What brought you to Wilshire and when?
The back seat of my parents’ car. I was 10 in 1961 when we moved to Dallas from San Antonio, where we attended Trinity Baptist. Buckner Fanning, the pastor there, had a preaching style similar to that of Bruce McIver, and the open, friendly nature of Wilshire matched that of Trinity.
What was the building like then?
The Sanctuary wasn’t built yet. The area where it now sits was grass, and we could play a quick game of baseball called “scrub” or “workup” between Wednesday night supper and RAs.
What ministers have impacted your life?
Certainly Bruce. He baptized me, performed my wedding to LuElla and baptized our kids. But the greater impact was that of Bill James and his wife, Charlene. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing every music minister from Bill O’Brien to Ariel Merivil. But I was a choir member the entire time of Bill’s ministry. In the late ’60s our youth minister didn’t stay long, so Bill was the constant in our lives. Because of him, Wilshire was where I wanted to be.
What are some favorite memories?
The day my family joined Wilshire was my first defining memory. After Bruce introduced us and invited people to come greet us, he went on to announce that Charlie Watson had claimed the Terry boys for his two daughters. Charlene Watson (now Law) came up to my brother and said she would take him to his Sunday School class. Her sister Mitzi came up to me and, with a less than enthusiastic expression, said “My daddy told me I had to take you to Sunday School.” I met others that day who became lifelong friends.
What’s something from the early days that might surprise newer members?
The long-term vision and commitment of the members. From 1954 until we completed the third floor decades later, there was an architectural rendering of the master plan. It was displayed prominently to inspire us to move forward, building our community of faith and inviting others to join.
What things are different and what has stayed the same?
While many of the faces have changed, Wilshire remains a community of faith shaped by the Spirit of Jesus. I am confident the closing words of Isaac Watts in his paraphrase of Psalm 23 accurately describe the Wilshire I know: “O may Thy house be my abode, and all my work be praise. There would I find a settled rest, while others go and come; no more a stranger, nor a guest but like a child at home.”
Why have you stayed so long?
Not sure any other church would take me; less sure where I would go. This is my church.