Church Information
History of Grape Chapel
Grape Chapel Church of God
Benton, AR 72019
7100 Hwy 298
Benton, AR 72019
Call Webmastor; 501 794-1458
https://www.angelfire.com/ar/grapechapel/index.html
ikwilson@att.net
Thank you for visiting our History page at Angel fire.
Please come back and visit again soon!
Current Pastor: Brother Scott Planck
.
Footnote
The Church now owns two acres of land.
The first acre where parsonage stands was donated by I. J. Keen.
The other acre where the Church building stands now, was donated by Elmer O. Hurst.
This information has been published in “The History of The Church of God
in Arkansas” 1972 by Elmer O Hurst
Many more improvements have been made have been made since this book
was written.
Re written in booklet form is by I. J. Wilson
Sept 11 2004
Graphic added by I. J. Wilson
Isaac and Beaulah Keen
I. J. Keen
Mr Keen is the one that was very much involved in
establishing the Church here in Grape community, 1933.
more in the history below
Church officers 1946/47
Billie Alderman, Clyde Keen, Bob Raney,
Roy & Josie (Keen)Wilson..
Margie Moody, Jean Wilson and Lena Keen.
Grape Chapel Church of God
First Sermon 1922 established 1933
The Grape Chapel was organized and began it’s existence as a local congregation
of the Church of God in the year 1933.
However, over ten years was spent in the background work leading up to this event.
The first sermon was in the fall of 1922.
A home missionary, Mrs. Cassie Griffin, who was attending
our camp meeting for some time, moved to a sawmill camp
about 8 miles Northwest of Benton. Her husband was a mill worker
who followed the camps from one location to another.
Sister Griffin wrote for Elmer O. Hurst, who had been ordained that summer
to come and preach in the saw mill camp.
That fall he preached in the saw mill camp and in a nearby School house called Biven’s Grove.
He came again in the spring of 1923 and was hired to teach
at the Biven’s Grove school the following summer.
That summer he taught school and preached in a brushed arbor
on “The Cherry Place” nearby.
As cold weather came on, the services were moved inside,
at the home of Brother and Sister Cherry.
They were real good Christian people
who were very responsive to the preaching of the Gospel.
During the winter of 1923, two men, I. J. Keen and Ben Langley,
who were jointly operating a Saw Mill a few miles distance,
became interested in the services.
They offered to donate lumber to build a Tabernacle
for the services. A rough Tabernacle was built,
and closed in, for winter use.
Sunday School and regular services were conducted by Elmer Hurst
the remainder of the winter
and on throughout the summer: 1924.
During the summer, L. C. Cash and John Thomas both held revivals.
From 1924 to 1933, no regular services were held.
Hurst continued to preach occasionally ,
and a few Brush Arbor meetings were held, but no regular services,
as Hurst was moving around and teaching and preaching
in other surrounding communities.
In the summer of 1933 he came back again to teach
at the
Bevin's Grove school.
He was contacted by some local residents about constructing a perminate building,
and getting a local church started.
Accordingly, a brush arbor was built at the location where the present church stands now,
and a series of meetings were held.
Several were saved and baptized.
A regular congregation was organized and began a Sunday School and services,
which has continued throughout the years.
As cold weather came the services were moved into private homes.
E. O. Hurst, who began the work and acted as pastor,
moved to Memphis to pastor a church there.
He was gone for two years during which time
services were continued by; a brother Davis,
L. C. Cash,
J. B. Woodall,
Dave Thompson, and others,
but no one remained as pastor.
During this period services were kept going by Mrs. Henry Keen,
in whose home the services were being held.
She acted as Sunday school superintendent and filled in
at times in the absence of a preacher.
Hurst came back in 1935, and took charge as pastor.
Building plans was formulated.
Someone had burglarized the home in which the services were being held
and had stolen the building funds.
Some money was available however, and I. J. Keen offered a building site.
Let me pause right here, and give an account of this remarkable man.
Without I. J. Keen there would probably never have been a Grape Chapel Church;
He attended the first service at the Sawmill Camp in 1922,
and was attracted to the preaching and became a great friend of Elmer.
He gave lumber and helped build every Brush Arbor,
gave the land as well as most of the timber for the first Log building.
He Helped cut the logs, He helped rive the shingles for the roof,
and furnished poles for the rafters.
Mr. Keen, attended all the services. He liked to sing,
He kept the church clean, he built the fires,
and was always in his place with his songbook.
When I. J. Keen died, his funeral was conducted in the Log Church.
Most of his children, and their families
were among the first converts to establish the new congregation.
His descendants may still out-number the other members
of the congregation.
The log church was completed in time for the first service to be held the first Sunday of 1936.
Shortly afterward a business meeting was called to name the church locally,
so that a legal title could be made. Trustees were elected,
needless to say, among them was I. J. Keen.
Mr. Keen presented the deed to the property
which was duly recorded.
This Log Church was on the site where the parsonage stands today.
The log church was used for ten years.
*By January 1946* the present building was ready for use.
Elmer Hurst continued as pastor,
assisted sometimes by Rev. F. C. Parvin until the autumn of 1949.
Rev, L. C. Cash filled in as temporary pastor for a while.
Rev. Alton George became pastor in 1950.
(* other records show the first service was in the fall of 1946
and the dedication being in January of 1947.)
In 1952 a young minister from Tulsa, Oklahoma
moved here and took over as pastor. He was Rev.Clayton Perry,and Anna Mae
Todays Picture Here
Rev.Clayton Perry,and Anna Mae became well known thought out the state.
He was a young married man full of energy,
A very capable minister and served in different capacities
in our state work.
He did much to promote the work in Arkansas.
Some improvements were made to the church building while he was pastor.
The Perry's are still active in this community,
retiring from full time Pasturing after over 50 years in the ministry.
!n 1950 a pioneer Church of God layman,
became associated with The Grape Chapel Church of God.
This was Brother Albert Barnett,
who had been with the Church of God since the early days.
This was a new congregation and needed the
stabilizing influence of Albert Barnett.
Early families or charter members of the congregation were
The Keen’s, The Roy Wilson Family,
The Dinsmore’s, The Blake’s, The Raney’s,
Will Pittcock, and the Sewell Hames Family.
The list of Pastors are as follows:
1933-1949 Elmer Hurst
1949-1950 L.C. Cash
1950-1952 Alton George
1952-1954 Clayton Perry
1954-1956 Gordon
1956-1960 Clayton Perry
1960-1964 Garrett E Wilson
1964-1966 Calvin Hurst
1966-1969 Erwin Estep
1969-1972 J.D. Porter
1972- Stephen A Nelson
Statistical information as follows:
Background work began in 1922. Church finally established in 1933.
First building finished in 1936. Present building occupied in 1946.
Additional improvements have been made to the church
building by the different pastors listed above,
with possibly the most outstanding,
The educational wing built during G. E. Wilson’s Pastorate,
and the Latest addition of remodeling the santuary and adding new
Sunday school rooms, Offices and Basement Fellowship room
with Kithenette and rest rooms. Brother Steven Nelson
was our pastor at time of re-modeling.. in late 1990s..
WebMaster; Isaac Wilson
