COUNTRY CHAPEL HISTORY

"In the beginning..." out of the void of Sunday evenings, at the first meeting on Sunday, December 2, 1979, God, began to form, create, and indwell, a body of believers, who by His grace, through faith in His Son Jesus, would assemble to worship Him in Spirit and Truth, study His Word, and live in a fellowship of His righteousness, forgiveness and love, and be a body, He calls....

"THE COUNTRY CHAPEL"

The group began as a Bible study on Sunday evenings,
meeting a couple of times, in the home of
Rev. Tommy and Maxine King.

Rev Tommy King and family

Rev. Tommy and Maxine King
(Pictured top right.)
("Brother Tommy" is also at top and bottom left.)
(Bottom right includes his Father, Jessie King, and sisters Dixie and Mary.)

The Bible Study group decided to have worship service in the wood shop of George and Audrey Travis.
There soon emerged the desire to organize as a Church. And God led them to make The Country Chapel, non-denominational.
By God's anointing, purpose and presence, miracles began to happen; "It seemed like people started “coming out of the woodwork."
Over 100 people celebrated Christmas, 1979. The true Spirit of Christ was present and is still “ever-so-near” every time we meet.

Land, at the corner of Burkhead Rd and Highway 321 N. was purchased on January 14, 1980
3000 Highway 321 N.
Ward (in Sylvania Community), Arkansas 72176

One week and three days after purchase on February 17, 1980, the land was dedicated to God,
and God looked at what He created and
“saw that it was good.”

The first service on the "new" land was April 6, 1980, with 135 in attendance. It was cold.
The gable ends were not finished. The wind and metal chairs helped keep everyone "alert."

May 11, 1980, marked another milestone, when the congregation moved from meeting in the wood shop, to the newly finished sanctuary.
It was most appropriate being Mother's Day, because The Country Chapel has "given birth"
to many answered prayers and will continue to be the spiritual home of many of God's children.

"Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She looketh well to the ways of her household... Her children arise up and call her blessed."

In orderliness and decency, based on the Bible as God's inerrant word, The Country Chapel adopted its bylaws on July 2, 1980.
The Country Chapel conducted its first ordination service on July 30, 1980, at which Rev. Tommy King was ordained.
"Bro. Tommy" served as a very able and spiritual Pastor, establishing a Spirit-led people upon the foundation stone Jesus Christ.

We shall always thank God, for Spirit-led people, and a Spirit-led Pastor, who by faith pleased God.

"Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the Word of God:

It is good to be part of a work of faith that pleases God. For those twenty-two people who "launched out into the deep", and joined their lives, hopes, and faith in spiritual unity, we say, “thank you”! And may God’s blessings continue without measure, in “daily benefits” upon all who are privileged to worship and serve Him, through the fellowship of believers at The Country Chapel.

Brother Tommy King, and his wife Maxine, served three and a half years as founding Pastor, December 1979, through May 1984.

The second pastor of The Country Chapel:
Rev. Steve and Peggie Zumalt
Served thirty-seven years and three months:
June 9, 1984, through September 26, 2021.

Another "First" for The Country Chapel:
Mrs Tammy Butts is The Country Chapel's first Office Administrator / Treasurer.

We are very blessed to have Mrs. Tammy Butts help us take another step forward, guiding us through the founding,
and organizing of the office / administrative / duties of the church and it's ministries.

As of this writing, July 19, 2023, in forty-four years, since the beginning of The Country Chapel, in December 1979,
there have been 6,316 (Six Thousand, Three Hundred, Sixteen) individuals who have attended at least one service at "The Country Chapel".

We have many reasons to join song writer Fanny Crosby in the words of the song,
"To God Be The Glory, Great Things He Has Done."

"The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.." Psalm 126:3 (KJV)

We stand in faith, by His grace, on all the promises of God, but one in particular:
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Phillipians 1:6 (KJV)

There is much more to the history of The Country Chapel than what is written here.
The Country Chapel is "HIS-STORY" still in the making.
There is so much more to the future of The Country Chapel.
However, this brief glimpse of the beginning reveals evidence of the
faith, motives, mission, and accomplishments of that first group; that "first generation"
who stepped out in faith and obedience to God, as He created, established, and
STILL blesses, STILL preserves the spiritual and physical work known as

"THE COUNTRY CHAPEL"

It's truly by His
"Amazing Grace"
"God Doesn't Do Experiments"

We're glad for all who pass our way. God bless you!

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The Lonoke County Museum is marking the 150th year of Lonoke County
by compiling a book of the History of Churches in Lonoke County.
We appreciate the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly on compiling and preserving these stories.