How it all started...
Before there was any organized Protestant Church in the community, Sunday school and occasional preaching services were held in a building on North Marshall Street. In 1878, Rev. A.J. Antrim was appointed as the first Methodist minister in the Chapman area. The congregation was formally organized the following year. The Chapman Circuit was created with the minister traveling from Chapman to Zion to Good Hope to Hiawatha (Rinehart). Church buildings were built at each location.
Buildings have been a large part of the Chapman Methodist history. The first church building was constructed on East Fifth Street. It was destroyed by a tornado. Within a month, the building was again completed. In April 1882, another storm demolished it. This time the location was moved to East Second Street. Services were held at that location for 34 years when room became inadequate for all the classes. Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Sparks donated the lot for the present location on the corner of Fifth and Sheeran. A new brick Gothic style church was built. It was dedicated May 17, 1917. In 1960, the sanctuary was remodeled and redecorated. In 1962, a new educational building was added. A new parsonage was built across the street north of the church building in 1964. In 1979, the main church building was razed to make way for the present sanctuary, narthex, kitchen, fellowship area, pastor's study and office. A large Fellowship Hall was the finishing touch to the building. It was dedicated in 2000.
Once again, in June 2008 the town of Chapman and the CUMC was devastated by a tornado that destroyed the parsonage and a major portion of the church building. When the winds settled and so much of the town was unrecognizable, the sanctuary cross was still standing. Church members carefully hauled any materials and furnishings that could be saved to farms around the town. The new design features the cross highlighted by beautiful stained-glass windows and stones gathered from the ruins. The cross stands and the ministry continues today.
From Rev. A.J. Antrim in 1878, to Rev. Connie D. Wooldridge in 2017, the first woman Pastor of Chapman United Methodist Church, there have been 39 ministers serving the Chapman congregation. One of them, Rev. G.W. Crosby was a Congressional minister. The Chapman Methodist and Congregational Churches federation was dissolved in 1946. On April 23, 1968, a merger was completed between the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The name became the United Methodist Church.
Buildings have been a large part of the Chapman Methodist history. The first church building was constructed on East Fifth Street. It was destroyed by a tornado. Within a month, the building was again completed. In April 1882, another storm demolished it. This time the location was moved to East Second Street. Services were held at that location for 34 years when room became inadequate for all the classes. Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Sparks donated the lot for the present location on the corner of Fifth and Sheeran. A new brick Gothic style church was built. It was dedicated May 17, 1917. In 1960, the sanctuary was remodeled and redecorated. In 1962, a new educational building was added. A new parsonage was built across the street north of the church building in 1964. In 1979, the main church building was razed to make way for the present sanctuary, narthex, kitchen, fellowship area, pastor's study and office. A large Fellowship Hall was the finishing touch to the building. It was dedicated in 2000.
Once again, in June 2008 the town of Chapman and the CUMC was devastated by a tornado that destroyed the parsonage and a major portion of the church building. When the winds settled and so much of the town was unrecognizable, the sanctuary cross was still standing. Church members carefully hauled any materials and furnishings that could be saved to farms around the town. The new design features the cross highlighted by beautiful stained-glass windows and stones gathered from the ruins. The cross stands and the ministry continues today.
From Rev. A.J. Antrim in 1878, to Rev. Connie D. Wooldridge in 2017, the first woman Pastor of Chapman United Methodist Church, there have been 39 ministers serving the Chapman congregation. One of them, Rev. G.W. Crosby was a Congressional minister. The Chapman Methodist and Congregational Churches federation was dissolved in 1946. On April 23, 1968, a merger was completed between the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The name became the United Methodist Church.
