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NICHOLS TEMPLE AME CHURCH FROM THE BEGINNING
OUR HISTORY
Nichols Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church, formerly known as Mount Zion African Methodist Church began in the late 1800's when God touched the heart of Brother Norman Ragland to build a church. The Holy Spirit implanted a burning restless desire within Brother Ragland to do God's will which was to build a church where the unsaved residents of the Ensley community could assemble to hear the gospel, sing, pray, and by faith accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Brother Ragland's heart was filled with joy as he revealed his divine revelation to organize a church for his Christian brothers and sisters. Those working with Brother Ragland to organize this church were Mr. & Mrs. Will Zeak, Mr. & Mrs. Isaiah Love, Mr. & Mrs. Floyd McElhannon, Mr. & Mrs. Walter Branch and Mr. Jake Mule. Along with his Christian brothers and sisters, the first structure was erected on the corner of Twenty-First Street and Avenue K in Ensley. The original church structure of "Bush Arbor" remained until the original church members constructed a small wooden frame building. In the early twentieth century Mount Zion joined what is known now as the Ninth Episcopal District in the West Alabama Conference. As the church continued to grow it was determined in the early 1940's that a new building was needed. It was doing the construction of this building that the leadership and members decided that the name of the church should be changed to Nichols Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church. Nichols Temple AME remained in this location until 2001. In September of 2001 the Nichols Temple Family dream of a new facility came to fruition. This is when we moved to our current location at 701 18th Street Ensley.
