Rev. Melvin Haymon

Pastor Melvin Haymon was born on May 11, 1930: the fifth child of the late Morgan and Irene(Baldwin) Haymon. He was the baby of the family and was affectionately known as "Bump". Many a story has and will be told of how spoilds his position in the family made him. Those who came to know Rev. Haymon more recently simply referred to him as Rev but weather you knew him as Bump or Rev  you knew he was always  "somewhere between wonderful and marvelous" when asked how he was doing.

Rev. Haymon was educated in the Pittsburgh Public School System, attending Crescent Elementary School, Westinghouse Junior High School and then Washington Trade School. After trade school, he enlisted into the United States Army. He later attended CCAC and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Rev. Haymon was an avid reader and possessed a wealth of knowledge on many subjects yet was always willing to learn. He spoke several languages fluently. Even as he gained book knowledge, he had respect for those who learned trade and in fact was the owner of Jack Hart Service Station on the Boulevard of the Allies for many years.People would come form near and far to have their car repaired by Bump an his brother Elmer. It was there that he heard and accepted his call into ministry. Rev. Haymon eventually felt so compelled to follow the path of ministry that he gave up his tenure as a business owner to dedicate himself fully to the ministry.

Rev. Haymon was united in marriage in 1950 to the late Mary Herring and from that union was born his first daughter, Linda D. Haymon. He was united in marriage to Arlene Parker in 1957 and from this union the remaining of his seven children were born: Terry L. McCoy, Melissa I. Anderson, Deanna (Curtis) Parker, Melvin (Tawyna) Haymon, Jennifer J. (Paul) Jones and Mia L. (Thomas) Woodson. Rev. Haymon began preaching the Word of God in 1967 and was called as pastor of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in 1972. Rev's  impact on the borough of Wilkinsburg has been great and you would be hard pressed to find someone who wasn't touched by his service. Countless blessings of babies , weddings and funerals have been performed by him. Rev's vision for Mount Calvary made it on of the largest churches in the city at one time. Until recently, there were no such thing as snow days for Rev; when the weather was inclimate, he pulled on his boots and walked to church to be certain the doors were open if only for one soul. Rev possessed the unique ability to reach the people at their level of need. He was known to first preach a children's sermon and then give the adults some attention. To be able to sit under his teaching and preaching was surely a blessing and he possessed a wealth of information. As a result,  many sons and daughters in the ministry were birthed. He served as Pastor until his transitioning.

Rev. Haymon was very much a family man. He was an excellent provider and a source of joy. Rev possessed a sense of humor that his family will not soon forget. Whether he was telling you a joke, passing on the fart touch, putting a bug in your ear  or juicing your head you couldn't be in his presence without a few good laughs and a lot of smiles. The best water you'd ever tasted came from his water jar that stayed in the fridge at all times .... never mind all the mouths of the kids and grands that he has shared it with, it was the best. Rev believed in allowing  his kids and grands to experience life evn as he guided us with the word of God. Never did he tell us to turn the music down, never were we allowed to simply be kids and teenagers... as long as we were in church on Sunday morning, afternoon and BTU in the evening prayer meeting on Wednesday and a few choir rehearsals in between, it was all good. Simply put, Rev never shoved Jesus down anyone's throat but believed that by himself being a follower of Christ he could lead many souls to come to know the same salvation. The same Rev you saw on Sunday, you find if you dropped pass his house unannounced on Monday through Saturday too. For him, this was important. Rev was a follower of Christ and wanted everyone to experience the same joy. He was known to say that if the god you served made you walk around with a frown, you needed to find another god. As a result, his smile was infectious and genuine. He loved family and friends alike and wanted to see them smile. It was the God in him that allowed him to do so even as his earthly body started to fail him. Rev sang, lifted his hands in praise and enjoyed the word of God until he left his earthly home for his eternal home.

Rev. Haymon was preceeded in death by his siblings and his grandson, Jeremiah Isaiah Jones. He has left to church his memory, his wife of 62 years, Arlene Haymon, his seven children, 34 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren, a host of nieces and nephews, church members, extended family and friends. He has exchanged mortality for immortality. He is perfectly healed. He is definitely marvelous, simply marvelous. In ALL things give thanks!

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