In 1983, articles of incorporation were filed in Montgomery County and a separate agreement, which called for ACA to move from the college campus, was signed. Alabama Christian College deeded ACA twelve (12) acres fronting Wares Ferry Road, directly behind the college campus. The college also gave ACA some student desks and other items that had been purchased previously for the K-12 department. The college then requested that ACA be moved to its new land within two years. Therefore, work began immediately to plan facilities for the new school, which was now totally separate from Alabama Christian College (which later became Faulkner University).

The ACA Board of Trustees retained the architectural firm of Borden and McKeen to develop comprehensive master plans. Subsequently, fund raising activities were initiated. Borden and McKeen have designed all facilities built on the current campus site. In the fall of 1985, school opened for grades 6-12 at 4700 Wares Ferry Road. The elementary school, which was housed in the College Church of Christ building on the Atlanta Highway, moved to the Wares Ferry campus in the fall of 1992.

Over the years, God has blessed ACA with an enrollment that has grown to its current 1042 students. The school has had record enrollment over the past 12 consecutive years. The present main building on Wares Ferry Road was opened for occupancy during the 1985-86 school year for secondary students, while the elementary students remained at the College church of Christ building until 1992. During the 1986-87 school year, the school's newly constructed gym was opened. This was followed in 1989-90 by the opening of a new middle school wing and a substantial addition to connect the gym to the main building. By the fall of 1992, the new elementary school and multi-purpose room (MPR) were constructed and occupied. Over the past twelve years, additional property adjacent to the campus was purchased in order to add athletic fields, a high school music building, and an elementary activities building. Further, in 2004, sixty (60) acres on Chantilly Way in east Montgomery were purchased for the school’s future use. ACA's current facilities include over 151,000 square feet, and the school has a total of eighty-plus acres on two sites. During the summer of 2005, the gym was air-conditioned and the main campus re-landscaped. During the 2006-07 school year, over 2 million dollars worth of additions and renovations were made to the school. These included: new K-4 classrooms, two science labs, two secondary classrooms, another faculty workroom, a Board room, a conference room, an elementary library, two large storage areas, chorus/theatre room, a “coffee shop for students”, and an extensive renovation of the football stadium with the construction of additional restrooms and concession area.

Jerry Atkinson retired in 2002 and Ronnie Sewell became ACA's second, and current, President. Ronnie Sewell had worked at ACA from 1981-1990 as a teacher, coach, and principal. ACA currently has approximately one hundred (100) employees and over 1000 students. ACA was first accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1990 and maintained its accreditation ever since completing its last major self-study in May 2005. The latest SACS Report of the Quality Review Team for ACA may be reviewed at this link.

ACA's intention is to teach and set examples in a manner designed to build faith in God, to teach the Bible as the revealed Word of God to man as the only and sufficient rule of faith in practice, and to train in pure Biblical Christianity. Making Christianity relevant and applicable in the lives of the students is a major goal at Alabama Christian Academy.

In 1999, Alabama Christian's Board of Trustees recommitted the school to its historical roots by adopting the following mission statement: "The mission of ACA is to glorify God by providing a quality, Christ-centered education which challenges students and teachers to maximize their potential so that graduates are prepared to further their education while becoming productive Christian citizens."

Due to this philosophy, Bible is a required subject for every student in every grade level, as is a brief daily devotional period. Bible study is a foundational part of ACA's overall curriculum that is designed to be college preparatory in its scope and comprehensiveness. All Board members and administrators and the vast majority of teachers are members of the churches of Christ. Since this body is a non-denominational, congregationally governed, Bible-believing group, ACA's Board is completely autonomous and serves as the final authority regarding issues of policy. In line with its Christian philosophy, the Academy takes a strong stand in encouraging parent-school communication and cooperation and upholds a firm and consistent yet fair code of student discipline and behavior. The development of personal responsibility is a major goal for our students. ACA takes an equally strong stand against smoking, drinking, pre-marital sex, and substance abuse. The school sponsors no dances and holds a Jr.-Sr. banquet each spring instead of a prom.