[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 154 (Tuesday, September 24, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CELEBRATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OLD McKENDREE CHAPEL

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                            HON. JASON SMITH

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 24, 2019

  Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Old 
McKendree Chapel in Jackson, Missouri on the occasion of its 
bicentennial. The Old McKendree Chapel was built in 1819 and held their 
first services on September 14th, a year and a half before Missouri was 
granted statehood.
  The chapel was constructed by Methodist pioneers, who had been 
meeting at the site since 1809. It was named for the circuit-riding 
preacher, William McKendree, who visited the congregation in 1818. 
McKendree went on to become the first native-born bishop of the 
Methodist Church in the United States. The chapel was actively used 
until 1888. By the 1920s, the chapel was in disrepair and faced the 
threat of demolition.
  Through the efforts of Rev. William Stewart, then pastor of New 
McKendree Church in Jackson, the historic chapel was saved. Restoration 
was completed in 1933 and the McKendree Chapel Memorial Association was 
founded to preserve the landmark for the enjoyment of future 
generations.
  Today the chapel continues to serve as a holy place in the community. 
It is a national Methodist shrine visited by families from across the 
country each year.
  For its contributions to the Jackson community and its place in 
Missouri history, it is my great pleasure to celebrate the Old 
McKendree Chapel today before the U.S. House of Representatives.

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