Ephesus United Methodist Church

Front inscription

Ephesus United Methodist Church (U.M.C.) formally organized in 1869, when freed African Americans built a small frame church at this location. Tradition holds that landowner Caroline J. Perkins permitted members to worship here by Buck’s Creek beginning in 1866. The congregation took ownership of the property in 1898, when they acquired one acre of land surrounding the church building.

Reverse inscription

Ephesus Church’s first settled pastor was Rev. James W. Brown (1837-1927). For many years, the church maintained a wooden one-room schoolhouse for the education of local children and adults. Among those buried in the church cemetery is singer/songwriter “Brook Benton” (1931-1988), born as Benjamin Franklin Peay. In 1998, Ephesus merged with nearby Smyrna congregation to form Unity U.M.C.