Black's Chapel United Methodist Church (Mount Vernon, Posey County, Ind.) records

In 1849, friends and neighbors held Sunday morning worship service in the home of Ezekiel and Mary Ann Black, in western Black Township. On September 17, 1849, Mr. Black donated land for a new church. Around 1881, a second building was erected and served the community for 74 years. It stood at what is now the southwest corner of Black’s Cemetery on Highway 62, west of Mount Vernon, Indiana. In 1936, the Prairie Church was destroyed by flood waters, leaving the members without a Church home. Prairie members then merged with Black’s Chapel. In 1955, due to the coming of a new highway, property was obtained on Bald Knob Road, and planning began for the building of a new Church home. April 15, 1956, the first service was held in the new church basement. The first service in the sanctuary was held on May 13, 1956, with the dedication ceremonies following on October 7, 1956. In 1979, the men of Black’s Chapel worked together to construct the Fellowship Hall, built behind and separate from the church. In 1994, Black’s Chapel grew once again. The merger of Zoar United Methodist Church with Black’s Chapel came together with the first service held on Sunday, November 27, 1994. In 2003, the Church converted the Fellowship Hall into a Worship Center in order to have more room for Worship, Media, and a Coffee Fellowship following worship. The first service held in the new Worship Center was on December 7, 2003. On January 1, 2009, upon the closing of St. John’s United Methodist Church of Caborn, their membership became a part of Black’s Chapel. In July 2011, facing several roadblocks concerning building on the property east of Mount Vernon, the former Keck Ford Dealership on the west side was purchased to become the future new site for Black’s Chapel. Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012, the congregation held their first service at their new location at 1800 West Fourth Street, Mount Vernon, in the newly renovated former car dealership. The church disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church, closing on July 1,2023.