The Chestnut Creek Heritage Chapel will host a gospel singing on April 18, to help kick off its status as a nonprofit The Chestnut Creek Heritage Chapel will host a gospel singing on April 18, to help kick off its status as a nonprofit entity.

“This is actually our first official event as a non-profit, so we felt like it should be a gospel event,” said Pam Persons, treasurer for the chapel. “Gospel singings have been so popular in this area.”

The day’s events start with a group picture on the steps of the chapel at 11 a.m., with dinner on the grounds immediately after the photo.

The singing will feature Dave Edwards, along with his wife, Nora and daughter, Jennifer Kilpatrick; as well as The Chestnut Creek Trio; Adriane and Maddie Barrington; and Geneva Johnson.

Persons said she and Edwards, a native of Gallant, connected through “Cooper(s) Cousins,” a Facebook group of people that have an ancestral connection to the Verbena area.

While not a native, his ancestral roots connect him to the Verbena-Cooper area, Edwards said.

“I knew I had kinfolk there, but didn’t know who,” he said. “It’s special to come to the church and the old town and meet some more people that’s kin to me.”

Edwards, a member of the Un-Reconstructed String Band—a band that dresses in Civil War-era clothing while playing music from the same time period—said the chance to explore his family’s history was too good to pass up.

“This is my first time going down there,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to meeting people.”

Edwards said he planned to take those in attendance back in time through music, playing older songs such as “Wayfaring Stranger.”

“Liking old music, I was going to do something older in the (gospel) genre,” he said. “I’m trying to work that out now. I told them we’d come down there and do the best we could.”

The nonprofit group was formed in September 2014, after a group of “cousins” with ancestral connections to the area decided to have a reunion at the chapel.

From there, an effort was made to work with Chestnut Creek Baptist Church (former tenants of the property) to restore the building for community use.

Persons said she wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of attendance, only that the organization was planning for a large group.

“It’s hard to say,” she said. “We have more than 40 signed up, (but we’re) anticipating 200. We’ll have dinner on the grounds, and you can prepay on the website.”

Denise Scarbrough, president of the nonprofit, said revenue generated from the singing will go toward fixing leaks in the roof of the chapel’s education wing.
Scarbrough said Birmingham roofer Jim Butters patched the roof in March 2014, but a new roof was needed.

A new roof will cost an estimated $25,000, Persons said.

“We don’t have money to put the roof on,” she said. “We’re hoping people with roofing supplies may donate. We are pleading with people with roofing experience to help put on the roof.”

Persons said the event is open to anyone with an interest in the community, and the dinner will cost $10, and will feature barbecue, two sides, bread and a drink, and there will be homemade dessert on hand as well.

“We said early on (we wanted to) rescue, restore and repurpose,” Persons said. “The ancestors put so much into that church, and we want to honor them.”

In addition, those in attendance can purchase a Boston butt for $30, and both plates and Boston butts need to be ordered by April 4, Persons said.
For more information on the event, visit Facebook.com/ChestnutCreekHeritageChapel.