[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 62 (Thursday, April 11, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF DAVID CHAPEL MISSIONARY BAPTIST 
                                 CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG CASAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 11, 2024

  Mr. CASAR. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize the David 
Chapel Missionary Baptist Church's celebration of its 100th anniversary 
this year.
  In 1924, 28 African American members founded the Church out of a 
former blacksmith's shop in Austin, Texas. David Chapel would move 
twice, landing in its current site at MLK and Chestnut in 1958. Its 
membership continued to expand, and the need for larger accommodations 
became clear. At the height of racial segregation in the American 
South, White-owned banks refused to provide the loans necessary for the 
building of a new space of worship.
  Undeterred, David Chapel pursued the funds, development, and 
construction they needed for the structure, becoming a truly community-
driven project. Additionally, the building was designed by John Chase, 
the first Black graduate of the University of Texas at Austin's School 
of Architecture. Through the commitment and dedication of many, the 
construction of the current David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church 
building was finished only a year after it started.
  Since 1992, David Chapel has been led by its Senior Pastor, Rev. 
Joseph C. Parker, Jr., Esq., D. Min. Under Rev. Parker's leadership, 
David Chapel has increased its community involvement by developing and 
implementing the Chestnut Neighborhood Plan, and co-founding the Texas 
Congregations United for Empowerment (TCUE), an organization of Black 
churches in Central Texas working to increase their economic and 
community empowerment.
  As the Congressman representing the 35th District of Texas, I am 
honored to congratulate Rev. Packer and David Chapel Missionary Baptist 
Church on its 100th anniversary of providing spiritual guidance and 
serving the needs of our community in East Austin and beyond.

                          ____________________