A little more than 56 years ago, on June 15, 1958, Mrs. Norma Bare of Plymouth was among the 43 persons who attended the first morning worship service at the Plymouth Public Library of a church group that would later be named Sunrise Chapel. On Sunday, November 16, 2014, Mrs. Bare was one of approximately 50 persons and the only individual from the original group attending the final morning worship service of Sunrise Chapel. Sunrise Chapel officially closed on November 17, 2014.
In between these dates, Sunrise grew to an average attendance of just under 300 with morning service reaching 498 at one point in time. Sunrise sponsored children’s Bible schools, Biblical plays, community service projects, quartet festivals as well as city-wide evangelistic rallies that included such guests as Dale Evans Rogers, Tony Fontaine, Nickey Cruise and the White Sisters.
Approximately one month after the initial worship service, members fixed up and reopened the Jacoby Church building located on King Road. As membership increased, a building committee was formed and groundbreaking for the new Sunrise Chapel building was held on September 20, 1963. Initial services in the new building took place in May 1964 with the dedication on June 14, 1964. The pastor during this entire time was Rev. Darrell W. Kraft.
Throughout its history, Sunrise Chapel was a strong supporter of missionaries from around the world as well in the U.S. Sunrise gave financial and moral support to missionaries from Belgium, Bolivia, Equador, England, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indiana, Kentucky, Kenya, Ireland, Mexico, Mississippi, New Guinea, North Carolina, Philippines, Senegal, Spain, Sudan, Taiwan and Michigan.
Lead Pastors for Sunrise Chapel have been: Darrell Kraft (1958-73), Tom Bump (1973-75), Hugh Campbell (1975-85), Jim Danhof (1985-89), Mark Hutchinson (1989-99), Rustin Krapfl (2000-2009), and Dr. Mark Allen (2011-13). Interim pastors were in charge of Sunday services between 2009-11 and 2013 until the final service in 2014.
Although the doors are closed for Sunrise Chapel, the church buildings have been donated to the Warsaw Community Church. They plan on opening a new church called Plymouth Community Church in the spring.
The buildings will be closed for several months as the new church remodels, but Sunrise Chapel sincerely hopes that the community will watch for Plymouth Community Church’s Grand Opening in 2015 and plan to attend the new church.
Plymouth Community Church will be a satellite church of the Warsaw Community Church which is a contemporary church with fantastic children and youth programs to serve the Plymouth area.
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