The alliance, which is based in Columbus, Ohio, provides support services to atheist organizations. Several months ago, the Stiefel Freethought Foundation donated $50,000, enabling Mr. Eberhard to organize full time at high schools. His target is 50 clubs by year’s end.

The federal law permitting extracurricular clubs to use public schools before and after hours was passed in 1984 after lobbying by conservative church groups. Bible study clubs grew fruitful and multiplied, replenishing the Christian faith throughout the land. Then things took a turn to the left. The law required equal access, and gay-straight clubs started popping up.

And now this.

“That was an eye-opener for us,” said Karen Harrell, the head of Rutherford’s math department, who serves as the sponsor for Ignite. Her husband, Kirk, is a gym teacher who is adviser for the other religious club, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“Some of our students didn’t understand that there are people who don’t believe in God,” Mrs. Harrell said.

At one point, Mr. Creamer suggested that the clubs get together and discuss their beliefs, but Mrs. Harrell, who attends Hiland Park Baptist Church, declined, fearing it would turn into a debate. “My reaction is faith in Jesus Christ is not at all logical,” she said. “When your beliefs are based on faith, you’re believing something you can’t see. Being able to prove that scientifically in a debate — it could be hard to win.”

“Our goal,” she said, “is not to confuse anyone.”

Because of its location on the edge of the Old South, people here refer to Panama City as the buckle of the Bible Belt. There are Air Force and naval bases nearby. Often, one of the first questions neighbors ask when meeting someone for the first time is “What church do you belong to?”

A high school atheist club could be a controversial disaster.

A major reason it’s not is Mr. Creamer, the Atticus Finch of Rutherford High. He grew up nearby in a little town called Wausau, and his uncle was the preacher at the Free Will Baptist Church there. He graduated from Florida State University, returned here and has been teaching English at the high school ever since, for 26 years.