Harold and Betty Melin

Harold and Betty Melin

We moved to Michigan in 1946 and, at the recommendation of a business friend, decided to find a residence in Birmingham. At that time, there were no apartments available, so we found a room in a private home on Linden Road.

Like so many people moving into a new community, we decided to shop around for a church home. Betty was from a Methodist background and Harold from a Lutheran background. We were newlyweds who had been married in a small Methodist church in Martinsville, New Jersey. For various reasons, we attended a Sunday service at the Methodist church which, at that time, was located at the corner of Henrietta and Maple. You walked up a flight of stairs on either side of the main entrance to reach the sanctuary. Arnold Runkel was preaching that morning. His warmth and friendliness made us feel very welcome. Sitting in front of us was Ruth Allen. As we stood at the close of the service, she turned around and extended her hand to welcome us. Carl Beach lived across the street from us. He offered to drive us to church on Sunday and, as time went on, we became close friends. All of this convinced us that Birmingham First was for us. So we joined in 1947.

The church was in the middle of a building campaign to rebuild and relocate. We became very much involved in the campaign. There were several consecutive two-year campaigns. In addition, we had fundraisers such as minstrel shows, plays ("Apple of His Eye"), bake sales, etc. For one of the plays, we did some rehearsing in our basement on Cole Street (our first home), which was almost one-third occupied by a coal-fired furnace. It was fun, and friendships were made that lasted through the years.

We have five children and eight grandchildren. Several have their memberships at Birmingham First. They are involved in many activities: ushering, choir, orchestra, camping, etc.

We have retained our membership for 55 years and received inspiration and joy from five senior pastors - Arnold Runkel, Ernest Thomas, Jim Wright, Bob Ward and Bill Ritter - plus many associate pastors. We have prided ourselves as being a warm, friendly church. I believe this is true. It is an extension of the feeling we had when we attended that first service at the church on Henrietta and Maple in 1947. How fortunate we all are.