Des Moines Gospel Chapel

Did you ever hear of a church born from gas rationing? Des Moines Gospel Chapel’s story begins during World War II. Folks attending Hope Gospel Chapel, driving from south of Seattle, needed to conserve fuel. So, families in the Sunnydale, Rainer Valley, and Renton areas began meeting closer to home. These gatherings in local homes became the unexpected seeds of Des Moines Gospel Chapel. For years, these South Seattle families held Sunday services and midweek prayers in houses. A Sunday school blossomed in Woodmont Beach, and the congregation expanded. By 1948, a central meeting place became essential. They tried various spots, from Highline High School to the old Manhattan District School. Finally, they settled on the Odd Fellows Hall in Des Moines. This location proved a blessing. Des Moines had only one Protestant church and a small Catholic church. The Sunday school quickly doubled the size of the adult gatherings. Summer 1951 saw the first Vacation Bible School (DVBS). It ran for the first two weeks of summer break. Those who witnessed it called it “a wonder and tremendous blessing.” Around 400 children from nearby communities attended. DVBS has thrived at Des Moines Gospel Chapel for over fifty years, thanks to the generosity of families, neighbors, missionaries, and community members. In the mid-1950s, the congregation sought a permanent home. They found land that belonged to an early pioneer. It was the former site of the First Methodist Church, Des Moines’s first, built in the 1800s. The original building was gone. But the families found it significant to preach the Gospel where it had first been shared in Des Moines. The Des Moines Gospel Chapel opened its doors in 1955. Today, the church continues to flourish, built on the legacy of faithful servants from over half a century ago. The congregation recognizes it’s a continuous journey, not a destination of perfection. They look back with reverence and say, “This is the Lord’s doing.” It is indeed marvelous.