History:
In the mid - 1800's about a mile east of the present Ephesus Christian
Church, there was a congregation of non-denominational believers called
Enon, This church was located on, or near the Arbor Hill, just off the
present south Little New York Rd. In March of 1884 a tornado blew this
building away, down to the sills. It is said only the Bible, minus its
covers was found in the nearby woods.
A short time later some
of these members started meeting in a building on property owned by
Jimmy Webb, about 1 1/2 miles west of the church today, on what is now
called Shoemake Rd. This congregation was called Enon Grove or New
Enon. They met there for nearly 10 years, until trouble arose.
About this time a man named Matt Rooks from this community, journeyed
across the Chattahoochee River to a little non-denominational church in
the edge of Heard County called Antioch Christian Church, He heard the
Word of God, repented, and was baptized. Soon after returning home, he
made preparations and sent for Mr. Zack Hardegree (the preacher from
Antioch, who rode horseback and preached at many area churches) to come
and preach a two week revival in a brush arbor on the hill at the
present location. This was in 1894 and was the beginning of Ephesus
Christian Church.
In the early days of the church, the building
was used as a combination school and house of worship. The cemetery was
started here in May of 1871, at the death of John T. Clark, about 23
years before the church was established.