On July 1 in 1975 two congregations became one. This marked the beginning of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church. Central and Evangel United Methodist Churches merged.
At that time Rev. Dr. Neil L. Irons provided pastoral leadership. He guided the new congregation. They worked to construct a new church building. The congregation dedicated this new building in September 1979.
Since then Chapel Hill United Methodist Church has been served by six senior pastors. These include Steven Engle, Ellis Conley and Gary Stackpole. Joseph Shreve, Helen R. Oates, and current pastor Paul Rebelo also served. Each brought unique gifts to the church.
Chapel Hill is an inclusive congregation. All persons are part of the body of Christ. Men, women, youth, and children participate. They serve as ushers, greeters, choir members, and liturgists.
In 2016 Chapel Hill UMC started an addiction ministry. They partnered with Recovery at Cokesbury Network. Together they created Recovery at San Antonio. This is a 12-step program. It has a Christian emphasis.
Pastor Dave Felps and church leaders noticed a need. They saw emotional distress in their community. They realized they were the only church nearby with an addiction ministry.
The Rio Texas Conference provided a grant. This helped fund parking lot lighting upgrades. It also helped with advertisement and marketing. The goal was to bring in 100 new people. The aim was to help people break free from addictions. They wanted to see people return to full employment. They hoped families would be reunited.
Felps noted the connection to John Wesley. Wesley went where people were hurting. He preached the word of Christ. The 12-step program and Wesley’s approach have much overlap.
Today Chapel Hill United Methodist Church continues its mission. It serves the community. It offers worship services both in person and online. The church is located at 4114 SW Loop 410 in San Antonio. Please note that bible studies are canceled on certain dates. The church offers an online worship service at 11 am.