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78S41379 KO-D
By: McClendon H.R. No. 285
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The dedication of The Steward Center in San Antonio
on February 8, 2004, paid tribute to the numerous contributions to
the residents, both past and present, of the east side of the city
by the late Reverend Shelly Edward Steward, Sr.; and
WHEREAS, Born in 1897, Shelly Steward acknowledged the noble
call to preach in 1931; the following year, he was appointed pastor
of the Samaritan Baptist Church in Adkins and the Sweet Home Baptist
Church in Seguin; and
WHEREAS, In 1933, during his street ministry and outreach
service in rural eastern San Antonio, Reverend Steward recognized
the need for a place of worship for that community; to that end, he
established Shiloh Baptist Church in an old storefront building,
frequently paying the monthly rent and utilities from his own wages
to keep the fledgling church afloat; and
WHEREAS, The Shiloh Baptist Church membership soon grew, and
later moved to a remote part of town where roads were unpaved and
access to city water and sewage services did not exist; Reverend
Steward and other members of the church were successful in
petitioning the city to extend utility service to the area, and in
later years, to provide much-needed public transportation to the
neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, In 1945, Reverend Steward was instrumental in
building a new Shiloh Baptist Church with a seating capacity of 400;
in addition, this public-minded clergyman helped establish a day
care center for the community; he also served as the chief executive
officer in the organization of the San Antonio City Wide Revival and
moderator of the Guadalupe District Association; and
WHEREAS, It is particularly fitting that the name of such a
faithful, diligent, and dedicated east side activist as Reverend
Shelly Edward Steward, Sr., be given to the office building of the
new Spring View Apartments; one of the major revitalization
projects taking place in the city, this development brings the
community one step closer to realizing its potential as a diverse,
thriving, and vital neighborhood in San Antonio; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas
Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby recognize The Steward
Center as a symbol of the many remarkable accomplishments of the
late Reverend Shelly Edward Steward, Sr., and that this esteemed
Texan be remembered for his many valuable contributions to the
community that he so dearly loved.