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Jun 01

OAA Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Academy Building

paul D. nixon

A commemorative shovel is presented to T. Marshall Kelly by Gabriel Madrid, OAA principal.


Participating in the OAA groundbreaking ceremony are Alphonso Green (left), First Church associate pastor; Michael Ross, New Life pastor; Julius Edmund, Oakwood University Church associate pastor; Carlton Byrd, D.Min., Oakwood University Church senior pastor; Paul Goodridge, Oakwood University Church associate pastor; Willie Taylor, Trinity pastor; and Rupert Bushner Jr., D.Min., Mt. Calvary senior pastor.

The Oakwood community waited years to break ground for a new academy. Oakwood Adventist Academy (OAA) broke ground on its new academy building for grades 9-12 on March 30, 2018. It will be remembered as a great day in OAA history, not only because of its significance to the Oakwood community, but also because of its significance to Seventh-day Adventists and African American communities. Rupert Bushner Jr., D.Min., senior pastor of the Mt. Calvary Church in Huntsville, Ala., prayed a prayer of thankfulness to God, stating that, “We are our ancestors’ wildest dream.”

OAA’s groundbreaking ceremony was small but elegant. Gathered together were students and employees of the school, local area pastors, conference and union officials, and dignitaries from the local area government. Will Culver, councilman of Huntsville District 5, presented congratulatory remarks, as did Alex Bryant, executive secretary of the North American Division. Also offering words of congratulations and encouragement were Ron C. Smith, D.Min., Ph.D., president of the Southern Union Conference; Benjamin Jones Jr., president of the South Central Conference; and Johnny Holiday, superintendent of schools for South Central.

The building plans call for 11 classrooms, including a collaboration space that will have clear walls and three science labs, one each for chemistry, biology, and STEM, as well as an administrative suite. To conclude the ceremony, Gabriel Madrid, OAA principal, presented a small gold commemorative shovel to individuals in recognition of their invaluable contributions that brought OAA to this point.

South Central | June 2018

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