade centers across town.

In 1975 and subsequent early years, challenges were abundant. How could a new school with limited funds get up and running and stay solvent? It was a challenge to get students, faculty, classroom equipment, and transportation. Lunchtime was even a hurdle to a young school that couldn’t afford a cook.

Although it started on a shoestring budget and struggled to stay solvent, CHA provided a quality education and "did not water down its standards". Word of mouth advertising then helped spread the school’s name and good reputation.

The school continued to grow, and in its third year added kindergarten as well as ninth and tenth grades. With the expansion into higher grades came the addition of intramural sports teams, cheerleaders, and homecoming events. Students chose a crusader as their mascot/logo.

Over its 32-year history, CHA has had nine administrators. Each brought certain strengths to the position, and each left a unique mark upon the school. This leadership is one of the reasons CHA has survived and thrived for a quarter of a century.

CHA administrators were Ruth Cox from 1975-1980; Jonathan Sparks from 1980-1983; Dave Jackson from 1983-1986; Martha Legg from 1986-1990; Mike Curry from 1990-1991; and Jill Hoskins from 1991-August 2000, John Satterly was the administrator from August 2000 until September 2001,  Kara Trees was the administrator from November 2001 - December 2003.  The current CHA administrator is Jim Stephens.