Pitts Chapel celebrates 175th anniversary 'milestone' with weekend banquet, open house

A historic Black church in Springfield is marking its milestone with celebrations this weekend.

Pitts Chapel United Methodist Church is celebrating its 175th anniversary since enslaved people began meeting in 1847. The church at 600 N. Benton Ave., built in 1911, has been the congregation's third site. The main sanctuary has been undergoing massive renovation and restoration efforts since a capital campaign project launched in late 2019.

Although the official anniversary was Oct. 31, longtime church member Charlotte Hardin said in a phone interview that congregants wanted to wait for more of the sanctuary to be completed before hosting a celebration. A banquet and open house is slated for this coming weekend to honor the anniversary.

"I just think it's gonna be a really good time celebrating the longevity and the resilience of Pitts Chapel," said Hardin, who is also chair with Pitts Chapel Administrative Board, before thanking the church and greater Springfield community for their support.

Although there is still work to be done on the floors and a few other areas, an open house is scheduled 2-4 p.m. in the sanctuary Sunday following morning worship at 11 a.m. in the fellowship hall. A reception with snacks and coffee will also be available.

"We would just love for folks to come out and take a look at the progress that we've made," Hardin added.

The chapel is also celebrating with a banquet Saturday featuring church history, music, praise dance, presentations recognizing elders of the church, a memorial for saints and members who have passed on as well as guest speaker Rev. Russell Ewell II, who is a former pastor of Pitts Chapel.

"It's very significant that he would be back celebrating with us because he was here, and under his leadership, he encouraged us to go ahead and launch the capital campaign and get started on the renovation and restoration project," Hardin said.

Celebration centers around the theme of "See what the Lord has done"

Pitts Chapel Rev. Tracey Wolff said the church marking 175 years is a milestone and should be celebrated.

"I'm excited that I get to serve in the moment when we hit that milestone, and I think it kind of gets a little more energy toward getting back upstairs, to help us get over that last hump," Wolff said in a phone interview.

It's easy to "see what the Lord has done" when walking into the sanctuary and seeing all the changes from the new carpet to painted walls and refinished ceilings with new lighting, Wolff said.

"We've said all along that if this is only about a building, then we're doing something wrong," she said. "We want to make sure that as we enter back upstairs that we see the rest of what God is doing and what God has done for Pitts with 175 years of continuous ministry that has never stopped."

While marking the momentous milestone, Wolff said the congregation is also looking to the new year as well as the future with, hopefully, another 175 years for coming generations.

More:New pastor settles in as renovations continue at Springfield's historic Pitts Chapel

Through the renovation and restoration project, Hardin said God has brought a unique group of people together to work with Pitts Chapel in many ways.

"I don't think the project would have happened had it not been the Lord's will," Hardin said. "As we've mentioned before, the other historically Black congregations that were in that neighborhood are now gone, some worshiping elsewhere. We just feel like that the Lord has left us on the corner of Benton and Tampa to do some work."

While the sanctuary is close to being finished, there is still much work to be done. In the coming months, restoration will begin on the stained glass windows. Work is needed to improve the handicap and accessible entrance with a new ramp and installing a chair lift. Hardin said there will be a small break before efforts are made toward building bathrooms on the main floor and dedicating funds for a new electric sign out front.

To donate, mail checks to the church at 600 N. Benton Ave.; Springfield, MO 65806. For online contributions, go to Givelify.com and search for Pitts Chapel in Springfield, Missouri.

Worship services will hopefully resume in the sanctuary by the end of the year

Hardin said Pitts Chapel is planning on having its Christmas Eve service in the sanctuary upstairs rather than the fellowship hall.

"We don't know for sure, but we're looking forward to it," Hardin said.

A re-dedication ceremony is slated for Feb. 5, 2023, in honor of Black History Month.

Sara Karnes is an Outdoors Reporter with the Springfield News-Leader. Follow along with her adventures on Twitter and Instagram @Sara_Karnes. Got a story to tell? Email her at skarnes@springfi.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Pitts Chapel celebrates 175th anniversary with banquet, open house