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Week of October 2 - 8, 2002
By Jesse Simon

The congregation of Shady Acres Church of Christ, 730 West 26th Street, Houston, Texas celebrated 36 years of dedicated service of their minister by hosting an appreciation banquet, September 21, 2002 at Brady’s Landing Restaurant, 1805 Cypress Street, and an appreciation program on September 22, at the church for the minister and his wife Brother Frank and Sister Kathryn Melton.

The banquet was a magnificent feast with a Christian atmosphere with over 500 people in attendance. Bro. James Roberson (South Union COC) served as a most gracious master of ceremony; the opening prayer and blessings of nourishment, was by Bro. Roy Beaty (Sugarland COC); Bro Glen Burgess (Shady Acres COC) rendered the welcome; the occasion was given by Sis Joyce Brown and an astounding, crowd-pleasing rendition of the Lord’s Prayer was sung by Sis. Grisha Booker.
Tributes were given to Bro. Melton, with a slide presentation by Bro. Lawrence Bowie and special remarks by Bro. Hassen Reed (Tulsa, OK), Bro. Edgar Scott (South Union COC), Bro Theaster Maloy (Fidelity COC) Bro. P.E. Stewart (Brook Haven COC), and Bro. Melton III wrote a special song to honor his parents.

The speaker of the hour was Bro. Robert Woods (Chicago, Ill.) who delivered a heart warming message. A presentation was made by Bro. Darrell Brown and a certificate of Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a proclamation from Lee P. Brown, Mayor City of Houston and congratulations from former Mayor Kathy Whitmire. The closing remarks were by the honoree and the blessing of departure was by Bro. Howard Watson Jr. (Antioch COC, Midway, TX).

During the appreciation program, Bro. Kevin Barnes served as master of ceremonies. The congregational song was led by, Bro. Dwight Gibbs, Prayer by Bro. Jimmy Johnson and the History Presentation Sis. Kimberley Hill. Bro. Melton’s Legacy was presented by Bro. Howard Watson, Jr. (Minister, Antioch COC Midway, TX), Bro. Anthony Fletcher, Sr. (Minister Barrett Station COC Crosby, TX), Bro. Glen Burgess, Sr. (Associate Minister Shady Acres COC), Bro. Larry Fletcher, (Carver Dale COC), Bro. Joe Brown, Sr. (Trustee), and Bro. Robert Melton Sr. (Trustee). The Slide Presentation was by Bro. Lawrence Bowie, special presentation Bro. Darrell Brown.

Closing remarks by Bro. Frank Melton Jr., the closing song by Bro. John Lemon, and the closing Prayer by Bro. Darrell Barnes, Sr. Minister Melton in telling the history of his 36-year tenure stated, “It all started in May 1966. I’d just been terminated from the Kashmere Gardens COC where I’d labored for 4 years. My family and I began worshiping with the Third Ward COC. During a visit to Bro. and Sis. Reese Fletcher’s home (my brother-in-law and sister) who lived on W. 28th St., I passed by the 26th and North Shepherd COC. There was a For Sale sign posted so I stopped to inquire about it. I spoke with the minister who, after our discussion, asked me to return at 7:00p.m to discuss it with the elders. The elders were asking $75,000 for the property. While their preference was for a CoC to have it, a Methodist church wanted it and already had the cash to purchase it. I explained that I didn’t have $75,000. After they said, ‘No,’ because they needed the money, I commented, ‘Well, I guess that ends the conversation because I don’t have $75,000.’

“Approximately two weeks later, one Monday night, one of the elders of the 26th and N. Shepherd CoC called me and said, ‘We’ve really been wrestling over what you said because it would be better for the CoC to remain here.’ The brother stated, ‘If y’all could just come in and take over the note of $232.40 per month--but the problem is that you must be able to pay the first note in two weeks.’ I immediately responded, ‘We can handle that.’”

The W. 26th and N. Shepherd CoC had decided to merge with Heights COC rather than relocating to another property. The Saturday prior to moving in, as several of the Shady Acres brethren were making ready for worship the next day, several of the brethren from the merged congregation returned to the property and took all of the good chairs, tables, chalkboards, etc. There was nothing the Shady Acres brethren could do because the bank required a guarantee and the Heights COC agreed to underwrite the monthly note. The Shady Acres Church of Christ assembled in worship for the first time on the first Sunday in June 1966. Melton continued, “The Shady Acres congregation offered to pay me but I denied any pay until the church was solidly on its feet. I preached for about 4 months without pay because I had a pretty good secular job. The dedicatorial Sunday occurred about 3 weeks later.”
By 1976, practically all of the former members of the W. 26th & N. Shepherd COC who’d merged with the Heights COC, had left Heights. Something had gone wrong which seemed as good as Heights wanted. Melton said, “We were delivering our payment to Heights each month and they were, in turn, paying the bank. Heights had told us (when they first agreed to guarantee the note), ‘Whenever you’re able, we’ll turn the property over to you.’ But we didn’t mention anything until 10 years later when, suddenly, Heights wanted to take the property from us. They sent a letter to us stating that if we didn’t remodel and make other repairs to the property, the insurance company would demolish it. I called the insurance company and told them of the letter we’d received from Heights. The insurance company said this was untrue. It was then we decided we’d better get this property out of Heights’ name.”

Shady Acres Church hired an attorney to draft the papers necessary for the change of ownership. Later, Robert Melton, Sr., Harvey Davis, Sr., Bro. Irving, Joe Brown, Sr., and Melton phoned the brothers at Heights COC one Sunday after worship and told them they wanted to meet with them. As they met around their conference table, they were asked, “What do you boys want?” I said, “Do you recall telling us that when we were able, we could take over the payments? Well, we’re now able,” Melton stated. However, they all denied having agreed to this. One brother who had referred to them in the past as ‘N’s’ said, “You must have papers drawn up.”

“We pulled out the papers. So they agreed to turn the property over to us, but said, ‘If you ever run into any problems, don’t come crying to us.’ I commented, ‘We’ve been over there 10 years and as nice as you all have been, we haven’t cried on your shoulders yet. But if we have to cry on your shoulders, I think you’ll come to our rescue.” As it happens, the Heights COC actually cried on the Shady Acres’ shoulders once. They asked them to help bury their preacher, Bro. Robert Nave. “And, of course, we did,” Melton continued. “Through God’s grace, we walked tall until the note was paid in full.