So, what is Love Chapel? When you ask this question, most people would respond – it is that ministry or organization which runs the shelter, gives out food to those in need, and provides financial assistance. You would be right, and then again, also wrong. You see – Love Chapel is not our real name – we are the Ecumenical Assembly of Bartholomew County Churches, Inc. – people call us Love Chapel, but why?

In 1953, Elsie Sweeney gifted a church building at 311 Center Street to start a church, which was named Love Chapel. The goal was to have a church south of State Street for the neighborhood to worship in. Love Chapel soon had 25 – 30 members and met regularly. The church was quite active and offered Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, school physicals, and school immunizations. Along the way, the church realized there was a need for food and began handing out small bags with a few canned goods in them – the very first food pantry.

The church continued to operate throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, although regular attendance never reached much more than 30 parishioners. Meanwhile, a group of eight churches began meeting and decided to form an Ecumenical group to better the community by fostering a sense of church support and cooperation. The churches involved were First Presbyterian, Fairlawn Presbyterian, First Baptist, North Christian Church, St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, St. Columba Catholic Church, St. Pauls’ Episcopal, and Wertz United Methodist Church, now called Sandy Hook United Methodist.

This group completed incorporation papers and began operating as the Ecumenical Assembly of Bartholomew County Churches, Inc. in 1967. The group needed a place to meet, and Love Chapel offered to let the group meet at the church, which it did from that point on. By 1973, Love Chapel, the church, decided they could no longer financially continue to operate, so they offered to donate the building to the Ecumenical Assembly if they would continue to offer the small bags of food as they had become very popular.

In honor of the Church, the first food pantry was started and named in honor of Love Chapel – which is the name that has commonly been used for our ministry. Legally, we are the Ecumenical Assembly of Bartholomew County Churches, Inc., but everyone calls us Love Chapel – which is fine by us. We are Love Chapel – Altogether for Good!