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An old Army barracks was purchased at Camp Howze and moved to the southeast corner of Grand and Brockett and renovated to accommodate a church. The first meeting of the Grand Avenue church was on June 1, 1947. Attendance at that service was 103. in October, Robert Bankes came to serve as the minister. Within four years the membership tripled. The first elders appointed were E. L. Sweet, Leon Ramsey, and John Elmore. In a short time the building had been outgrown and had to be expanded. The congregation met in the Jefferson School building during the remodeling in the Winter and Spring of 1952. Many programs were activated to inspire fellowship among the members. The love manifested by all during this early growth was an important stimulus to the surrounding community and brought about many converts and new members.
In June 1952, Claude C. McQuiddy moved to Sherman to fill the vacancy after Bro. Bankes left. He served approximately five years, leaving in 1957. While he was in Sherman, the congregation purchased a residence on Grand Avenue for the minister and his family. Vallen Graham was leading congregational singing. George Gordon and H. L. Kerbow were added to the eldership. The major thrust during Claude's stay was the weekly radio program with sermon and songs sung by a choral group led by Bro. Graham. Also an effort to restore the church at Sadler was undertaken without success. Sam Moreno and H.L. Cody were two of the young men converted to the faith and were given much aid and encouragement by Bro. McQuiddy and the congregation in their decision to preach the gospel in Italy and Utah. At the end of 1956, Claude moved to Farmington, New Mexico. Shortly after his departure John Elmore, an elder, passed away quite suddenly with a heart attack. Bro. Sweet had died June 30, 1955.
In 1955, a cooperative endeavor between Grand Avenue and Walnut Street brethren brought about the establishment of the congregation located on Wood Street in northwest Sherman. Many families from each congregation left to form the nucleus of that work which began with 124 members on March 20, 1955. That building has since been expanded two or three times to seat 400 with classroom facilities and an office building added.
Mickey E. Blake came to Grand Avenue January 1957 and remained until April 1960 when he went to Massachusetts to labor in a mission effort. The membership grew from 260 to 436, necessitating two morning services. A singing school, directed by Terry Blake, was held. A Teacher Training school with a Mrs. Price from Dallas was conducted. There were two radio programs and a weekly television program, which was a joint venture of the congregations in Denison and Sherman, consisting of a panel of four ministers answering Biblical questions sent in from the television audience. A new classroom building was erected across the back of the lot to accommodate the growth in Bible Study classes. Ronnie Henson came to work among the youth and lead the singing.
Jack Exum was selected to follow as minister of the congregation in 1960. Bro. Exum had a dynamic personality and spent many long hours visiting and studying with others, converting the most of those with whom he studied,
he became well known throughout the brotherhood for his personal evangelism in both America and Ireland.
Allen Harper was the next minister at Grand Avenue. He remained approximately 3 years. One of the highlights of the work during his tenure was a meeting held in the municipal building. The acappella chorus from ACU sang, Bro. G. C. Brewer was the speaker. The building was filled to capacity. Allen left in 1963.
In June of that year, James E. Rucker came as the
evangelist, he remained until 1969 when he was replaced by
Don Tarbet. Max Harper came to work with the youth and lead
singing, The young people had a very large group and they
were one of the finest singing groups on a high school level
that the brotherhood has had. Joy Lee Braswell came as a
personal work evangelist and after his departure John and
Joy Curtis moved to work as trainees for mission work in
Brazil. While at Harding University they had made mission
tours to Brazil and had made a pact with other likeminded
couples to return as permanent missionaries. They were fully
supported by Grand Avenue in that work. Don Tarbet left in
1972, having begun in 1969. Jim Reaves replaced him and
remained until July 1976.
Because of the rapid growth of the Grand Avenue congregation, the elders deemed it wise to establish another congregation in east Sherman. A $100,000 auditorium and classroom building was erected on 2.3 acres at 815 South Dewey Avenue. The acreage sat on a hill across from Hawn Park and was an excellent site overlooking the land to the south and west. The first service was held at Dewey on April 5, 1964. Robert Rochelle, a native of Detroit, Michigan, came to Sherman from Freed Hardeman College in Henderson, Tennessee, to be the minister. A five-day gospel meeting was held with Bro. Rochelle preaching and Bro. James Rucker of the Grand Avenue congregation leading the singing. The masonry and brick building housed an auditorium for approximately 550 people, 23 classrooms, a library, offices for minister and secretary, nursery and storage rooms, Dedication services were held April 24, 1964, with Hubert Plumlee of Denison as speaker.
In 1966, Eugene Groome came from Durant to preach. While here, Bro. Groome was very effective in personal evangelism, converting many entire families.
He was an accomplished musician and a member of the Sherman Civic Orchestra. He was of pure Indian descent.
By 1969, when he moved to Dallas Christian Schools, the Dewey congregation had more than doubled its membership.
A. L. (Tony) Carpenter was selected as minister in August 1969. A native of Waxahachie, Tony studied at the Sunset School of Preaching and the Christian College of the Southwest. He was a very brilliant Bible scholar. In 1971, Jim Moore was the next minister to come to Dewey. He came from Oklahoma. The congregation took on the support of their son, James, in the Africa mission field. Later, Bro. Moore expressed the desire to also do mission work and the elders sent him to Holyoke, Colorado as a fully supported minister. Replacing Jim Moore was Roger Turner from Lubbock, in September 1973. He remained until May 1976.
During the 11-year history of Dewey Avenue at this time, evangelism had been its main thrust. Other than the financial support of ministers in Africa and Colorado, the congregation had at this time 4 buses bringing in 75 plus children who would not otherwise have attended Bible study and worship. A very successful program of children's worship hour was being conducted with tremendous response from a learning standpoint of those too young to comprehend adult preaching. A foster childcare program in cooperation with the local welfare office with 12 families licensed to keep foster children was a success. Funds to help defray expenses were provided by the congregation with no State aid taken.
In July 1976, the Grand Avenue and Dewey Avenue congregations decided to again join forces as one work. This was motivated by the fact that both were serving the same area and located only about one mile apart.
The Grand Avenue congregation had supported missionaries in
Canada, Italy, Africa and other places. Allessando Corazzo was fully supported in Rome, Italy and Conrad Steyn in Capetown, South Africa, with the John Curtis' in Brazil.
The merged work became known as the Parkview congregation and was under the oversight of elders Wilburn Grisham, Harvey Millsap and Vernon Mitchell from Dewey and Fred Holloway and Robert Savage from Grand. Dan Carter from Sanger began work on the first Sunday of the merger. Work began with approximately 400 members. Ken Dawdy came in June 1977 as Youth Director from the Harding Graduate School of Religion, Memphis, Tennessee. Cecil Bunch then came as a Personal Evangelist in July 1978.
Soon after the merger, the congregation built a large gymnasium on property across the street north from the church building. It houses a full size basketball court, kitchen, Bible Call equipment, library, ministerial offices, elders conference room, and several large classrooms. This building provides fellowship activities but its primary function was to be a Christian Training Center with advanced Bible courses offered to the community. These were conducted for several years under direction of the elders and ministers as the Texoma Bible Institute. Also provided on the lot
was a Sharing Center where clothing
was stored for those who need it.
Jim Gammon began his work in August 1980 and remained until June 1985. Bro. Gammon was an astute scholar. He has taught in Christian schools and helped in the establishing of a school in Georgia. He left to go to Odessa. Edward D. Jones, Jr. from Onley, Texas replaced Jim Gammon as minister in August 1985. Clinton Davis came from Columbus, Mississippi to be the song director and personal evangelist in 1983.
Some highlights of these congregations include participation in the Know Your Bible Program on KXII-TV, 1965. A youth rally in 1965 attended by 500 young people. "Eight Days of Decision", Jimmy Allen, August 1965 at the High School Stadium. A Dactylology Class at Dewey in 1966. December 1973 a debate between Johnny Ramsey of Garland and Marvin Hicks, a Pentecostal, from Corpus Christi held at the Municipal Auditorium. The Parkview congregation conducted a Bible Call program providing Bible answers and messages to those interested. A special event is held each March for the ladies featuring special speakers and a luncheon. The congregation has now taken the oversight and support of the mission work in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Bro. Romeo Tomlinson is the native evangelist there. A large tract of land
was purchased for the future building of an adequate meetinghouse. A three-month Evangelism program sponsored by countywide congregations
was held in the spring of 1986.
More recently, Parkview has
begun a large scale mission effort. These include:
For several years we have been doing research on the history of the church of Christ in northeast Texas in order to compile a full documented and accurate history of the church from its beginnings in this area. We would appreciate any assistance from any one having letters, documents, histories, and knowledge to add to this collection.
God grant us another revival to combat the humanistic principles invading our society.
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