Gene Shelburne, who in 2009 began his 41st year as minister at Amarillo’s Anna Street Church of Christ, graduated from Amarillo College in 1959 with an associate of arts degree. The former Amarillo High Sandie went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University in 1961 and a master’s degree from West Texas State University in 1974. While at AC he worked on the student newspaper, played on the tennis team and, ultimately, became valedictorian. A noted columnist, his “Cross Currents” appears regularly in the Amarillo Globe-News, the Plainview Daily Herald and several other Texas Newspapers. An active Rotarian and immediate past chairman of the Baptist-St. Anthony Foundation, Shelburne was on the founding board of the High Plains Food Bank. He is often called upon to organize, lead and participate in communitywide spiritual and faith initiatives such as the community prayer breakfast, the Franklin Graham Festival and the Amarillo Ministerial Alliance. He continues to support AC by serving as coordinator of dual credit Bible courses offered at the high schools in the Amarillo Independent School District.