The Reverend Doctor. He is a native of Brooklyn, Illinois,
where he was baptized at the age of 11 at Southern Tabernacle
Baptist Church under the pastorate of the Reverend M.S.
Sykes.
Pastor Shelby was licensed to preach on April 13, 1958
at the same church under the pastorate the Reverend Dr.
E. Stanley Howlett. He has been pastor of the following
churches: Providence Baptist Church, St. Louis, Missouri
from 1961 to1965; Second Baptist Church, Carlyle, Illinois
from 1965 to 1966; Bridgeton Baptist Church from 1966
to 1981. He has served as pastor of Salem Baptist Church,
the oldest African American Baptist Church in Champaign
since September of 1981.
His elementary and secondary education was received through
the public Schools of Brooklyn, Illinois. He attended
McKendree College of Lebanon, Illinois and received a
bachelor of liberal studies from St. Louis University
, St. Louis, Missouri. A diploma in theology was awarded
through American Baptist College.
He also attended the St. Louis Theological Consortium,
comprised of Eden Theological Seminary, Kenrick Seminary
, and St. Louis University School of Divinity .He received
a master of science in education from Southern Illinois
University of Edwardsville, Illinois with majors in counseling
and behavioral science. He received his doctor of divinity
from New World Bible Institute, Hayti Missouri (Now Anchor
Theological Seminary and Bible Institute of Edinburg,
Texas }.
Dr. Shelby has given extensive service to the communities
wherever he has lived. He has served on the Board of Education,
Brooklyn School District 188 for twenty-three and one-half
years-serving twelve years as board president, several
terms as secretary and two terms as treasurer. He served
as chairman of the Joint Agreement Board for Special Education,
Districts 188 (Brooklyn} and 189 (East St. Louis}. He
served on the board of directors of the St. Clair County
American Cancer Society; advisory council on campus development
for State Community College; member of board of advisors
for Black Church Leadership Program of St. Louis University,
Metropolitan College. He served two terms as president
of the Ministerial Alliance of Champaign-Urbana and Vicinity.
He presently serves as a member of the Planning and Implementation
Committee for Champaign Unit 4 School District. He was
recently appointed to the board of directors of Canaan
Credit Union of Urbana, Illinois.
On February 4, 2004, Pastor Shelby was recognized with
a Crown of Peace Award by the Inter-religious and International
Peace Council for exemplary leadership in reconciliation
and peacemaking. He was one among others honored as ambassadors
for peace who have demonstrated exceptional dedication
to promoting reconciliation and unity beyond the boundaries
of race, religion and culture toward a new era of peace
for all humanity. The Co-Chairs for the event were: The
Honorable Danny K. Davis, U. S. House of Representatives
and Rev. Dr. Chung Hwan Kwak, Chairman of the Council.
The Reverend Dr. Claude E. Shelby, Sr. organized the
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Advocacy for Justice Committee
in 1985, and has been granted the honor of serving as
this group's president since its inception. This organization
sponsors the area's annual observance of the national
holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They also
foster the Living the Dream Scholarship Program, which
usually awards up to 16 One-thousand Dollar scholarships
each year for up to four years. This year 21 scholarships
were awarded. These scholarships are awarded to graduating
seniors of Centennial and Central High Schools of Champaign
and Urbana High School of Urbana. The thousand dollars
are matched for those attending the University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign or Tougoloo College of Mississippi. His
organization presently has over 50 students on scholarship.
Since coming to Salem, Pastor Shelby has done much to
build up the body of Christ and to advance His Kingdom.
Further, he has led his congregation to construct a new
sanctuary and educational facilities. This includes a
community room where various community meetings are held.
Dr. Shelby is in his fourth year as moderator of Wood
River Baptist District Association, which is comprised
of fifty-four churches across Illinois. It is the oldest
continuing African American association of churches in
the nation. He has served Wood River District in the past
as president of the Congress of Christian Education. He
had previously served as dean of this educational organization.
He has taught in the East St. Louis Extension of American
Baptist College of Nashville, Tennessee and director of
the American Baptist College Extension of Champaign/Danville,
Illinois. Pastor Shelby serves as director of the Scholarship
Commission of Baptist General State Convention of Illinois,
which awards five one thousand dollar scholarships each
year to graduating seniors of members of churches of the
convention.
His lovely wife, Montrula, has been an ardent supporter
of his service to humanity through his ministry .They
are the parents of six children-two sons and four daughters.
