1960 - 1969

Our next minister came to us from Pecos, TX in 1960. M. F. "Mid" McKnight was an avid personal evangelist. His forceful sermons on sharing ones faith with others led to many baptisms during his 9-year stay. The Highland Church began another growth spurt particularly among younger couples with small children.

Lemoine Lewis was selected as Education Minister. Through his influence the North Education Wing was added in 1965. This is the area where the elementary grade classrooms are today. Also at this time more seats were added to the auditorium so it could accommodate over 1,800 members.

During the late sixties, the Highland family was also presented with an opportunity to serve unwed mothers and foster children. The result was Christian Homes of Abilene. It was another one of those offerings we couldn't afford to decline. Under the leadership of Nancy Miller, who served as Executive Director for over 30 years, Christian Homes has placed over 1,500 children in loving Christian families through their adoption programs, and helped many more unwed mothers as they faced their life challenges. Sherri Statler now serves as the Executive Director.

In 1969, McKnight was succeeded by an energetic young man named John Allen Chalk. Chalk was scholarly, yet very sensitive in his presentations. Herald of Truth was already making full use of his talents on the broadcasts. John's ability to see the changes in our society made him want to address those issues as they might affect the church. Many say he was ahead of his time in addressing topics such as casual sexuality, pornography, and racial matters. But, in retrospect, John was right on target as the late sixties were a time of upheaval in both secular and church life. Chalk's widely distributed landmark series on the Book of Romans has been credited with challenging and changing the beliefs about grace throughout the Churches of Christ. John Allen Chalk left the Highland pulpit in 1971 after 3 years in the pulpit.