Our History
A Story Unfolding in the Grace and Truth of Jesus Christ
From a storefront at Five Points to our building at Fir Hill, The Chapel’s legacy has been built on two cornerstones: grace and truth. These are not random Christian concepts. They are the triumphant message by the Apostle John to the growing early church.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. … For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through
Jesus Christ.
- John 1:14,17
The Chapel Celebrates 90 Years!
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1933 | Humble Beginnings
We trace our roots to The Furnace Street Mission where newlyweds Carl and Agnes Burnham served before transforming a 20- x 50- foot storeroom into a church on Akron’s near West Side.
1934 January | First Service
The first service at The Chapel at Five Points was held on January 15, 1934. Carl’s father, B.A. Burnham, preached at the 10:30am service; Carl preached at 7:30pm. Between 40 and 50 people attended.
1936 – 1955 | Brown & Vine
In 1936, the growing church began raising money to purchase a lot of their own at the corner of Brown and Vine. Once there, volunteers built the basement of the structure where the congregation met for years. By 1947 when the building was completed, The Chapel at Brown and Vine had 450 members.
1955 March | The Move to Fir Hill
When The Chapel outgrew its building at Brown and Vine, members voted to purchase a more centrally-located property nearby. The cornerstone was laid on Palm Sunday 1954. On March 27, 1955, about 1,000 men, women and children walked from Brown and Vine to The Chapel’s new home on Fir Hill. They sang hymns all the way.
The 1960s | Growth & Transition
From the beginning, there was a spirit of unity and oneness. When Carl Burnham died unexpectedly in 1962 following heart surgery, the church officially called his son David Burnham as senior pastor. The congregation purchased a camp in Edinburg, OH in 1964, renaming it Camp Carl in Carl Burnham’s memory. By 1969, church membership had grown to 3,200.
1962 – 1982 | Pastor Dave Burnham
Dave and his wife, Sue, wrote neighborhood Bible study materials and trained members who hosted more than 100 Bible studies in their homes throughout the Akron area. Campus ministries at the University of Akron and Kent State, and popular Christmas and Easter concerts were added during these years.
1973 – 1982
The congregation numbered 5,000. A new Worship Center was dedicated in 1973 and the original sanctuary was renamed The Memorial Chapel. The Chapel at Fir Hill became The Chapel in University Park.
In 1982, Dave left Akron to pastor a church in Florida. Following an extensive search, Knute Larson and his wife, Jeanine, came to The Chapel in 1983.
1983 – 2009 | Pastor Knute Larson
Under Knute’s leadership, Adult Bible Fellowships (ABFs) grew and the church helped ‘sister’ churches get started in Marlboro, North Canton, Kent, Hudson, Tinkers Creek and Sandusky. Knute was a familiar face around town – recognized from his 60- and 30-second television messages about faith, activity on local boards and proactively partnering with Pastor Ron Fowler and the Arlington Church of God as leaders in a racial reconciliation movement.
2003 | One Church, Two Locations
With attendance hovering at around 8,000 and multiple services maxed out, 20/20: The Next Chapter was launched. In June 2003, the Green Campus opened its doors and The Chapel officially became "One Church, Two Locations."
2006 – 2012 | Pastor Paul Sartarelli
As Knute planned for retirement, a search began for the next senior pastor. Paul Sartarelli, who had planted the Riverwood Chapel in Kent, accepted the call. Paul came with his wife, Susie, in a unique transitional phase in 2006. Knute officially passed the baton to Paul in June 2009.
During Paul’s tenure, The Chapel hosted a conference to raise awareness of human trafficking, discipleship programs grew and The Chapel became one church in three locations by receiving Valleyview Chapel in Wadsworth as a third campus. In 2012, Paul announced that God was calling him away from The Chapel. The search for a new leader began.
2014 – 2021 | Pastor Tim Armstrong
In 2014, Pastor Tim Armstrong and his wife, Michelle, came to The Chapel from Mansfield, where he had pastored at Crossroads Community Church. Under his leadership, The Chapel embarked on a concentrated church-planting effort known as the Saturate Movement. Through Saturate, The Chapel planted four more campuses in Kenmore, Cuyahoga Falls, Nordonia and Medina. The movement also enabled our global outreach partners to plant new churches in Yucatan, Mozambique, India and Vietnam. Pastor Armstrong resigned from The Chapel in 2021 and the seven-campus church entered a season of reevaluation to seek the Lord for the best ways to serve our congregations and communities going forward.
2021 – Today
Following months of prayer and searching the Scriptures, a recommendation was made to move to a new church leadership model based on the biblical pattern of local churches led by a plurality of elders. Chapel trustees approved this plan and church members voted overwhelmingly to affirm it. Individual church constitutions were written, and local elder boards were chosen so that the seven Chapel campuses could be relaunched as independent churches. This process was completed by September 1, 2023.
Tim Marrero, who came to The Chapel in 2018 to lead our High School ministry, was named The Chapel’s lead pastor in May 2023. A formal installation ceremony recognizing his new position was held on October 1, 2023. Pastor Tim is excited about encouraging the church to grow closer to Jesus and to demonstrate Christ’s love to our neighbors in tangible ways. Near downtown Akron and a neighbor to both The University of Akron and Stark State, Akron Campus, we are being reinvigorated to reach a community that desperately needs the hope of Jesus.
A Heritage of Church Planting
To read more about our past church plants and our Saturate Movement, click the button below.