Annie Merner Chapel will once again be a place of worship.
Eric and Kayla Jokisch purchased the historic chapel from Michael Hayes in the midst of Hayes’ refurbishing the chapel for an event space.
According to social media posts today, after the purchase of the chapel was made a group of people who shared their faith and passion for the Jacksonville community came together for the building’s next phase.
Lead Pastor Perry Case, Production Pastor Joshua Beckman, and Elder Ryan Turner met with the Jokisches to begin cleaning and restoring the building last week to lay the foundation of the new church. Dubbed, simply The Chapel – the first public worship service will be opened on May 4th at 10AM.
Isaiah Case will return to Jacksonville as its full-time Worship Pastor and along with his wife Anna, will lead the Youth Ministry. Anna has a special connection to MacMurray College – her father Chris Douglas, was the head football coach at MacMurray College, and her mother, Michelle Douglas, led a children’s ministry in Jacksonville.
For more information, visit thechapel.me online.
The United Methodist Church decommissioned the chapel in June of 2020 in a special taking leave ceremony. The Illinois Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church established the Illinois Conference Female Academy in Jacksonville in 1846, which would later become MacMurray College.