CHRISTIAN SERVICE CENTER
Dec. 13, 1965–Organized under the direction of 16th and Vine Street Church of Christ
January 1967–Grew to include four other congregations, each assuming some financial responsibility
May 1, 1968–Turned the oversight and major financial responsibilities over to then-College Church of Christ, now University Church of Christ
1968–Moved to 901 Mesquite St.
2005–Incorporated as Christian Service Center of Abilene, Inc., in January
2013–Started major capital campaign to renovate the 3185 N. 10th St. location
April 3, 2017–Grand opening of renovated building

By Loretta Fulton

Jim Clark, who has served as executive director of Christian Service Center since 2003, is getting a “promotion.”

Effective Sept. 1, he will become director emeritus, and Meredith Horn will be named executive director. Horn has directed Operation Blue Jeans, the annual event to outfit kids for school, for the past two years. Prior to that, she volunteered at the center. Clark will stay on for a while, assisting with the transition.

Jim Clark

“I will spend the next few months helping Meredith to get acclimated to this job – both internally and externally,” Clark said. “Then I will spend a lot of time with donors since I’ve got to know them well over these 23 plus years.” 

Clark will be at the center daily for the first couple of weeks in September, and then he and the board will discuss a plan to gradually cut back his hours.  

Horn will be the fifth director to lead the center. She will be formally introduced at the fall luncheon on Sept. 25. A “meet and greet” open house will be held in the fall.

Meredith Horn

According to the center’s history on its website, the ministry was organized in Dec. 13, 1965, under the direction of the Sixteenth and Vine Street Church of Christ elders. By January 1967 the work had grown to include four other congregations, each assuming some financial responsibility. 

With the continuing growth of the program, Sixteenth and Vine Church, according to their original plan, turned the oversight and major financial responsibilities over to the University Church of Christ, then the College Church, on May 1, 1968. The center was incorporated in 2005.

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene