How We Got Started!
Ephesus Academy has its beginning in 1897 through the pioneering work of Jim Pearson and Elder M.C. Sturdivant. They organized a church and school in a rented facility located at First Street, South. Mrs. Clara Myers served as the first teacher/principal.
In 1902, a new school was erected at Walker Street and Graymont Avenue. Increase in church membership resulted in an increase in the school enrollment, which necessitated a move to a larger facility at Avenue F and 13th Street, South in 1919 and again to 6th Avenue and 2nd Street, North in 1929.
In 1947, Elder D.B. Reid became the pastor of the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church. He spearheaded the building of a new church at the corner of 6th Avenue and 1st Street, North. A school, housing grades 1 through 10, was move to the basement of the church. Grades 9 and 10 were dropped in 1971 because of the lack of available space for an ever-increasing student population in the lower grades.
Because of parents; desires to keep their children in a Seventh-day Adventist Christ School, 3 students from Ephesus in 1972 made application for admittance to our sister school (Brakeworth Academy) located in the West End area. This was the first attempt to integrate Adventist schools in the City of Birmingham . The process was not easy. Through the prayers of many, they were accepted into the 9th and 10th grades. The following year, eight students from Ephesus attended Brakeworth. It was during this time that a conversation was overheard of the plans to sell the school to a group of doctors. Elder Joiner and the School Boa r d under the leadership of Bro. Benjamin Bandy, then made the offer to purchase the school.
After much debating and many hours of prayer, under the leadership of Dr. Murray E. Joiner, the present facility was purchased from the Alabama/ Mississippi Conference of Seventh-day Adventist in 1975. The building consisted of six classrooms, a library, cafeteria, gymnasium and two and one-half acres of playground space. The school had classes ranging from grades 1 through 10. The enrollment doubled and several new teachers were added to the faculty.
It was the vision of Dr. Patrick E. Vincent to enlarge the present facility to meet the demands of the rise in student enrollment. In 1988, the school expanded to include eight additional classrooms, a modern library and a science lab. This project was completed in the spring of 1989. In addition to the new expansion, the old facility was refurbished and the creation of the Child Development Center, at that time serving young children between the ages of two and one-half to five years old. The CDC began operating the fall of 1990 with Mrs. Pulliam as director.
Today, the CDC's enrollment has increased to include infants starting at the age of six weeks old. And as of November 2012, Mrs. Daphne Henderson is the current director. Teachers/principals from 1976 to 2014 include: Mrs. Fountain, Mrs. Brooks, Mrs. Hampton, Mrs. Price, Mr. McNichols, Mrs. Crowder, Mrs. Doris Willis, Mr. H. Mouzon, Mrs. Wilma Pride, Mrs. Nannie B. Joiner, Mr. Milton Brow n, Sr., Mr. Donald Monroe, Mrs. Mildred A. Watkins, M r. David Greene, Dr. William Lusain, M r. Hollis Jam es, M r. Joseph Redcross, Dr. Erogers Hykes, Mr. Vernon Norman, Mrs. Eula Washington, Mr. Willie Walker, Mr. Mason West, Mr. Michael Monette, Ms. Celia Levy, Dr. William Lusain for 2014-17, then Mrs. Nikkia Hampton Gibbs for 2017-2023. Ms. Shantel Joseph is the current principal.
