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A Brief History of the
Sun Valley Blvd. Church of Christ |
By Marc Smith
At what point in time members of the Lord’s church came to the Waco area has proved to be an illusive fact. It is clear that Christians came to Waco, a profoundly Baptist town, long ago and have been there probably since the founding of the city. Though known for the oldest and largest Baptist University in the world established in the 1850’s, Baylor University, there were sixteen churches of Christ in the Waco area at the beginning of 2007.
My knowledge of the congregations here can only go back as far as 1958 when my father moved to the area to preach for what was known as the Lakeview church of Christ which was located in what is now known as Lacy-Lakeview on the north side of Waco. I have heard the Columbus Ave. congregation referred to as “the mother church” and that the Herring Ave. and Robinson churches of Christ came from there; perhaps others did as well.
In the late 1950’s the church of Christ nationwide was reaching a crescendo in its turmoil over “the issues.” An innovation had been introduced from Abilene Christian College (University, these days). This innovation, still practiced today, is known as “the sponsoring church arrangement.” It was the means to fund large works that individual congregations could never afford. The main one was known as “The Herald of Truth” by the Highland church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. This ambitious program had a huge price tag and the Highland congregation wanted hundreds of churches to send money to that congregation and so share in that effort. Eventually other programs were paid for in the same way, like church support of private orphan homes run by Christians. Another issue, was that Highland church of Christ wanted to be the “head” church in that they would be involved in the directing of other congregation’s affairs. This included the selection of preachers, evaluating them for continued financial support and many other intrusions that violate the autonomy of local churches as the New Testament shows them to be.
Since there is no Bible authority for a sponsoring church type system, the focus of the entire brotherhood was upon “the issues.” The majority, led by ACC leadership and alumni, aided by the network of communication afforded by such academic institutions, pressed hard for all congregations “to cooperate.” There were a number of notable debates but eventually the battle lines hardened and division was the only way to maintain faithful fellowship. The brethren who opposed the unscriptural innovations were labeled as “Anties,” while those who forced the innovations referred to themselves as “progressives.” Those who got tagged as Anties, usually referred to the so-called progressives as “Liberals” because of the fact that those who were pro-innovations were without Bible authority for what they wanted to accomplish. Anties refer to themselves as “conservatives.” This means they are dependant upon searching the scriptures for everything they believe, teach and practice. Their only guide is the Bible and they constantly remain vigilant to keep the church and the gospel of Christ pure of the innovations of man.
Those churches that proceeded without Bible authority for their works continued to evolve away from the church of Christ found in the New Testament and today the most liberal minded of them are ecumenical in nature, embracing the “community church concept” which means literally taking down the signs which call them churches of Christ and now knowing such groups as “community churches.” These are virtually mainstream denominational in nature. As other denominations founded by human concepts, most churches of Christ are distinguishable by entertainment based “fellowship” efforts and following the “mega church” theme.
When my father, Truman Smith, preached for the Lakeview church of Christ from 1958 till 1960, these innovations had not quite come to fruition in the Waco area, though they were avidly being discussed. Previously, all the churches of Christ in the Waco area of that time were united in fellowship and Dad preached meetings in most if not all the existing congregations of that era.
Our family moved away from Waco in 1960 for Dad to work with another congregation, though he came back in Bible study visits to plead with brethren he knew, not to go into error. His efforts were rebuffed in very harsh terms. In very quick order, all the area churches were heavily involved in what was happening at the direction of ACC and Highland church of Christ in Abilene. The college had educated most of the preachers and their ties were very close. As ACC went, the churches of Waco also went.
That did not mean, however, that all individual Christians in the Waco area, decided to cooperate. The first two men and their families who separated from the error were a preacher, James Pleasants and J. T. Mullins DDS. Brother Mullins was an elder of the Herring Ave. church of Christ. They and their families, joined by Blanche Burleson began to meet in the Mullins’ home for worship sometime in 1960. Robert L. MacDonald Jr. had served as a deacon at Herring Ave. as well and he left the Waco area about this time and had a long and faithful career as a sound gospel preacher.
Other early members of this congregation from 1960 to 1962 were Bob Felkner, Tom Thompson, and Bill Dozier. Soon the small congregation began meeting in brother Thompson’s home in Waco and were referred to as the “Merriwood church of Christ.” Brother Felkner preached for some months in 1962 for this group.
Another development in 1962 was that brother Pleasants became the full time preacher when brother Felkner went away to attend college in Oklahoma. A dwelling house was purchased for the church to worship in on Mitchell street in Waco. Eventually this became the home of brother Pleasants’ family. The church, after meeting for awhile in the VFW Hall, purchased a stately old home at 19th St. and Sanger Ave. This house was large enough to be remodeled so that the membership, numbering now in the thirties could comfortably assemble. There were two classrooms for Bible studies for children. Sister Mullins baked the unleavened bread for the Lord’s Supper. There was no baptistery so the baptisms were done at the YWCA pool. One young man, Carlton Pleasants, the son of brother and sister Pleasants was even baptized in Lake Waco on a very chilly day.
James Pleasants preached for the church that met at 19th and Sanger until 1972 and was followed for awhile by Ray Mayse. By this time the church had members who lived all over the Waco area and quite a few lived in the suburb of Hewitt just south of Waco. Brother Mayse started a congregation in about 1983 and they met on 25th St in Waco. That group sometimes numbered in the twenties. The rest of the brethren purchased a building on Estates Dr. in Hewitt and incorporated under that name as the Estates Dr. church of Christ. The church met in that place for a few years and eventually sold the building and worshipped in a couple of other rented locations until they decided in 1988 to build the current building in Hewitt, which is located at the corner of Warren St. and Sun Valley Blvd. The church incorporated originally as Estates Dr. church of Christ but is now known as the Sun Valley Blvd. church of Christ because of the location change.
In the early years this group in Hewitt had about the same number as the 25th St congregation. Completing the work on the place of worship itself was a major undertaking. Those who met in it back then still recall worshipping sitting on folding chairs on bare concrete floors with plastic tarps waving in the breeze. The building was completed in 1988, and though not a large church building, all were extremely thankful to have it.
After a succession of college aged preachers, brother Nolan Ganns, a very young preacher himself, and his wife, moved to Hewitt in 1988 and did a good work for about eighteen months. There were many spiritual struggles for the church to overcome during the first years in Hewitt but Nolan’s work still shines bright even though his time in Hewitt was brief. After he moved away, the church went about a year with out a full-time preacher. During this time Speedy Prince of Lott, Texas (now deceased) often filled in.
The church asked for me to come and preach in June of 1991. My wife Melodie and I moved to Waco that very summer. I had been away from the Waco area for over thirty years having left as a very young boy when my Dad chose to leave in 1960. The Sun Valley Blvd church in 1991 had a membership of about 20, or maybe 22. After about a year, in 1992, the 25th St. congregation decided to merge with the Hewitt group and we were all glad to have them join us and thereby join our efforts. The preacher for the 25th St. congregation had been Ray Mayse for several years. His faithful wife, Virginia Mayse had been a tremendous help to him for their years there but because of her declining health and both of them getting older, they and a few others came over and joined with us increasing the numbers here to perhaps 30 at that time
In 1994 the church went through some rough times for a period of about a year or so, though the congregation came through stronger and more sound than ever. I have seen this same kinds of struggles in many places of the country and know that if brethren continue to retain the purity of God’s word in the doctrine of a local church, ultimately it will succeed in the way the Lord wants it to succeed. In spite of unrest at times, many people have obeyed the gospel. Our constant faith, hope in the victory of the word of God and a multitude of prayers have always lofted us to continue on.
Peace began to reign again in 1995. The congregation began to again build solidly and membership has increased steadily ever since. In 1997 the Sun Valley congregation selected two elders, brothers Larry Roskos and Jim Wellman. There are also four deacons serving; Kevin Blanton MD, Bruce Eden, Keith Richbourg and Louis Tatum. The meeting house property was paid off at the bank and the church free and clear of debt. The eldership has brought great blessings and scriptural organization to the congregation as the Lord would have His church to be. The dedicated work of good members like that of Sister Sue Harris (deceased) has made the sweet salvation and benevolence of the gospel a reality to many. The membership stands at about 70 souls at present. Out of necessity I received outside support from other congregations from the beginning. And often I had to supplement my income by “making tents” through the years to keep doing my work here. None of that is necessary now because the local church is now able to fully support me. Our facilities cramping the worship assemblies causes us to currently plan with high hopes, to either expand the existing building or even re-locate to a more sizeable place.
After more than forty years some of the members of that first necessary division from religious error in the early 1960’s are still members here: Eloise Pleasants, the wife of James Pleasants (deceased) and her daughter Ann are still with us. Bob Felkner returned here a number of years ago, and worships with us along with his family. Ray and Virginia Mayse (both now deceased) faithfully labored beside the rest of us till their health failed. Their son and stepson, Bruce Eden and his family are still here as well. All these good folks who began so long ago with us here have shown us how to persevere and make the most of good times and appreciate them for what they are but to remember to keep the church pure and the gospel of Christ clear.
The Sun Valley Blvd. church of Christ is the only sound church of Christ in the Waco area but we confidently look to the future of this church as bright with opportunities abounding. If a sound New Testament church can flourish in this area as we are, one can make it anywhere! The spiritual aim of this church is to preach and teach the gospel in a world starving for God’s word. The old standard of “give us a ‘thus sayeth the Lord’” for everything we stand for will ensure that Bible authority reigns supreme from the church that meets at the corner of Sun Valley Blvd and Warren St in Hewitt, Texas.
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