Life in the Baptist Temple Office

Guest Blog by Muriel Persky

Mary Lee Shelton

Mary Lee Shelton began working full time at Baptist Temple Church in 1976 as Education Secretary to D. Ray Taylor, Minister of Education. O.D. Oliver was the Pastor. Her job was to keep the records of the Sunday School and Training Union memberships, and other secretarial duties. At that time the Sunday School membership was over 500 and all the offering envelopes needed to be counted before worship time each Sunday. The numbers were posted for the Church to view.

She was accepted right away by the other office staff. Kathryn O’Diem was the office manager, Jo Lynn was bookkeeper, and Louise Dudley was the pastor’s secretary. Each lady had responsibilities and a very busy schedule. The routine included weekly, never ending deadlines: Temple Times,Southside Reporter articles, bulletins, record keeping and more. At that time records were kept manually and typewriters were used for the printed articles. Mary Lee helped keep the financial giving records for each member; each entry done manually.

The office door was always open and visitors were welcome to visit and chat. Weekdays were busy with many meetings and church members engaged in variety of tasks, including the daycare, an active WMU program, the Seniors' Ministry, and TOUCH.

In 1979, Jo Lynn retired and Louise Dudley stepped into the bookkeeper position and Mary Lee became the pastor’s secretary. When Bill Perdue replaced Oliver as pastor, she continued as secretary. Her primary job was to answer the pastor's phone and type his sermons. The sermons were dictated into a machine (Dictaphone) and transcribed. Mary Lee also created an outline of the sermon. An extra touch appreciated by Purdue. She also typed Perdue's weekly column for the Southside Reporter weekly for publication.

Mary Lee was kept busy by three Together We Build capital campaigns that requires many mail-outs, meetings, program planning, and a big kick-off at the San Antonio Convention Center Auditorium. There was much hubbub during those years of building renovations. New offices were built and records moved. Moreover, the office staff had to adapt to the emerging computer age. Still, all ran smoothly among the office staff.

One of her fondest memories were the years of working with Philip and Mary Ann Stephens. Phillip came to the church in 1981 as Minister of Music. Mary Ann, not yet part of the staff, volunteered to produce a Christmas dinner theater presentation as a fund raiser for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. A musical of Lottie Moon’s life was presented for two nights.. The WMU took over the dinner planning, menus and decor. The office staff pitched in by making the playbills, copying materials for the cast, and aiding in whatever way needed. It was a wonderful celebration and dinner theater would be repeated each year for some time with different plays presented.

In 1991, Pipe Creek Retreat Center was given to the church and Mary Lee spent much of her time promoting the center to individuals and other churches while continuing her duties as pastor’s secretary and recording financial records of the membership.

In 1995, Mark Newton became our pastor and brought a new agenda for the church which included community ministry. Two Habitat for Humanity homes were built and other programs were started.

In 2001, she retired just shy of 25 years of service. Mary Lee's first job, as a teen, was working in the BT office. She worked 4 hrs a day at .65 cents an hour until she graduated from Brackenridge High School in 1956 and went to college. She started working at Baptist Temple and ended her career at Baptist Temple.

Baptist Temple Founding Member was an Oil Pioneer

Andrew Brownlow Slimp was born to a prominent family in East Tennessee on June 15, 1862. His father, Frederick, was an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War and a Tennessee State Representative. 

Following success in iron smelting, Andrew Slimp relocated to Sour Lake, Texas, where he found great success in the booming oil business. Slimp moved to San Antonio and helped start the Dixie Oil and Refining Company. When that company was sold to Humble Oil in 1916, he became president of Pioneer Oil and Refining. In 1922, he was one one of five San Antonio oil men who met with the Texas Attorney General to protest Humble Oil's alleged attempt to choke competition by cutting the price of gasoline by five cents per gallon.

Slimp was also a founding member of Pegue's Memorial Church (which would be renamed Baptist Temple). His son, Chester, would become a prominent leader at Baptist Temple and the San Antonio Baptist Association as well as a prominent oil man in his own right. Chester's wife, Helen, was a prominent artist who painted the mural that still stands behind the baptistry at Baptist Temple.

Andrew Slimp died in San Antonio on November 2, 1944. A few years earlier he had witnessed the placement of the time capsule in the cornerstone of the brick sanctuary that's still in use.

He was laid to rest at Roselawn Memorial Park (now known as San Fernando Cemetery #3.)

Baptist Temple Recognizes Three Deacons Emeritus

Guest blog by Robert Newman 

In the last three years that I spent as deacon chairman of Baptist Temple Church, it has been my honor and privilege to serve with many wonderful men of God. Three of these men have been named Deacon Emeritus of Baptist Temple. This honor is bestowed on a deacon by the deacon body in recognition of long and distinguished service to our church.

Deacons already recognized as Deacon Emeritus include: Max Brunnemann, Jack Shelton, Melvin Williams, Leroy Klima, and Jerry Shelton. The deacon body of Baptist Temple Church is pleased to add three more names to this list: Weldon Frazelle, Carl Gerold, and James Walker.

 

Carl Gerold has been chairman of the Building and Landscape Action Team for many years. He is not the type to sit back and make plans, you will see him painting or repairing or doing anything that he feels needs to be done for the upkeep of our church. Many times, this is a thankless task, but he gets out there and does what he feels called to do.

Weldon Frazelle owned his own restaurant at one time, but still loved to volunteer his services as a cook to Baptist Temple when he was needed. In addition to cooking, Weldon loved to work outdoors. No matter how hot it was, you would see Weldon mowing the grass or working on the landscape of our church. None of this was done for recognition, it was done because Weldon felt that this was his call to service.

James Walker gave of his time in many areas. For many years he drove the van to pick up children who had no other way to come to church simply because he had a love for children. He was very talented, especially in woodworking, so it was not unusual for someone from VBS to call and ask him to make things for VBS. He made a beautiful wooden cross for the church, and an intricate calendar that is still in use by his Sunday School class. Jimmy also loved to sing in the choir. He was very faithful, and was up there singing whether he felt good or not.

Weldon and James were recognized posthumously.

Architectural History is a Part of Baptist Temple's Legacy

Cameron designed the sanctuary (L) and the education building (R)

Baptist Temple owns a piece of San Antonio architectural history. Renowned architect and San Antonio native Ralph Haywood Cameron (1892–1970) designed both the sanctuary (1941) and the education building (1952). Cameron left his mark on the city where he lived and died, working in the popular revival styles of the early 20th century. His San Antonio buildings include the Emily Morgan Hotel (1924), formerly the Medical Arts Building; Grace Lutheran Church (1928); the Art Deco Frost Brothers Store Building (1930); and the Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building (1937), formerly the United States Post Office and Courthouse.

Cameron also served as an engineer in the Army during WWI and WWII and was a member of several fraternal and business organizations. He was a a founding member of the Texas Society of Architects.

The Fall the Church Stood Still

Baptist Temple closed its doors for eight Sundays from October 26 – December 21 in 1918. There was no Fall Festival, no revival, no Thanksgiving service, no choir practice... nothing. All churches were closed. As were schools and theaters; all public gatherings were banned.

Fifty one soldiers had succumbed to the Spanish flu on September 30, 1918 at Camp Travis, San Antonio. The flu had been spreading around the planet, sped along by the close quarters and troop movements of World War I. The first outbreak was in Ft. Riley, Kansas in March 2018. Soon there were outbreaks in Camps Hancock (GA), Lewis (WA), Sherman (OH), Fremont (CA), and San Quentin Prison (CA). In August there were major outbreaks in France, Sierra Leone and Boston. It quickly reached Russia, North Africa and India. The flu eventually reached China, Japan and the Philippines.

The Spanish Flu killed more than 25 million people in the first 25 weeks. It killed more people in 25 weeks than AIDS has killed in 25 years. It killed more people in one year than the Bubonic Plague killed in one century. As many as 100 million died in the pandemic that reached every continent; 6% of earth's population. Six hundred thousand died in the US.

Quarantines at Camp Travis and Fort Sam Houston failed to stop the spread of the flu into the city, where there were already several hundred cases. On October 19, city doctors reported 700 cases in a 24 hour period and the San Antonio Board of Health acted to stop public gatherings.

Baptist Temple Church members J.M. Baugh (charter member) and Mrs. M.T. Heck were among the 881 who died that Fall in San Antonio.

A Church Adapting to a Community in Transition

Baptist Temple circa 1955, before construction of I-10.

In 1964 highway planners made a decision that had a profound impact on the history of Baptist Temple. The proposed route for Interstate 10 changed so that it would pass along Baptist Temple. The original route, planned in 1959, would have connected it further north to I-35 at S. New Braunfels.

More than 800 houses were demolished to clear a way for construction of the highway. The character of the neighborhood started to change as larger homes were converted to apartments and property values declined. The sixties and seventies saw Baptist Temple transition from a traditional suburban church to an inner-city community church witnessing to a neighborhood undergoing economic and social change.
 
The highway was completed in 1968 in time for HemisFair 68, San Antonio's world's fair. Venue construction on the 92 acre site of the fair also eliminated many houses including the house and street where Baptist Temple was born. Although the fair only lasted six months, it, along with highway construction, permanently changed the landscape and demographics of southeast San Antonio. It accelerated the growth in the north side of the city and white flight in the south.

Baptist Temple's response to neighborhood transition was outreach through a variety of conventional (bus ministry, food pantry, clothes closet) and unconventional (medical clinic, methadone program) ministries. The result was a more economically and ethnically diverse congregation and a sustainable church.

In 1972, Baptist Temple was selected as a model church for the transitional church conference at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The Baptist Standard wrote, “No church in Texas has done a more beautiful job of reaching people in a transitional community than has Baptist Temple.”

This drew interest from numerous groups throughout the state including Bill Pinson's Christian ethics class at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Texas area missionaries and Women’s Missionary Union leaders.

The highway's impact on Baptist Temple is usually viewed as negative because many of the homes that were destroyed housed church members and it changed the neighborhood. On the other hand, the interstate's construction reflected the America's growing automobile culture. Fewer people walked to church. Many would drive further and further to attend the church of their choice.

The interstate system allowed folks who moved away from the neighborhood to return to Baptist Temple for worship. It also enabled people who were willing to travel a few miles to make Baptist Temple their church home. Baptist Temple's rate of decline was much slower than that of other large Baptist churches in the Southside. This is primarily attributed to its ability to connect with the community but the access provided by the I-10 (as well as nearby Interstates 410, 35, 37) put in position for success.

Megachurches often seek to build along a highway, knowing that folks will drive a bit to attend a church they like. So, as it turns out, I-10 was more of a blessing than a curse for Baptist Temple's gospel mission.

The Birth of Baptist Temple

Lizzy Elkins

Nellie (Johnson) Taylor

On a sultry spring Sunday afternoon in 1906 the some fifty-three thousand souls of San Antonio confined themselves to the ordinary things people did in those days. Some took streetcar rides out to San Pedro Springs, or strolled along the sidewalks downtown to watch the horse and buggy traffic, sprinkled with a few noisy autos bumping over the chug holes in the mesquite block pavements of Commerce and Houston streets. Streetcars clanged in the relative quiet of a city accustomed to Latin leisure.

The everlasting, but half-forgotten Alamo dozed in the warm sun, and farther east of downtown, another ancient little building built of caliche squatted on its corner at North and Water streets and waited for a momentous meeting of a group of devoted young Baptists to arrive.

All was in readiness inside the little house that faced south on North Street and bore the number of 301. The cool parlor was crowded with all the chairs of the house in anticipation of the fifteen or twenty visitors from First Baptist Church and the mothers and their children who had been invited to attend the special Sunday School that would eventually grow into Pegues Memorial Baptist Church and then to San Antonio’s second largest Baptist Church, Baptist Temple.

The piano stood in a corner and the quick-moving, attractive little woman took a final glance about her parlor to make sure all was ready as the hour approached and noted the palm leaf fans were in place on the chairs. She made several hasty trips to the open door and peered into the glaring sun-washed, unpaved street and onto the porch to see if her visitors were nearing.

Her face lit up when she saw two mothers with their children dressed in their Sunday best walking along the dusty street toward the house. Her blue eyes danced and her laughter rocketed out to them as she greeted her visitors. Soon the joy of Mrs. Elizabeth “Lizzy” Elkins was complete as a few buggies pulled up and hitching blocks were dropped at the curb and happy young people trooped up onto the porch.

Within a short time other young men in their high-buttoned coats, narrow trousers and toothpick shoes, and young ladies with their skirts lifted just enough to prevent them from dragging in the dust, stepped onto the porch. Some of the young men carried stacks of paperback hymnals. Soon Robert O. Huff, president of the Baptist Young People’s Union over at First Baptist Church, accompanied by his young wife, Carrie, and her sister Miss Nellie Johnson with her violin arrived. Carrie was to play the piano while Nellie played the violin to accompany those who would sing the hymns.

The half dozen children took the chairs in the center of the room while the adults occupied those against the walls. Mrs. Huff sat at the piano and Miss Johnson tuned her violin and the Sunday School was ready to begin as Mr. Huff, a tall, handsome young attorney, called for God’s guidance in this undertaking for the Kingdom. In the quiet of worship the clop-clop and rattle of a passing horse and buggy drifted into the parlor from the hot sunshine and from the distance could be heard the clanging of a streetcar mingled with the squeal of steel wheels turning at a curve down at Joske’s corner. But none in Mrs. Elkins’ parlor was aware of the outside sounds, nor that this little gathering of devoted young Baptists was establishing a destiny in answer to prayers.

This impromptu Sunday School was the answer to Mrs. Elkins’ prayers.  She combined action with her prayers and had presented her challenge to the Baptist Young People’s Union at First Baptist Church because that church was closer to her home at 301 North Street than her own Central Baptist Church.

Irish good humor and enthusiasm and English determination for the thing she believed in characterized Mrs. Elkins, who stood only five feet three inches tall, but made up for petite size with boundless energy that was directed toward concern for young people whether children or young adults. Her home was open to many ambitious business college students who had come to San Antonio to prepare for careers. Besides offering her home, Mrs. Elkins also devoted much time to the welfare of youth in connection with her work in the Bexar County Juvenile Office. 


An account from Nellie (Johnson) Taylor
From HISTORY OF BAPTIST TEMPLE 1911-1976 By Ralph M. Fritz

Deacon Emeritus: Jerry Shelton

Jerry Shelton (R) with his father on the date of Jerry's ordination.

Guest blog by Jerry Shelton

There have been a few times in my life when I have found myself almost speechless, so, I ask you, in advance, to forgive my humble attempt to respond to the honor you have bestowed upon me as Deacon Emeritus.

When I stood before God, in the company of my two dearest friends, Jimmy Walker and Marvin Triesch, and the Body of Baptist Temple, on January 26, 1969, little did I envision such an honor would come my way. That sort of thing was reserved for those who stood head and shoulders above me in their service to the Lord.

Their names I shall never forget. I am looking forward to our reunion in heaven. Manuel Barrera, Hub Ferguson, Marvin Foster, Weldon Frazelle, Ralph Gonzales, Russell Hildebrand, John Kight, Bobby Kingston, Alton Newell, Jim Shelton (my dad), Crockett Thigpen, Doug Woodall and so many others.

I have to admit referring to “Webster's” in order to determine the definition of emeritus. I found that the word is both a noun and an adjective. Plainly spoken, “one retired from professional life but permitted to hold the rank of his last office as an honorary title.”

My parents placed on the cradle roll of Calvary Baptist Church when I was a week old. On September 29, 1946 as a young lad of 11, I gave my heart and my life to the Lord Jesus Christ and I promised to serve Him all the days of my life.

On December 11, 1955, while working at Alamo Iron Works, I joined Baptist Temple alongside Don Barnet (Bill's brother). Don had bid me to come to Baptist Temple for two reasons: 1. There were no more young people at Calvary; 2. He had a dear friend, Mary Lee Graham, he wanted me to meet. Mary Lee and I had our first date at that year's New Year's Eve watch-night party and the rest, as they say is history. We were married in 1958 and had two children and five grandchildren. We have been blessed beyond belief.

In 1970 I accepted the nomination as teacher of the Adult men's Sunday school class. For 42 years those men were my joy and inspiration. Their faithfulness, prayers and love were more than anyone could ask.

I retired from teaching in November 2012 to care for Mary Lee's mounting health problems: stroke, mastectomy and Parkinson's. I felt that her physical condition demanded my full-time presence. I think the Lord understands.

I had the joy of singing in the adult choir for 52 years and the barbershop/gospel quartet for 32 years. The Pipe Creek committee, with its Pipe Creek Posse, was one of the highest points of my life.

In the past 57 years, since joining Baptist Temple, I have, perhaps, been placed on every committee of the church; including two terms as chairman of the Deacons.

Soren Kierkegaard said, “Life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forward. None of us have come to where we are today by ourselves. Many people have people and events have contributed vital sparks to our lives that have blessed us.”

Each of you, in your own way, has touched me. I have grown. I will never forget you. I shallproudly be a deacon all of my days.

Baptist Temple during the Great Depression

photo by Dorthea Lang

The era of the Great Depression (1930-41) was a time of tremendous ministry growth for Baptist Temple under the leadership of Pastor Jessie Yelvington. San Antonio's population was growing and so was the church. Sunday school enrollment was over one thousand in 1929 and a new education building was needed. The three story building (today known as building 2) cost $55,000. Sunday school attendance on day the building was dedicated (October 5, 1930) set a record at 1221.

As the number of homeless grew, a tent city emerged on an empty field at the east end of Drexel Avenue; the current location of the Rosemont Apartments. It was one of the many “Hoovervilles” where the homeless gathered during that era. From 1929 to 1932 Baptist Temple provided food and clothing to this transient community. Records from those years show members with “tent city” as their home address.

Baptist Temple's Vine Street Mission (402 Vine St.) was, also, a front-line ministry during the Great Depression. Alfred Brown led a team of workers who maintained a soup kitchen and offered worship on Sundays. Canned food and staples were also distributed. The building was sold in 1948 to fund the start of Highland Hills Baptist Church.

Yelvington left Baptist Temple in March 1938 to accept a position as evangelist for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. At thirteen years and seven months, he had the longest tenure to date of any pastor at Baptist Temple. During his tenure membership had grown to 2079, Sunday school enrollment was 1750 and Sunday school average attendance was 882; all record numbers. The 120 baptisms recorded that year were one shy of the record set in 1933.

Among the people joining Baptist Temple during this time was Country Music Hall of Fame member, Ernest Tubb, who was part of the Baptist Temple family from 1934 to 39, while we worked as a singer at KONO-AM radio. 

Love your neighbor as yourself

Matthew 22:39

Leaving a Godly Legacy

Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation,
he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 

Acts 13:36 

Deacon Emeritus Max Brunnemann was laid to rest yesterday. He was part Baptist Temple Church of San Antonio for the 88 years of his life. He was born in the house located next to the church's community ministries building that bears his name.

Brunnemann was many good things: family man, decorated WWII veteran, sportsman, athlete and businessman. He, also, served Baptist Temple in many capacities over the years but his legacy is more than a list of accomplishments. He “served God's purpose in his own generation.”

His legacy is seen in his family whom he raised to love and serve the Lord. Last year, his great granddaughter, Alexis, became the fifth generation of his family to be baptized at Baptist Temple.

His legacy is seen in a new generation of church leaders that he mentored. A group that is a able to connect a rich past with a promising future.

His legacy is seen in Baptist's Temple's fourth building, which houses the gym. As chairman of the building committee he led Baptist Temple into a major building project at a time when others were moving to the north side of the city. As the neighborhood began to transition, Brunnemann was among the leaders who sought ways to reach out to the community.

 He was known as a superior administrator and consensus builder. His wisdom and love of the lost enabled him to lead the church through troubled waters as they wrestled to make a decision to start a methadone clinic and ministry to addicts. Although there were some loud voices of dissent. The church voted with a greater than 75% majority to launch this ministry.

 In 2011 the building that once housed his father's dry goods store was renovated and named after him. The building would now house Baptist Temple's community ministries; beginning with a thrift store. 
 
Max Brunnemann served God in his own generation. We honor his memory when we serve God in ours.