Church history

The church that became Amarillo Bible Church first chartered with the Secretary of the State of Texas on April 3, 1931. In 1932 the name of the church was changed to Church of the Open Bible. Then in 1946, the name officially became The Amarillo Bible Church of Amarillo, Texas.

When we consider human frailties, and the shortcomings of all of us, we can only say, "To GOD be the glory,Great things HE hath done."

The church was founded in the aftermath of that great Depression. World War II was only a decade away. God chose those rough times to bring into being a church that was destined to have a distinctive ministry and outreach in the Panhandle of Texas. The nature of that ministry and outreach was a new concept in this area where churches were primarily concerned on with what took place within the four walls of their own building. We reached out to contact people whom we knew might never become members of our local assembly ? but who needed Jesus Christ. Our goal was to spread real Christianity as opposed to much that was only Church-ianity.

Seventy-five years ago, only churches with denominational names were known. We were held in suspicion and doubt. But when men like W. L. Pettingill, Charles E. Fuller, Norman B. Harrison, Robert Hearkness, B. B. Sutcliffe, Theodore Epp, John Walvoord and many others ministered from our pulpit, we slowly but steadily gained recognition among the churches of the city.

The following record is not only events that are past, but beginnings that are a part of the ongoing ministry today. God continues to touch lives. The ministry goes on. The task is not finished. Let us not be weary in well doing.

Amarillo Bible Church started in April, 1931 but was truly organized during the first week in December, 1932. It is impossible to pinpoint the real beginnings. It is like rivulets trickling into the main stream. There was a period before the organization that there were home Bible classes, the ministry of itinerant preachers, sometimes only Sunday School classes ? all with no regular services and no certain meeting place. This group was apparently encouraged by a series of protracted evangelistic meetings. Jack Neville, who had a radio broadcast and who was known as the "Flying Parson," invited to Amarillo an evangelist from Ft. Worth by the name of Frank Norris. They met in a large tent-like structure dubbed the "Mule Barn." At the close of those meetings most of the people joined the newly-formed independent Baptist movement of which Norris was the founder. A smaller group withdrew with a desire to have a completely independent Bible-centered church that would be entirely free of any denominational connection. At this point some will remember the faithful ministry of Clarence Elrod, a recent graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary.

But why this determination to have another church? Amarillo, then a city of 45,000, was crowded with churches. The answer is found in the fact that this local unrest was only a reflection of what was taking place across the U.S. and on the foreign mission fields. Liberalism, with its denial of the deity of Christ, the blood atonement, the inspiration of the Scriptures, began to show itself in many of the major denominations. This kind of unbelief had always existed, but now it had invaded the clergy. Young men were not being grounded in the cardinal doctrines of the faith and many of the seminaries were slipping from their original position of commitment to the basic doctrines of Scripture. Bible-loving people began to withdraw from their churches and form little independent groups devoted to the teaching of God's inerrant Word, the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the support of missionaries who were faithfully declaring the same truths. This movement was called by some the great "come-out movement." It was the real beginning of many Bible schools, faith mission agencies, Christian organizations which we have today.

During this same period, God was grooming a young man many miles away whom He would use for the next 35 years to build a work for Him in Amarillo, Texas. H. A. Somerville, then a Presbyterian minister in Erie, Pennsylvania, was faced with the same theological issues. Feeling the pressure of policies in his denomination that were contrary to his personal convictions, he voluntarily withdrew his name from the roll of the presbytery, joined the newly formed IFCA (Independent Fundamental Churches of America), and began to look to the Lord for a new direction in his life and ministry.

Born in Farmland, Indiana, educated at Perdue University, he was saved at the age of 21 while working at the Western Electric Company in the city of Chicago. It was a noon-day street meeting conducted by the Cicero Bible Church that caught his attention. He decided to attend this church, stirred by a curiosity to find out what could motivate people to go out to the street with their message. There he was led to the Lord by the pastor, the Rev. William R. McCarrell. Eventually he enrolled in the Mood Bible Institute. Upon graduation he was married, and called to the pastorate of the Craddock Presbyterian Church in Portsmouth, Virginia, where he was ordained. Later he became the pastor of the Chestnut Street Presbyterian Church in Erie, Pennsylvania. Because of his wife's ill heath, they were advised to go west to a dry climate. This, coupled with his recent decision to withdraw from his denomination, led him to the placement bureau of Moody Bible Institute where they had already received a request from the group in Amarillo. When he made contact with the group, he was advised something like this, "We cannot pay you a salary. We cannot offer you a call. Just come and we'll see how it works out."

If this uncertainty prevailed in the group in Amarillo, it certainly was not in the mind of H. A. Somerville. He felt the call of God and envisioned a permanent Bible teaching ministry in Amarillo, Texas. The Somervilles loaded their personal belongings into a 1929 Model A Ford and headed west. Like Abraham, "he went out no knowing whither he went." And it can be added, he never looked back. For they had already cut all ties behind them: a comfortable salary, a manse to live in, retirement plan and all the benefits that were offered to pastors of his denomination.

So it was that when they arrived in Amarillo in October 1932, they found a small group of believers meeting in a vacant store building on West 6th Street.

Strongly convinced of his call from God to this place (though the congregation did not issue a formal call until two months later), he was thus able to bring to the group a dimension of permanence, which was not only unifying, but a very stabilizing force ? even a sense of destiny. With enthusiasm, he led them from one basic step to another, always reminding them of the motivating force behind his convictions ? that being his life verse: "Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it." (I Thessalonians 5:24) How often he quoted this in sermon and in prayer!

His jovial manner, keen sense of humor, and sincere love for people were mixed with a very serious consciousness of his responsibility to God and to his congregation. He was often quoted as saying, "I believe I can honestly say that my supreme ambition in life is to know the Word of God and to make it known."

Even though with a natural desire to be with people, he was sternly disciplined to long hours of study. Often when criticized for not doing move visitation, he never swerved from this priority. "People don't realize how much I need to study," he would say. "Study I must; for if those who come on Sunday are not well fed, I can't blame them when they don't come back. Why invite people to dinner if you're not prepared to feed them?"

The first year of organization had its foundation in three weeks set aside for prayer, and a weekly meeting of Bible study and prayer with the men of the congregation. God so manifested His guidance and faithfulness each step of the way that for many years to come the church observed the second Wednesday of every month as a day of prayer.

From the very outset the ministry was characterized by solid Biblical evangelism, a strong missionary emphasis, and Bible teaching which encourage the separated walk of the believer. personal Bible study and witnessing. Occasional workshops were held to teach the use of Bible dictionaries, concordances and other Bible study helps. Members were encouraged to read their Bibles through every year.

Also, this first year brought the first death in the church family ? the pastor's wife. Myrtle Dunn Somerville, though only 28 years old, had finished her course on this earth. Some in the church thought this death would also terminate the Somerville ministry in Amarillo. Recognizing this was not the will of God, H. A. Somerville remained. Three years later he married Mira Childress whom he met at a Bible conference in Denver, Colorado. Together they served this congregation for the next 30 years.

Early in 1933 the church purchased a large corner lot at 15th and Ong Street for $1,000.00. A few months later came the opportunity to buy an abandoned Mexican dance hall located in another part of the city for $450.00. When it was moved to the newly purchased lot, it didn't present a very promising sight, and the neighborhood stated a petition to stop the whole procedure. However, extensive alterations changed the attitudes. When the remodeling was completed with seating for 200 people and three Sunday School rooms, a city official called to inspect the building to meet the city code. He was reported as saying, "Well, I don't know how many or what kinds of conversions this church may have, but I do know one thing; it has had one outstanding conversion that everyone in the city can see." The former owner of the building came to see what had been done, and he remarked, "I never would have known it was the same building." And then he added, "I'm glad it will now serve different ends." This building with subsequent additions and remodelings served the congregation until 1956 when the present brick building was constructed at the cost of $75,000.00 and paid for in 9 years. Additional lots at 1412 Ong Street were purchased for $6,000.00 in 1963 and paid for 22 months later. Then in 1980 the property at 1409 Lipscomb was purchased for $15,000.00 and paid for that same year.

Although the church has given regularly and generously to the work of the Lord around the world since its inception, beginning in 1943, we undertook the regular support of some of our own members.

MARIAN LEA SETTLES went to Africa under the Africa Inland Mission in 1944 serving in Zaire, Uganda and Kenya and is retired in Florida as of this writing.

NITA HILBERS began serving the Lord in the mountains of Virginia under the Southern Highland Evangel in 1946. She was later married to Lee Hanemaayer.

Their son, Jim Hanemaayer, provided the following update in November, 2006. "Nita and Lee served in the Applachian mountains for most of their time in the ministry. Like Pastor Somerville, Lee had graduated from Moody in Chicago and then pastored in Presbyterian churches in Kentucky and Virginia before becoming an independent mission pastor with Southern Highland Evangel. He met Nita at a conference for missionaries. Nita Hilbers grew up in Texas and came to know the Lord thru the Somervilles and families at ABC. She was commissioned as an ABC missionary teacher/nurse to Southern Highland Evangel and that is where they met.

In the latter years both were involved in children's ministry. They never really thought or spoke of "retirement," rather they viewed those twilight years as a new phase of ministry. They joined Child Evangelism Fellowship and organized children's clubs, taught Bible mailbox lessons, worked at state fairs, Nita taught child evangelism classes and Lee was pastor of an Indian church on the Cherokee reservation in Tahlequah, Oklahoma until the combination of a heart attack and stroke ended their pastoral ministry about 5 years before his death on July 6, 1997 at 94 years old. Fighting cancer, Nita held on until the Lord called her home just months later on April 23, 1998 at the age of 81."

MARION ALLEN, JR. went to Africa under the Africa Inland Mission in 1953. He married another missionary, Dorothy. They have served in Africa, England, Cypress, Iran, and Israel. They served under Child Evangelism Fellowship on wonderzone.com. Dorothy went home to be with the Lord in 2006, but Marion continues to serve children through the website.

JACK AND SANDRA MERRIAM accepted the call to Home Missions under the Mid America Mission in Arkansas in 1967 and were supported by this church until Jack became pastor of a self-supporting church, and later Director of the Mission. They are now in Denver where Jack is the director for a church-planting mission that is an arm of the IFCA.

MRS. MERLE WANER, after six years with the Chicago Hebrew Mission, became local Child Evangelism Director in 1953, holding that responsibility until January 1, 1982. Mrs. Waner went home to be with the Lord in 2005 at the age of 101.

RICHARD REMLEY went to Argentina in 1964. He and his wife Bobbie ministered to Argentine service men under the Gospel Missionary Union, now Avant. They often return to Argentina and annually serve at Zaporozhye Bible College, Ukraine, but we are glad they make their home in Amarillo.

JOY KINSLOW HARRIS serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Australia and New Guinea was supported by ABC from 1964-1968.

CHARLENE WANER ENGHOLM was in Japan in Far Easter Gospel Crusade from 1954-1967.

MRS. NOLA EMBERTON, ABC home missionary, was involved in church visitation, hospital visitation, jail work among women, personal counseling from 1945-1967.

WDAG ? first weekly, then twice weekly
KGNC ? "Sky Pilot" program, daily except Sundays for ten years, 1935-1946. This program had response from 26 states and two provinces in Canada. (This was before the days of taping, and we had to be in the studio every morning before 6:00 am!)
KGNC ? "Open Bible Hour" ? Sunday afternoons, 1938-1939.
KLYN ? Sunday School Lesson, Saturday nights, 1953-1956 (also carried over KTUE and KPUN Pampa)

Washburn Community Church ? Sunday afternoons, 1938
Pantex Village ? week nights, 1945
Air-Tech Village ? week nights, 1945
Pampa ? Weekly Bible Class, 1949-1950
Saturday night street meetings begun in 1932 continued for over 10 years, then were turned over to the local Gideons.
Potter County jail ? services begun in 1932 were turned over to the local Gideons in 1950. Tow of our members, Mr. C. B. Witt and Mr. Otto Drachenberg, are still faithfully witnessing at this place, having begun their involvement over 40 years ago.
Miracle Book Club, a week night young people's meeting reaching many young people in Amarillo besides those of ABS, 1937-1967 with a break during World War II
Scofield Bible Correspondence Course made available to Christians of Amarillo on a weekly basis from 1962-1968
Other city-wide ministries are still being accomplished by faithful members of ABC through Good News Clubs, Day Care Centers, Nursing Homes, Home Bible Classes and personal witnessing.

A history of this church would be incomplete without mentioning the very significant work done by Mr. and Mrs. R. A. White for the young people of Amarillo Bible Church and their friends, not only in loving sponsorship of the local youth group, but by conducting an annual Bible Camp at Lake City, Colorado, every summer for thirty years from 1948-1978.

We early saw, as the character of the work began to take shape, that this was not intended by God to be just another church, but a training ground for Christian workers. At first it was discouraging to see promising people come into the work and then go ? of course to further training, but many scattered by changing employment. But we came to see that God was thrusting out servants into His Vineyard as many became faithful works in other places. So when we speak of Amarillo Bible Church, we are looking at the world. For the real history of this church is carved in the lives of those who have been transformed by our mighty God and His Wonderful Word. "The Lord's portion is His people." (Deuteronomy 32:9)

Marion Allen, Jr., Africa Inland Mission and Child Evangelism Fellowship, Int.
Philip Alexander, 2 years with Youth for Christ in Dallas area.
Doris Blackwell Bailey, pastor's wife
Charlotte Ransom Bellah, pastor's wife
Karen Garland Cook, pastor's wife
Nola Emberton, local Home Missionary
Charlene Waner Engholm, Far Eastern Gospel Crusade in Japan
Harold Fleming, pastor
Phyllis Fleming, pastor's wife
Weldon Frasier, pastor
Sylvia Garland Foss, pastor's wife
J. L. Garland, pastor
Kenneth Ray Garland, pastor
Joy Kinslow Harris, Wycliffe Bible Translators
Leona Hooper, Child Evangelism Fellowship
Nita Hilbers Hanemaayer, Southern Highland Evangel
Vick Hall Hollon, pastor's wife
Buddy Wayne Hopkins, pastor and educator

Marilyn Sanders Hopkins, pastor's wife
Nyles Huffman, started "Air Mail from God Mission" in Old Mexico. He was killed when his plane was shot down by hostile villagers.
William R. Johnston, pastor
Lisa Kelly, short terms in Honduras and Ireland
James Jackson, Wycliffe Bible Translators (1 year, Old Mexico)
Karolyn Koerber Kempton, Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (deceased)
James Leake, Youth Pastor

Jack Merriam, pastor
Sandra Alexander Merriam, pastor's wife
Kenneth R. Millheim, Bible Club Movement
Luetta Millheim, Bible Club Movement
Lyle Murdock, Chaplain Boy's Ranch
Becky Callaway Peters, pastor's wife
Herb Potter, Back to the Bible Broadcast
Richard Remley, Gospel Missionary Union in Argentina
B. C. Riddle, Brazil
Marjory Riddle, Brazil
James Rose, pastor
Atila Runyan, pastor
Ruth Ann Runyan, pastor's wife
Jeannene Allen Seith, pastor's wife
Marian Lea Settles, Africa Inland Mission
Joe Simpson, pastor
Lela Simpson, pastor's wife
John Staat, Village Missions
Betty Staat, Village Missions
Elvia Summar, Navajo Gospel Mission
Jerry Tankersley, pastor
Merle Waner, Child Evangelism Fellowship
Alden White, 2 years pastor in Colorado, 1 year in Old Mexico with Wycliffe Bible Translators
Kathryn Koerber White, pastor's wife
R. A White, West Texas State Director, Child Evangelism Fellowship, 1971-1978
Frances White, West Texas State Co-Director, Child Evangelism Fellowship, 1971-1978

There has been a diligent effort to make this list correct and complete. If through lack of information or human error, a name has been omitted or the listing incorrect, please be forbearing. Furnish us with the needed information, so that in future copies of this record, we can make the necessary additions and/or corrections.

We should also mention here the many (yes many) former members who are now faithfully serving their respective local churches in various vital capacities ? Sunday School teachers, church officers, etc. Of course, this includes those who remain at ABC to keep the home fires burning. Beside those mentioned in full time Christian work, there are 20 or more who have had Bible Institute and/or Seminary training. One year alone, there were 10 of our young people in Moody Bible Institute beside several in other Bible Schools.

An important chapter in the history of our church concerns that period when we had the privilege of ministering to many of the servicemen stationed at Amarillo Air Force Base. Though most of them did not become members of the church, some were saved here. Others were encouraged in their Christian life, and some accepted the challenge to go into the Lord's work. Many we have not heard from, but it is encouraging to know where some of them are. Milton Arthur became a faithful member of our church. Bill Kidd was a Sunday School teacher and youth leader here. Phil French served with the Navigators for a time. Claude Wivvel went to Africa as a missionary, and is now in a church planting ministry in Maine. Dick Remley is our own missionary to Argentina. Herb Potter ministers at Back to the Bible Broadcast. Stan Frazier serves with New Tribes Mission. Some who became pastors are Bill Etheredge, Bill Seith, Joe Simpson, Kelly Oswald, Jack Merriam, Raymond McElhaney.

The following international organizations, though not officially connected with our church, were, nevertheless introduced to the Amarillo Area through Amarillo Bible Church.

Gideons International ? 1940, involving many of the men of this church. Two men of this church have served as State Presidents, Burl C. Callaway and R. L. Sanders.

Child Evangelism Fellowship was introduced at Amarillo Bible Church in 1937 by its founder, Dr. J. Irvin Overholtzer. Training classes which began in January 1938 have continued without break to this present time, directed for three decades by Mrs. Merle Waner.

Harold A. Somerville ? 1932-1967
Clarence C. Murphy, Jr. ? 1967-1971
Harold A. Somerville, interim ? 1971-1972
Joel K. Wallace ? 1972-1976
Kay Baird, interim ? 1976-1977
John A. Eastman ? 1977-1988

Paul Whaley, Assistant Pastor, 1936-1938
James Leake, Youth Pastor, 1978-1980
Scott Bailey, Youth Pastor, 1980-1983

When God led H. A. Somerville to close his ministry in Amarillo Bible Church in 1967, he willingly turned it over to others. Each succeeding pastor has contributed his own diligent labor and his spiritual gifts to the ongoing of what God began 75 years ago. It is not possible to separate these men from the history of the church. Their character and life purposes were woven into the fabric of the work. Like John the Baptist, the pastors point others to the Lamb of God. "And they followed HIM." This kind of foundation supports an abiding work. Amarillo Bible church stands today as a monument to God's faithfulness ? still a Lighthouse on the corner of 15th and Ong Streets in Amarillo, Texas.

Mrs Somerville went home to be with the Lord August, 2007 at the age of 97. Her faithfulness and encouragement to her last day on earth were remembered by all who knew her.

When Joshua gave his last counsels to the people
He reminded them of
past blessings to God.
He exhorted them to
continued obedience to God.
He challenged them with
future conquest for God.

For us, the race is not finished. Life goes on. And the work of the Lord through the people of the Amarillo Bible Church continues. How thrilling it will be to hear the Lord Jesus Christ say, 'Well done."

Our driving purpose that allows us to serve Him today is realizing that there are nearly 200,000 people in our city, many of whom need to know the grace of God, let alone the billions throughout the world who also need to hear the message of salvation.

May we at the Amarillo Bible Church, whose foundation is the Word of God and whose focus is the world, commit ourselves to the task of living and serving Him until He comes.

We emphasize Bible Teaching and Exposition, believing that the purpose of the church is to equip believers for ministry. That's why Bible is our middle name.

We emphasize Missions, believing that it is the task of the church to evangelize the neighborhood, city community and world with the gospel of saving grace.