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Bicentennial capital campaign for Old McKendree Chapel in need of help
The maple trees were turning crimson and golden the day New McKendree Church minister, Rev. William Stewart, drove down the neglected lane to Old McKendree Chapel. Newly appointed in 1925 to his new church, he felt it important to seek out his new congregation’s mother church. As he stated, “I left my car on the road and gingerly picked my way through briarly underbrush, low hanging trees and fences. Then I saw it...”
Stewart’s heart sank at the scene before him. The old chapel was sadly in decay and disrepair with all the windows broken, squirrels and birds in residence. He made up his mind to do something to save this Methodist shrine.
In Sept. 1928, following Rev. Stewart’s urgent plea, a warranty deed was secured from Dewey Smith for a road access. In addition, improvements added a sheet metal roof and shutters installed on the chapel windows.
A Trail of Tears Journal shows this Holy shrine is the one in 1837-38 the Cherokees camped near and saw when they settled down for the night on the Williams Farm.
John Putz of Jackson knew the historical significance of the grounds. In 1932, Putz made an appeal through the Southeast Missourian that “unless an effort was made to save the old church, it would soon be gone.”
An association was set up after a meeting held at New McKendree in Jackson, Missouri, to save the historic chapel. The McKendree Chapel Memorial Association was organized with Judge Frank Kelly, president; Ruddle McCombs, vice president; Fred Naeter, vice president; and Arthur Deneke, secretary treasurer.
Enough money was raised through 100 memberships of $10 each to repair the foundation, fireplace, chimney, cypress slab roof and weather boarding. Repairs were made; a dedication service was held with 2,000 in attendance. Bishop Wesley F. McMurray, son of a pioneer Methodist preacher, used as his theme, “Memories” for his sermon that joyous day.
The passing bittersweet years of Old McKendree once again began to take its toll. As Rev. Frank Tucker states in his 1959 “Old McKendree Chapel,” “the shingles on the roof (were) curled and uneven. The weatherboarding, which encased the huge popular logs, roughened by the rains and winds… marks and scars left by the passage of a century and a half…”
In 1958, a campaign raised the money to erect a metal canopy over the structure. Also added was a concrete protective apron area, as well as more property purchased to the north and south.
In the 1970s, a team of J.W. and Reginald Gerhardt and Ed Hahn worked on the historical church by removing weatherboarding from the old popular logs. Some of the botton ones were found to be termite damaged. Through the team’s efforts, old ones were secured that matched perfectly… old chinking was replaced, interior walls whitewashed and chimney reconstructed.
That was yesterday. Today there is being written another page in the life of this 200-year-old Methodist shrine. In doing so, we reconnect with the past and move forward to the generations of faithful.
Today’s Plan
Nearly five years ago, the present association board began to look at the future potential for the 1819 chapel and grounds. From a master plan designed by Craig Milde, architect, the association has set in motion the next five years of improvements.
For security reasons, a fence has been erected along the western boundary which abuts a new subdivision.
A grant from the Forest ReLeaf of Missouri in St. Louis has been secured and association workers have planted over 69 viburnum bushes along the fence line.
Priorities of importance that are needed at the present time for this $100,000 capital campaign are the following:
1. Replacement of the rusting metal canopy that was erected in 1958.
2. Replacing the unsafe stone steps leading up to the chapel doors and repairing the concrete apron that skirts the church.
3. Stopping the erosion behind the Williams Cabin Museum and restoration of the spring. It is to become a meditation destination. (This free-flowing ancient spring is what enabled the pioneers to stay at the camp site, during those early years of camp conferences and historic meetings.)
Visits to the site
Visits to the chapel, which is the oldest Methodist Church and the oldest Protestant Church in use west of the Mississippi River are encouraged. The address is 4080 Bainbridge Rd. (County Road 306), Jackson, Mo. 63755.
For group visits, contact caretakers at 573-204-3633.
Any questions regarding the financial campaign can be emailed to Mary Harriet Talbut, president of the Board of Trustees at mhtalbut@gmail.com or Adeaide Heyde Parsons, chair of the Strategic and Financial Planning Committee at ahparsons@charter.net.
Others who can be contacted are Bill Leming, vice president of the Board of Trustees; Betty Henry, secretary of the Board of Trustees; Dwain Hahs of New McKendree Methodist Church; Ron Hahs of Centenary Methodist; Ola Nordstrom, La Croix and Rev. Dr. Bruce Baxter, Southeast District superintendent of the United Methodist Church.
Donations can be mailed to: Treasurer of the McKendree Chapel Memorial Association, Terri Toimlin, PO Box 693, Jackson, MO 63755.