By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
For the last 25 years, memories of the congregation of the Chapel in the Pines waited patiently under its grounds. On July 1, 2001, the church celebrated turning an age at which it could legally rent a car by burying a time capsule near the front steps of the sanctuary.
It was a new millennium, a few months before the somber days after 9/11, seven years before the global financial crisis and decades before Hurricane’s Florence and Helene. It was 19 years before the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the Chapel in the Pines recently kicked off its 50th anniversary season, the congregation began by taking a glimpse into an era before social media, the iPhone and generative AI.
Following worship on July 19, members gathered for the opening of the time capsule. Inside: an old directory with some younger versions of those present, newspaper clippings, photographs, bulletins and an unlabeled cassette tape.
Bearing the marks of water infiltration and time, the treasure still had stories to tell. But first, someone will need to unearth a Sony tape player.
Opening the time capsule provided a nostalgic moment, but it also marked the beginning of a months-long series of celebrations that church leaders hope will introduce a new generation of residents to one of Seven Lake’s oldest institutions.
This milestone anniversary provides an opportunity to connect with the community the church was founded to serve.
Founded in 1976, the Chapel in the Pines was established through the generosity of Seven Lakes developer Fred Lawrence, who donated the land with the hope that it would become a community church open to everyone, regardless of denomination. Fifty years later, that mission remains the same.
“We’re still perceived by the community as the community church, which is what our mission is to be,” Pastor Paul James said. In that spirit, rather than planning a single commemorative service, the congregation is organizing a series of events designed to welcome longtime members and area newcomers.
Plans include a community picnic, a spaghetti supper, a special Bingo night, a commemorative cookbook featuring member recipes, historical displays, anniversary merchandise and a recognition of former pastors. It all culminates in a 50th anniversary worship service in November.
Church member George Norman, who is coordinating much of the planning, believes the extended celebration reflects the importance of the occasion.
“This is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get known,” he said. James agrees.
“We have somewhat of an obligation to the church,” he said, “but we also have an obligation to the community.”
That community focus has been central to the Chapel’s identity since its founding. Although the picturesque white chapel at the entrance to Seven Lakes North and South is a visual landmark, James says he still hears people say, “I didn’t know it was a real church. I thought it was a wedding chapel.”
He hopes invitation to the wider community to participate in these special events will change that perception as people come through the doors to experience the congregation’s mission firsthand.
In addition to being the gathering space for the congregation’s worship, the Chapel in the Pines is a meeting place for Bible studies, community organizations, recovery groups, civic meetings and special events. It remains one of the few places in the area intentionally designed to bring together people from many different backgrounds.
Even one of the church’s longest-standing traditions reflects its unique history. Sunday worship still begins at 9 a.m., a worship hour dating back to the desires of the original founders, most of whom were avid golfers who wanted to be sent out to a morning tee time with a charge and a blessing.
As the anniversary committee looks ahead, members hope the celebration will inspire even more opportunities to strengthen community connections. James and Norman envision the anniversary as more than a remembrance of the past; they see it as the beginning of the next chapter.
The congregation will tuck away pieces of life in 2026 into the time capsule later this year for someone else to discover decades from now. Along with the artifacts, they will be preserving hope that the Chapel in the Pines will keep doing what it was founded to do nearly 50 years ago — bring a community together.
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
