July 31, 2006

At the site of Baker Chapel UMC in DeGonia Spring, Ind., (from left) The Rev. Randy Anderson, Evansville District Superintendent Glenn Howell and Pastor Mike Shelton and are joined by members of the Baker Chapel building committee in breaking ground for the church's new facility. (Click on photo to see a larger version.)

Baker Chapel breaks ground for new building

DEGONIA SPRINGS, Ind. -- More than 120 members and friends of Baker Chapel United Methodist Church gathered at the "once and future site" of the church and broke ground on Sunday morning, July 30 for their new facility at the east edge of DeGonia Springs on State Road 62.

Pastor Mike Shelton, on the job for just a month, told those gathered, "It's time to say 'good-bye' to the building that was here and 'welcome' to the building that is coming." He said God was about to do great things at this site.

Baker Chapel's building was completely destroyed by a deadly tornado Nov. 6, 2005 that claimed the lives of 25 residents in Evansville.

Earlier in the day during the Baker Chapel's worship service, the congregation sang "I'll fly away." The same song they had planned to sing the day the tornado struck. Currently, the congregation worships at Boonville Junior High School, about ten miles west of the church's permanent site.

The Rev. Glenn Howell, superintendent of the Evansville District, closed the short 15-minute service in prayer, asking for God's guidance in the building and blessing the members of Baker Chapel as they begin this new construction project.

Volunteers from across the state and country will soon be invited to work on the project, which will be coordinated through the South Indiana Conference office in Bloomington.

From Sept. 8 through 10, more than 30 New York City firefighters and volunteer construction workers will volunteer their time in raising the walls of the new building. They will be part of an annual 9/11 remembrance sponsored by the New York Says Thank You Foundation. Indiana Area Bishop Mike Coyner plans to be part of a prayer breakfast to kick off activities on Sept. 8. St. Luke's United Methodist Church of Indianapolis will be volunteering food services during this three-day period.

The Baker Chapel site was first dedicated in the 1840s when local resident Thomas Baker prayed on the land where residents later built a small log building. That building was replaced in 1861 with a framed, never-painted building. With a growing congregation, the second building was replaced in 1903 with a larger framed building. In 1985, the congregation built a fellowship hall and class rooms.

According to the Rev. Randy Anderson, pastor of Centenary UMC in Evansville and director of Evansville District Disaster Relief, "we will start moving dirt a week from tomorrow (Aug. 7) for the new building."

This report and pictures of the ground breaking can be seen by logging on to www.inareaumc.org and clicking on "Rebuilding Baker Chapel." The Web presence will feature updates and pictures of the project as it progresses during the next few months.

Contributions to the Baker Chapel Conference Advanced Special can be sent to South Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 2267, Bloomington, IN 47402-2267.

TOP OF PAGE