"How could any individual take away the people's place of worship for financial gain ?
J. Tillman

                                                                                                JMU
       BOARD OF VISITORS''

             JOE FUNKHOUSER

                                                                    has listed the
        Mabel Memorial Chapel
                        FOR SALE 
                                                $490,000    
     solely for it’s land value—as an “unimproved Lot”.


  Coincidentally, JOE FUNKHOUSER was a leader of the
         First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg
       "Special Task Force" that voted to REMOVE
     the Mabel Memorial Congregation from their Chapel;


--Taking 250 ounces of Gold   that U.S. Navy Surgeon
    Lucien G. Heneberger left in trust ONLY for the perpetual maintenance of
    Mabel Memorial Chapel (1919)

--Taking over $43,000 left in trust by Flavia Converse,
   Mary & Benjamin Leake, and others for the perpetual maintenance of the Chapel

--as well as Taking the over $24,000* in cash
  the Mabel Memorial Congregation members raised themselves to maintain
  their Chapel.  ( * Mabel Memorial Chapel  Bank of America Account #051000017  000041190365 )


  $800,000  Est. Total Haul
for First Presbyterian Church Court Square… simply by FORCING the mostly elderly
Mabel Memorial Chapel Congregation out of their Chapel on Easter Sunday.


Mabel Memorial Chapel is a house of worship built & donated for the
Chestnut Ridge Community in 1898 ... not an Investment Property. 

Why doesn't REVEREND JON HEERINGA  reopen the doors to Mabel Memorial Chapel and restore the trust funds, collection plate donations, & bequeathments to the
Mabel Memorial congregation?


 Coincidentally, JOE FUNKHOUSER gave $10,000.                            to Governor BOB McDONNELL
prior to his appointment to the JMU Board of Visitors.


BOB McDONNELL was CONVICTED by a Federal Jury for receiving
Improper Gifts and Loans from a Virginia businessman.

McDonnell is the first Virginia governor to be indicted or convicted of a felony.

(Special Task Force members included Jeff Lenhart, Esq. of Lenhart & Obenshain Law Firm,
 Bill Anderson, Alex Banks, and Fred Scott.)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Historic 
MABEL MEMORIAL CHAPEL     

                                                                                                                                                                                                        
U. S. Navy Surgeon Lucien G. Heneberger  <click here, a military hero,
donated the Mabel Memorial Chapel in 1898 to honor his wife Mabel, who died
just after giving birth to their only child.

Mabel Memorial Chapel was built upon Chestnut Ridge, a CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELD.
According to the Official Chapel History, land for the Chapel, Schoolhouse, and Cemetery was
donated by Moses Wenger & Family.

Mabel Memorial played an important part in the early history of the Rockingham County Schools and was used by James Madison University for their very first class (1909) through 1930.   <click here

According to oral history, in 1919 Dr. Heneberger left  Two Hundred Fifty Ounces of  Gold in
trust with First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg (worth over $250,000.00 today)
and specified that the funds were only to be "expended in keeping in repair the
Mabel Memorial Chapel and maintaining religious work there".  The Clerk of the Court confirmed that Dr. Heneberger's trust was to be used only for the perpetual maintenance and
upkeep of Mabel Memorial Chapel, maintaining religious work at the Chapel, or for enlarging the Chapel...nothing else.

An agreement was reached in 1974 where  First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg  agreed
to transfer ownership of the Chapel and land to the Mabel Memorial Congregation.  <click here

Land values along Reservoir Street soared in 2006...and soon thereafter, the mostly elderly
Mabel Memorial Congregation was locked out of their place of worship by
First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg Easter 2007 ...many with their purses and belongings
still inside the Chapel.

After being locked out of their Chapel, the Mabel Memorial Congregation held
outdoor services at the Chapel until they were forbidden to worship there by the
First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg.  Rev. Sloop told the Mabel Memorial Congregation
they would be charged for trespassing if they continued worshiping outside on the Chapel grounds.

Rev. Sloop of the First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg, announced that the Chapel was to be
demolished in a 26 March 2007 Daily News Record front page news story.  Referring to the cemetery,
Sloop said; "We're going to beautify it and improve it."  Since First Presbyterian Church of
Harrisonburg has taken over, the cemetery  and  grounds are unkempt and overgrown.
Video <click here

Referring to the Chapel,  Sloop said;  "finding a new use for the land will be a priority."   

Members of the community  continue to support the preservation of
Mabel Memorial Chapel.  It is clear the good people of Harrisonburg want to see the doors of
Mabel Memorial Chapel open once again.

The JMU Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega was first to hold an Easter Egg Hunt and Raffle to raise money for Mabel Memorial Chapel.  WHSV-ABC  TV-3, WVIR-NBC 29, the Daily News Record, and other media covered the Controversial Closing.

2007 James Madison University/JMU  Breeze Story  <click here.

January 2007, the Mabel Memorial Congregation contacted the Virginia Department of Historic
Resources and asked for assistance to save their chapel.  Governor Tim Kaine received a letter from
the community regarding demolition of the Chapel and responded promptly.  David Edwards,
Director of the VDHR, immediately contacted First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg to learn more
about the Civil War Era Bell and to speak with Rev. Sloop regarding the MMC congregation's
application to landmark Mabel Memorial Chapel.  There was no reply from Rev. Sloop nor anyone
else from First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg.  Soon thereafter however, the Chapel was
defaced by the First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg and the historic Civil War era bell was
hauled away, as reported by the Daily News Record.

While over seven years have passed, First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg
has not responded to any letters from the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding landmarking
Mabel Memorial Chapel nor have they answered inquires regarding what happened to the historic Chapel Bell.


Mabel Memorial Chapel is located at 2025 Reservoir Street, Harrisonburg, Virginia (between
Walmart and the Rockingham Memorial Hospital; one block east of Costco).
Mabel Memorial Chapel is surrounded by 1000's of units of high density housing within walking
distance.  Two buses stop directly in front of Mabel Memorial Chapel.  Another bus stop is located
less than a block away at the Mabel Memorial Schoolhouse.

Mabel Memorial Chapel is located on Reservoir Street in the most densely populated area
of Harrisonburg.  Although Mabel Memorial Chapel is the only church on Reservoir Street
from Interstate 81 to Port Republic Road, First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg
maintains that there are not enough people to fill the Chapel and that
the location of Mabel Memorial Chapel is not viable for a church. 
 
The blizzard conditions and record 53.25 inches* of snow for 2009-2010 winter season were a real
test of any building's strength.   Many new buildings failed and collapsed.   The weight of these
record snowfalls confirm expert opinions click here  that the Chapel structure is indeed sound.
A leaky 115 year old roof however is all that protects the Chapel's interior, historical Bibles,
hymn books and the Chapel's irreplaceable Cemetery/Membership/Baptism records.  No matter how
strong a structure, "Demolition by Neglect" and a leaky roof will destroy any building.
 
In the 23 December 2010 Daily New Record front page story, First Presbyterian Church of
Harrisonburg Rev. Sloop states;  "The church supports the effort to erect a state historic
marker.  We are all for history".  To date however, First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg
has not returned any paper work related to the state historic marker to the Virginia
Department of Historic Resources.  While over seven years have passed,
First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg has not allowed the Virginia Department of Historic Resources access to photograph the interior of Mabel Memorial Chapel.  In fact,
The First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg has not responded to any letters or telephone calls
whatsoever from the V.D.H.R.

Demolition by Neglect appeared to be the plan of action when the real estate market collapsed in
2008.  Offers from the community to replace the roof and repair the structure at no cost were refused
by the First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg.  Regarding offers to  repair the chapel,
Rev. Sloop stated;  "Even if someone did write a check for $50,000, we wouldn't accept it."
   
After the recent rebound in the real estate market , Rev. Sloop stated;
" (First Presbyterian Church) has been clearing the way for the Chapel's sale."
In a Daily News Record front page story, Sloop states;

                                        "I anticipate it will be on the market very shortly."



*As measured at WHSV  TV-3


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