The history of the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church is one of much excitement and praise to Our Lord and Master. The Chapel Hill church is the result of a 1964 plan that brought the Pleasant Hill and the Bellville Trinity Congregations together into one. The Pleasant Hill Church was started in 1843 when James Niman, a minister in the Pennsylvania conference of the United Brethren in Christ Chur
ch, was sent to Bellville to establish a mission church. Through much prayer and effort this church was started and met in the home of Mr. Under the guidance of Wilson Martin, the Pleasant Hill Church built a house of worship on the corner of Renie and Honeycreek Roads on land purchased from John and Mary Weaver for $50. The Bellville Trinity Church, located on Kochheiser Road, was established in 1867 with pastors J.S. Felger and S.E. Rife holding services in the Chestnut Chapel schoolhouse. Anthony Clever donated land from his farm for a new church building which was dedicated on November 5, 1882. In 1951, the Trinity Church was placed on a three point charge with the Pleasant Hill and Pleasant Grove Churches. In 1959 Trinity became a station, while Pleasant Hill and Pleasant Grove continued as a circuit. Trinity church built a parsonage under the leadership of Pastor John Vanscoy at the corner of Bellville North Road and German Church Road, on 1¼ acres of land given by Mr. Carl Mowry, a great grandson of Anthony Clever. A plan of merger came forth in 1964 through the encouragement of the Ohio Sandusky Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church. After much discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of uniting Pleasant Hill, Trinity and Pleasant Grove, a questionnaire indicated that the majority of the people of the Trinity and Pleasant Hill churches were in favor of uniting while Pleasant Grove chose to remain alone. A vote of the membership of Trinity and Pleasant Hill expressed the desire to unite and construct a new place for worship. A 3-year pledge program was conducted, resulting in $20,000 being pledged. The Conference Board of Missions matched this with a $20,000 grant and a $10,000 interest free loan for the first 5 years. In June, 1965, the Pleasant Hill and Trinity churches united under the name of Chapel Hill Evangelical United Brethren Church. Edward G. Wallen was assigned as pastor and the church purchased 4.75 acres of land from Carl Mowry for $1,200. The members approved the plans for the new $59.000 building in September. The contract was given to Jack Morrison Building Co., Inc. for the building which includes a sanctuary seating about 275 and an educational unit with 10 classrooms. In October of 1965 the congregation of the Pleasant Hill Church closed their church doors to join the other members of the Chapel Hill Church in worship. The combined services were held in the Trinity Church building until the completion of the new building. The membership of the new church was 122. Members of the building committee were Charles Ink, Chairperson; Carl Mowry, Vena Long, James Morehead, Nick Eichof, Gracie Soliday, Gene Taylor, Chester Mowry, Melvin Mowry and Pastor Ed Wallen. The new building was dedicated on May 8, 1966 by Dr. John C. Searle, Sr., Conference Superintendent. The 1967-68 conference year was significant in the life of the church when two of our young people, Joyce Frye and Ron Mowry entered the ministry of the church. Our church stands today as a living witness of what can and will be done when the love of God and a spirit of cooperation prevail in the members’ hearts.
