A BRIEF HISTORY of a 167-YEAR-OLD INSTITUTION

It all started it 1843 when someone left a baby on the doorsteps of St. John's Episcopal Church in St. Louis, Missouri. The church was only two years old, and its mission was about to change forever. At the urging of the rector, Reverend Mr. Griswold, the women of the church formed "St. John's Church Association for the Relief of Orphans and Destitute Persons" on January 30, 1843.  Its stated purpose was "to provide a home for the support, protection and education of orphans and other such destitute persons as may require relief."  It was the 7th orphanage to open in St. Louis.

Three months later the name was changed to "Church Association for the Relief of Orphans and Destitute Persons," and the Board of Managers of the Home was opened to allow four members from each of the other city congregations...at the time Christ Church and St. Paul's Church.

The first location was a single room in a house behind the church on Spruce Street.  A matron was hired for $10 a month.  In the first year, 3 children were admitted, and the total income was $37.75. The second year, 12 children were admitted.  The Rev. Mr. Griswold opened a parochial school for the orphans, and the matron of the Home served as the teacher. In these early years, food was provided for the Orphans Home by members of St. John's and the other city congregations, often from their own tables and their own gardens.

The Home closed temporarily in 1849 because of the worst cholera outbreak in St. Louis history—an epidemic that caused the death of 5 children, the matron and Rev. Mr. Griswold who had kindly cared for the sick children. The Home reopened and was eventually relocated to a building on land granted by Henry Shaw, a St. Louis philanthropist who also donated the land for what would become the Missouri Botanical Garden. This was the building located at Grand Avenue and Detonty Street.

When orphanages gave way to foster care, the purpose of the Orphan’s Home shifted, and it became a diagnostic center for children who were wards of the state. In 1929 a new charter was adopted and the name changed to The Episcopal Home for Children. Again in 1939 the charter was amended to change the direction of programming to include intensive research and development of educational methods, and the name was later changed to The Educational Center. The Center’s first director was The Rev. Mr. Matthew Warren. The Rev. Dr. Charles Penniman followed Warren in 1945 and launched a religious education program unlike any other. Influenced by the writings of Soren Kierkegaard, Carl Jung, Reinhold Niebuhr and Martin Buber, Penniman researched the “why” that caused many people to leave the church. He found that the real issues in life were not about dogma or “right interpretation” of scripture, but on life issues: Why am I here? Who are you in relation to me? Where am I going? What’s ahead? Am I in control of my own life?

Penniman recognized that “the student IS the curriculum.” The issues and concerns coming from the student should determine the curriculum. He called this methodology maieutic from the Greek word for midwife, as the teacher/leader’s role in the classroom was to help give birth to the deep archetypal knowledge that resides in each of us. Penniman’s successor, Rev. Elsom Eldridge (1958-1979), described it this way: We aren’t trying to teach Johnny to be a good boy, but trying to help him discover how to be Johnny.”

Under Eldridge and Mrs. Chandler Brown The Center produced a series of lesson plans distributed to churches that had contracted for materials and services from the Center. With the success of these courses, people began to ask for more adult study material. From these requests Centerpoint was born—a three year study of Jungian psychology launched in 1973. Centerpoint eventually became its own non-profit, and the partnership between The Center and Centerpoint was dissolved in 2008.

In 1987 The Rev. Dr. William L. Dols assumed the job of Executive Director. He traveled extensively, presenting programs and training people in the methodology of The Educational Center. In 1991 Lifetext was developed—a lectionary-based Bible study resource using the Center’s methodology. In 1993 The Bible Workbench was launched out of the older Lifetext. Dols resigned as director in 1995 to serve as the Minister of Education at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte NC. Dols continues to contribute significantly to Bible Workbench, now edited by The Rev. Dr. D. Andrew Kille of San Jose.

Other Executive Directors have included The Rev. Mr. Alwin Reiners (1979-81), The Rev. Dr. Richard Tombaugh (1984-85), The Rev. Mr. Dickson Beall (2000-2), and The Rev. Mr. Steve Lawler, Interim (2002-4).

In May of 2009 The Rev. Sheila D. Ennis was hired as Executive Director. Formerly the Minister of Education at Myers Park Baptist in Charlotte, Ennis is charged with promoting The Bible Workbench and building its support base as well as developing new programs and resources for The Educational Center.

In August 2009 the Board of Directors of The Educational Center voted unanimously to relocate the Center to Charlotte NC to take advantage of our large following in that region of the country. We bring our rich St. Louis history to Charlotte—the inspiring stories, the distinguished leadership of those who served before us, the resources and programs that have been the hallmark of this institution.  We are ready, once again, to be pioneers at the intersection of religion, psychology, and culture.