History

Early records show that the Mayhew family left England during the 1600s and came to America, settling in New England in an area later known as Martha's Vineyard. Later, in the 1700s, John Love William Mayhew came south settling in 1757. He came to North Carolina with a group of Methodists seeking a place to establish homes for their families. John L. W. Mayhew chose to main on the east side of the Catawba River. When a land auction was held, he was there and bid on a tract of land known as Long and Alley consisting of about 1,000 acres. His bid of $3000 was high, but the auctioneer was apprehensive about closing the sale as John was rather shabbily dressed. However, John Mayhew instructed him to make the deed, reached down in his pocket and shelled off cash to close the deal. The deed recording the Alley-Long purchase was duly recorded in Statesville, North Carolina in 1793.

John L. W. Mayhew immediately began to clear the land and built a brush arbor using split logs for benches. Known as Preacher Mayhew, he preached in this primitive brush arbor for about two years and continued to preach until his health failed. The brush arbor was replaced with a place of worship made of logs in 1793 known as Mayhew Meeting House, serving as a place of worship until burning down about 1804. It was replaced by a one room plank building that year and was renamed McKendree Methodist Episcopal Church, deriving the name from William McKendree, the first native born American to be elected bishop in the Methodist Church around 1808.

The plank church burned in 1880, and a larger frame building with two entrances was built. One entrance was for women and one for the men. In those days, men and women sat separately in the church. Church school rooms were added in 1907. In 1937, the first women's organization was established by the Rev. Norman Huffman, known as the Ladies Aid Society, now today continuing strong as the United Methodist Women.

In the late 1950s, the sanctuary and educational wing were extensively remodeled and the entire building was bricked. The fellowship hall often known as, "The Hut" was built close to the church. In the 1960s, a steeple was added but toppled to the ground in 1989 during Hurricane Hugo. A new steeple was erected in 1990 and was dedicated on May 6, 1990 during a dedication service led by the district superintendent, Rev. Reginald Cook.

In the beginning, the church was a Methodist Episcopal Church, and then a division in 1844 made it the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Our church became McKendree Chapel Methodist Church in 1939 when it united with the Methodist Protestant Church. In 1968, the name changed again with the merger of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren, and today we are still known as McKendree Chapel United Methodist Church.

New windows were placed in the renovated sanctuary in 1979 and an educational wing was completed in 1981. Williamson's Chapel, Rocky Mount and Fairview churches all grew out of McKendree being considered the "Mother of Methodism in South Iredell County."

Each year homecoming day for McKendree is celebrated on the third Sunday in July.

John L.W. Mayhew lies buried in the cemetery of the church he founded. In his will dated September 16, 1837, he provided for the continuation of the church he founded. The following was stated in his will:

"I direct my executors to lay out of my estate a sum sufficient for the erection of a tombstone over my grave and that of my wife when she is deceased, with the same being walled around with stone and of size sufficient for reception and use of my family, and further order that there be laid off two acres of ground at the meeting house known as Mayhews for a burial ground which I give to the Methodist Society for that use and none other." The next year, his son, Pressley carried out his wishes and made a deed of the land which contained the old meeting house, to the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

In September 2009, the local Mooresville paper carried the following note: One hundred twenty-five years ago: Landmark, September 26, 1884.

"A Sunday school celebration was held at McKendree Chapel in Davidson Township last Saturday week and was attended by 1,000 people. The dinner table was 180 feet long and there was an abundance to eat for all who were there."

Today, McKendree Chapel stands in an area that has seen tremendous growth because of Lake Norman. With new churches being established in the community, membership has declined but the people of McKendree are proud of their heritage and wish to continue the message of Christ which John L.W. Mayhew and William McKendree began in this place so many years ago. The people of McKendree are ready to answer God's call to serve as Christian disciples. We are a joy filled church with a tradition of showing up to promote the love of Christ.