Eastland Church of Christ....New to Eastland

This is the historical background of Eastland Church of Christ and the rest of the black congregations in Fort Worth, as recalled by Bro. Preston Gray, Jr. and related to his wife, Sis. Marvinette Gray and recollections of Sis. Marvinette Gray since their marriage in 1953.
          The congregation at Eastland has many members who were part of the pioneer congregations of the first black congregation of the Church of Christ in Fort Worth. That group had its beginning in 1923 under the leadership of a white brother, T. H. Merchant on the north side of Fort Worth. Most of the members lived on the south side of Fort Worth. Two families, Hezekiah and Pearl Talley, and J. H. and Erthly Miller opened their homes on Verbena St. and Pulaski so that the group could meet on the south side. The group moved to various locations under trees, other vacant buildings, and held outdoor gospel tent meetings that led to baptisms of converts from different sections of Fort Worth. The Polytechnic Church of Christ, a mission-minded white congregation, gave financial support and leadership. In one of the gospel meetings on September 13, 1934, Bro. Preston Gray, Jr., 13, and his mother, Sis. Ethel Gray obeyed the gospel when Bro. Marshall Keeble preached. Elders ordained in that congregation were Brothers J. H. Miller, Hezekiah Talley, Alfred Garrett, Sr., B. L. Finley, and J. Andrews.
          Open air and tent meetings were held from two weeks to a month in the summer. Evangelists conducting those meetings included Brothers G. P. Bowser, Marshall Keeble, and Richard Nathaniel Hogan, who later served the congregation as minister before moving to Los Angeles, California. Many white brothers from different congregations attended and helped in the gospel meetings. The congregation’s growth helped it to be more self-sufficient. Other preachers who worked with the congregation were Paul D. English, Bro. Lovett Johnson, Bro. Shelton Gibbs Jr., A. J. Hairston, while a student at SWCC, and John Steve Winston, Sr. Bro. Hairston met his wife Jean Turner at New York & Leuda.
          Bro. Paul English was instrumental in getting a congregation started in Stop Six. He sent Bro. Preston Gray, Jr. who had begun preaching in the late 1930’s out to the Stop Six area to work with helping the group get started. A pioneer family of that group was Bro. Major Elgin’s: Some are present members at Eastland. Other families were the Barnes’ brothers – Leroy and J. T. Barnes; the Garrett brothers - Alfred Garrett, Jr., Lazarus, and James. Their younger brothers, Perry and Paul became active as they grew older. Their mother (Sis. Bessie Garrett), and their sisters (Martha and Bessie Faye), were very faithful working members at New York and Leuda also.
          Bro. Paul English went to New York in 1940 and Bro. J. S. Winston came to serve the congregation later. He was successful in making the congregation financially self-sufficient. They bought a house at 969 E. Leuda and renovated it for services. Thus the New York and Leuda Church of Christ had its first official beginning. The group began work to help members who lived in Lake Como get a meeting house. Bro. Winston and Bro. Preston Gray, Jr. along with Brother Adolphus Smith, his brother, John, and others took it upon themselves to build the “Rock Church” on Houghton for Lake Como members so they would not have to travel so far. Thus the missionary work of this beginning congregation was bearing more fruit.
          After a time, Bro. J. S. Winston went to Cleveland, Ohio. Before his departure, he helped the group purchase property on the corner of Evans Avenue and Terrell Avenue to build a larger facility for this growing group. Some time later, Bro. S.T.W. Gibbs, Jr. came to the congregation and served it until the early 50s when he went to the Stop Six congregation. In the meantime, New York and Leuda was served by young preachers attending Southwestern Christian College. Bro. Grover C. Washington and his wife Claudia were with the congregation also and helped before he went to the Lake Como congregation.
          The leaders of New York and Leuda at this time were Bros. Eugene Grimes, Fuqua Mapps, Samuel Phillips, and Alfred Terry. They decided to hire a full-time minister. Bro. George E. Steward was working in Dallas and they were able to get him to come to serve the New York and Leuda Church in 1955.
Bro. Steward started what we know as First Sunday Singing to help the congregations keep in touch. The first meeting was hosted by New York and Leuda. There were only four congregations and the rotation was every four months. There was also regular fellowship with congregations in Dallas so that we would be better acquainted with one another. Bro. Steward also began a radio broadcast on KNOK now KHVN to spread the gospel live each Sunday morning. It was in partnership with Dallas West alternating monthly.
Support for Christian education was a vital part of the church’s work. Bro. G. P. Bowser had started Bowser Christian Institute in the early 1900s, located in Fort Smith, Arkansas at that time. Bro. Preston Gray, Jr. attended the Institute after graduating from I. M. Terrell High School in 1940. However, he was drafted into the army his second year. Lack of enough support led to the closing of the school. Bro. J. S. Winston had a close relationship with Bro. Bowser and while Bro. Winston was in Fort Worth, he moved Bowser Christian Institute to Fort Worth. Later on, a facility was located in Terrell, Texas that was secured to house The Institute that we now know as Southwestern Christian College.
          Growth of the New York and Leuda congregation led the brothers to seek a larger facility in 1956. Neighborhood changes at that time made property available in sections that had been white neighborhoods. So the group pondered whether to try to build or buy a larger property that was already built. The property at Evans and Terrell didn’t have enough space for what the needs were which included space for parking. After searching and looking at available properties, the decision was made to purchase the building at 1201 E. Allen Ave., and the congregation relocated in Sept. of 1956. Properties at New York and Leuda and Evans and Terrell were sold.
          An assistant minister was hired at that time for Bro. Steward who was blind. He was John C. Whitley of Fort Smith, Arkansas who was a graduate of Southwestern Christian College. Bro. Whitley found his wife, Bessie Faye Garrett at Allen Avenue.   After a while Bro. Whitley was offered full time work as minister at Hood Street church in Waco. He accepted the position. Also, some brothers who had been in military service, and returned to the congregation were added to the leadership. They were Bros. Preston Gray, Jr. and Tommie L. Gray.
          Due to the change in the way of life and more prosperity, people owned more cars and parking had run out, making it necessary for members to park on the streets in front of residences. Again the leaders explained to the congregation that another decision was necessary concerning our facilities in 1972. At that time Bro. N. E. Grimes was working at a bank with one of the deacons from the Eastland Street congregation. Their discussion of things at each congregation brought about a solution to a problem faced by each congregation. The Eastland Street Church of Christ had been built in the 1950s by the mission oriented Polytechnic Church of Christ. A new neighborhood in Eastwood was an opportunity for the Polytechnic Church of Christ to sponsor another congregation of the church of Christ. The property was purchased, the initial building was built in the 1950s, and brothers with family members of Polytechnic moved to Eastland Street to get the congregation started. Neighborhood changes caused residents of the new area to sell to black people and some members of the Eastland congregation moved also. The elders, deacons, and other members invited the black neighbors to worship at Eastland. The response was not enough to support the upkeep of Eastland and they wanted to keep the facilities for the Church of Christ. So he told Bro. Grimes he would propose to the Eastland brothers to give the facilities to the Allen Avenue congregation if it would relocate on Eastland. The Allen Avenue congregation accepted and moved to Eastland Street in the summer of 1972. When we merged, we found Bro. Leroy Barnes and his family, Bro. Willie Curtis and some other brothers at Eastland. Allen Avenue trustees were Brothers Preston Gray, Jr. Tommie L. Gray, N. E. Grimes, Fuqua Mapps, Samuel M. Phillips and Alfred Terry, Sr.
          A group of Allen Avenue members chose to remain on the south side and was successful in getting the New York and Leuda building back since it was vacant. It included the Harper Family, Sis. Arletha Woods, mother of Bro. Robert Woods, and Sis. Barbara Woods. Bro. Al Broughton worked with the group.
          Through the years Bro. G. E. Steward attended all lectureships, preached evangelistic meetings and was actively involved with the work of Southwestern Christian College. Brothers Preston Gray, Jr. and Alfred Terry, Sr. attended youth conferences with the young people along with Sis. Marvinette Gray and members from the other congregations. This participation kept the congregation in touch with Christians all over the United States and increased fellowship with them.
          By 1975, Bro. Steward’s health began to fail so much that he needed help and he was able to secure help from Mitchell Boulevard Church of Christ that agreed to let Bro. Vencil A. Burton come and work as his assistant. Bro. Steward died in August, 1979. When the trustees decided to get another minister, they selected Bro. Burton to take charge as minister. He served until health problems caused him to retire in 1999.
          In November, 1995, another young minister came to Eastland with his family. He was Bro. Loyial James Williams, III. He attended the fellowship meetings, visited the sick, and gave assistance that was needed. He accepted the offer to take over as minister after Bro. Burton’s retirement. He secured services of a young ministerial student from Southwestern Christian College, Bro. Brandon Holt, who worked with the Youth Department. Bro. Holt is the great grandson of Bro. G. P. Holt. Bro. Williams left in 2002 and Bro. Holt in Dec. 2003. Again the ministerial position was vacant and the services of Bro. Roscoe Rhodes, Sr. were secured in January, 2003 and continued until the end of 2008.
          In the spring of 2006, Bro. Kevin D. Jones was invited to speak by the residing Senior Minister Bro. Roscoe Rhodes, Sr. and his Assistant Minister Bro. Bryan Moss. Bro. Bryan Moss was a graduating student from Southwestern Christian College, who had made a commitment to serve at the Southside Church of Christ in Durham, NC under the direction of Bro. William Stephens, upon graduation. His return to the state of North Carolina opened the door for Bro. Kevin D. Jones to serve in the capacity of Assistant Minister. His service as Assistant Minister continued until February 2009, at which time the saints of Eastland welcomed him to serve as the Congregational Minister. Bro. Kevin D. Jones, Sr. was an honor graduate of Southwestern Christian College in 2009. He is accompanied by his wife, Sis. Clarissa Jones and their two children Ja’Leeah and Kevin (K.J.) Jr. Together, they proudly labor here at Eastland even now.
          Today, the Eastland Church of Christ possesses a strong desire to maintain the excellence of it predecessors before. The Mission of this congregation is in honor of the Savior we serve and the soldiers who paved the way before us. The Eastland Church of Christ exists to advance the Body of Christ by proclaiming God’s Salvation to all of our surrounding neighbors of Fort Worth, TX. This objective will be met by purpose-driven Education, Biblically-sound Evangelism, and Community-defined Outreach. May God continue to bless the labors of this great congregation.