HOUSTON – The separation of church and chicken is finally happening for Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church and Frenchy's Chicken after being next-door neighbors for nearly 50 years.
"Every single person who has asked, 'Where is your church,' I simply say, 'It's the church behind Frenchy's, and because of (Frenchy's) being here, we've been able to evangelize to the world," said the Rev. Dr. Marcus Cosby, the pastor at WABC.
The bond between WABC and the original Frenchy's Chicken on Scott Street will never be broken, but both entities decided it was time for a change.
"So what you can expect for 2018 is a renovation: Wheeler is renovating and expanding and so is Frenchy's," said Percy "King" Ceuzot, the owner of Frenchy's.
For Wheeler it's an accommodation for its growing membership, so they plan to build a brand new sanctuary, paid for by its membership, in the same spot Frenchy's occupies now.
"I've been here from the very beginning, and I'm very pleased to see the expansion taking place," said Frances Jackson, an original Wheeler church member.
Frenchy's will relocate two blocks down the road to the corner of Scott and Alabama streets. Both Wheeler and Frenchy's plan to break ground at the end of 2017 or early 2018.