T.C. Melton

Thomas Claude Melton, 93, of Abilene, passed away on December 15, 2024, in Abilene, Texas.

Visitation will be 5:00 - 7:00 PM, Thursday, December 19, 2024, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road.

Military burial services will be held at 1:00 PM, Friday, December 20, 2024, at The Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene, 7457 W. Lake Road, Abilene, Texas under their direction. Celebration Services following burial.

Celebration services will be held at 2:30 PM, Friday, December 20, 2024, at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, 701 S. Pioneer Drive, Abilene, Texas with Mason Miller and Taylor Miller officiating. Services are under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home.

Thomas Claude (T.C.) Melton was born in Blair, Texas to Price and Docia Melton on June 26, 1931. Raised by a sharecropper/tenant farmer and homemaker, he was one of seven children. He went to school at Blair, graduating from Merkel High School. He then enlisted in the United States Air Force. He graduated from Hardin-Simmons University with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees. He received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Luther Rice Seminary and an Honorary Doctorate from Hardin-Simmons University.

T.C. met his soulmate, Mary Frances Teaff, at the water fountain when she was in the fourth grade and he in the sixth grade. The two married on September 12, 1951, in Merkel, Tx. She was instrumental in leading him to the Lord by requiring him to attend church if he wanted to date her. They celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary before Mary Frances died September 20, 2023.

He and Mary Frances' bi-vocational church pastor was also his Air Force M/Sgt. Crew Chief Robert (R.C.) Dane. This meant that he was with his pastor 6 days a week, leading him to surrender his life to gospel ministry. It became his life's vocation and purpose. He began pastoring in 1953 at Union Baptist Church in Springtown, Tx, while finishing his time in the Air Force. He moved to pastor Northside Baptist Church, Anson, Tx in 1954 and attended HSU. In 1958, he felt called to serve at Oak Street Baptist Church in Abilene, Tx (later to move across town and be renamed Elmcrest Baptist Church). Back in Dallas, Tx. in 1961, T.C. became the editor of the Baptist Progress, the official newspaper of the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas. He returned to Abilene in 1965 to pastor Elmcrest Baptist Church where he remained until 1991 when he "retired".

After retiring from full-time ministry in 1991, T.C. taught history at Cisco Junior College from 1991-2000. In 2000, he started the chaplaincy program at Abilene Regional Medical Center. He also returned to ministry work supporting ministers and churches filling interim pastoral positions in Stamford, Tuscola, Coleman, Odessa, Merkel, and other various areas for a total of 21 interim positions. He began working for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention in the Pastors/Relations Department for West Texas from 2003 until 2017, retiring (officially) at the age of 86.

In all his various ministries, T.C.'s (and Mary Frances') primary focus was to be a pastor over a preacher, although no one could preach the Word quite like T.C. Melton. He had a heart for people and a God-given ability to reach them by spending time connecting. He did this over cokes, Arby's, visits, wherever the people were, he went. You rarely found him sitting behind a desk, always in his car. He learned through life events that preachers have adverse events just like everyone else, and it's the response you give that determines joy. He wasn't afraid to share his heartbreaks if it made a connection or gave him an opportunity to connect with someone to share Jesus. It made him such a great pastor, mentor, friend, supporter, encourager, example, and shepherd. He would tell ministers to, "Preach from your heart and love your congregation like no one else, so you can lead them to heaven."

T.C. served as trustee at Hardin-Simmons University from 1981-1985. He was a former member of the Optimist Club. He served on various city committees. In 2019, T.C. received the W.A. Criswell Lifetime Achievement Award for Pastoral Evangelism presented to him by the SBTC.

Thomas was preceded in death by his precious wife and ministry partner, Mary Frances Melton. Parents, Price and Docia Melton. Brother, Denzel Melton. Sisters, Billie McElmurray, Pat Williams. Son-in-law, Don McFadden.

Thomas is survived by his daughters, Debbie McFadden, Lisa (John) Blackwell, Katy (Phil) Miller. Sister, Del Nall. Brothers, Doyle Melton, Benny Melton. Grandchildren, Christina (Jimmy) Cross, Meagan (Tim) Ruse, Cory (Hope) McFadden, Hailee (Devin) Cammack, Laura (Rode) Owen, Mason (Dara) Miller, Taylor (Emily) Miller. And 14 Great-Grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Devin Cammack, Rode Owen, Miller Owen, Cory McFadden, Jimmy Cross, Drake Fewell

Memorials can be made to your home church. He also loved FaithWorks of Abilene and veterans.

The family of Thomas Melton wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Tommie Farrell and Hendrick Hospice Care staff, Mesa Springs Healthcare Center, and Burtis Williams. We thank those who made it a priority to visit dad and mom in Lyndale, Wisteria, Northern Oaks, and Mesa Springs. We counted 138 visitors where he had taken a picture with you in one of the nursing homes. He would on occasion forget to take your picture, but not often. Your frequent visits were so very important to them and us. Not only did you remind him of precious times and relationships, but you also let him and our mom know they still mattered, they still had a ministry. Bless you a thousand times for that!

The livestream link is pioneerdrive.tv