by Will Blakely
A sk any student at Cornerstone Schools of Alabama to name their Kingdom Purpose , and they ’ ll immediately respond , “ To empower students to glorify God .”
Cornerstone , a K-12 private Christian school in Birmingham , aims to develop critical thinking , guide children in their walks of faith , encourage character , and prepare students for the next stage in life . One of the largest private schools in the area , its three campuses — elementary , middle , and high — serve approximately 700 students a year . Last year , 100 percent of its seniors graduated and were accepted to college , even if they didn ’ t ultimately choose to go .
Accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International ( ACSI ), all of Cornerstone ’ s teachers are Christian believers and Bible-certified . Students can also take special Bible classes from teachers with degrees in theology alongside their regular academic coursework .
Throughout his life , Drayton Nabers Jr . has worked as a lawyer , served as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court , and authored multiple books about Christian education and character . Nabers also helped establish Cornerstone nearly 30 years ago . He now sits on its board , previously serving as chair .
Before Cornerstone , Nabers was serving in prison ministry with several others when they decided they ought to start serving children . Training the young would mean fewer prisoners to begin with , they believed .
So , they found a facility in Birmingham ’ s Woodlawn neighborhood , next to Woodlawn United Methodist Church . After the church was destroyed by fire in 2009 , a gymnasium and several classrooms were constructed on the property for the school to use .
Cornerstone acquired its high school in 2014 , finding a building in the Roebuck neighborhood north of Irondale . Initially serving grades 6-12 , Cornerstone divided its older students further in 2020 and began leasing space from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church to provide middle school students with their own facility , also in Roebuck .
The school has maintained a debt-free philosophy and Nabers and his colleagues at Cornerstone don ’ t ask anyone for money . Instead , they trust God to provide , even when things get tight .
“ This is God ’ s school , and he ’ s going to bring the money in if he wants to support it ,” Nabers said .
One way God has helped Cornerstone is by providing the right people to serve in leadership . Dr . Nita Carr , the current president of Cornerstone , is one of these provisions .
Carr volunteered at the school through Samford when the school was looking for a president .
“ Nita was obviously the person we would want to emulate as head of school , so someone said , ‘ Drayton , go talk to her ,’” Nabers said .
“ I thought she was going to take off her shoe and hit me in the face , but she didn ’ t . She said , ‘ Let ’ s talk more .’ … Lo and behold , she accepted the offer .”
“ I had never stayed in one place for more than five years ,” Carr said . “ I was always seeking to help more people , and here I ’ ve been 17 years .”
Sydney Sullen , a career coach at Cornerstone , is another one of God ’ s staffing provisions . While working in college admissions at Birmingham-Southern College , a friend connected her to Cornerstone , and she decided to take the next step in her career .
“ I really enjoyed the process of kind of helping students and parents through the [ college ] admissions process ,” Sullen said . “ As students were asking me questions , I told myself I ’ d really like to meet them on the other side before they get to admissions . So , working with students , specifically for college and career … is kind of one of those things like a dream job .”
Now , she helps the students at Cornerstone get accepted to colleges and trade schools , receive scholarships and financial aid , and plan their careers .
Jacob May , another staffer , found his way to Cornerstone differently .
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