A Brief History of the Shady Acres Church of Christ

The church of Christ in Sikeston began in the early 20^th century when several families began regularly meeting together for worship.  In 1928 a building was purchased at 602 South Kingshighway for $1500.  Because of the difficult financial burden, the building was given back to the owners in 1932 when U.S. Highway 61 was paved.  It was then rented for $15 per month for the next several years.  A building fund grew slowly making it possible to purchase a lot on Edmonson Street in 1941.  A basement was constructed that would house about 100 people, and it was used for 4 years during World War II.  Several traveling preachers spent time in the pulpit during those early years.

            In 1944 the members decided to once again purchase the building on South Kingshighway, but were not happy with the space arrangement, so they decided to build a new building.  This structure was completed in 1946 and Harlan Hurd was hired as the first fulltime minister in 1947.  He served the church for 4 years.

            From 1946 to 1967 the church in Sikeston enjoyed tremendous growth in this location.  The ministers who served during this time were: J.E. Green, L.E. Garner, Landon A. Hatley, Harold Littrell and Don Glover.

            By 1965 the building on South Kingshighway would no longer accommodate the needs of the church.  The current lot at 1440 Ables Road was purchased in 1965 and the present building was completed in November 1967.  Because of the abundance of trees on the property, the name Shady Acres was chosen.  The auditorium, after renovation in 1978, was enlarged to a seating capacity of 750.  A new classroom wing was added in 1981, bringing the total number of classrooms to 42.  Don C. Glover and Manley Luscombe served as ministers during those 15 years.

            In 1986 a tornado ripped through the city of Sikeston and did extensive damage to the church building.  Also, the children’s home, gymnasium and bus garage were completely destroyed.  The church building was repaired and the garage and gym were rebuilt.

            Patrick Hogan came to the congregation as associate minister in 1985 and continues to work in that capacity.  He presently serves as an elder along with Pete Burns, Jr., and Lewis Lineberry.

            Jerry Morgan succeeded Manly Luscombe as pulpit minister in June of 1988 and served until January 1990.

John Hoover was pulpit minister for the church in January 1990 and served until February 1993.

Johnny Hester became the pulpit minister for Shady Acres in June 1993 and continues to serve the church in that capacity.  After moving into the work here Johnny was made aware that George Price (his great-uncle) was one of the original elders for the church in Sikeston.  Also, Johnny’s father, S.F. Hester, had conducted gospel meetings for the church during the mid to late 1940s.

            At present, the church is faithfully served by 14 deacons who lead in a number of different ministries.  Countless others serve the congregation in mission work, benevolence, edification, and in numerous other capacities.

            As members of the body of Christ we strive daily to take the gospel to a lost world, grow stronger as a family, and to glorify God in all that we do.  May God continue to richly bless His family in Sikeston.