Lee Chapel Ame Church Announces Its 120th Anniversary Celebration

CINCINNATI - April 30, 2018 - PRLog -- Lee Chapel AME Church located at 2009 Pogue Street in Cincinnati, Ohio announced its year- long celebration of 120 years of ministry and community service in O'Bryonville, Evanston and Walnut Hills and they are inviting the Greater Cincinnati Community to join in the celebration.

Led by Pastor Kevin Cooper, the Anniversary theme is Remembering our Past and Reveling in Our Future, based on the theme scripture Joshua 4:20-24.

Lee Chapel AME Church started out as a cottage prayer service at the home of a gentleman named Green Burrell in 1898. Mr. Burrell is attributed with founding the organization which eventually became Gee Chapel and later Lee Chapel AME Church. The prayer service moved to a rented space at the corner of Beechwood and Cinnamon Avenues, across the street from the present location of the Church, in 1900. The first Building was purchased around 1905 for the price of $200.00. In 1908 Presiding Elder Gee and some members of Brown and Allen Temple attended the Mission and thereafter urged the Mission to become a church and join the AME Conference. Upon joining the AME Conference the name was changed to Gee Chapel. The old church was sold for $500.00. The cornerstone for the new church located on Edison Avenue was laid in 1909. The church has had 26 Pastors, including its current Pastor Rev. Kevin J. Cooper and the previous Pastor Donald E. Newberry, Sr., who led the church to build an Annex to the church building and a Senior Citizen Facility.

The church is planning a series of Community Events to celebrate its 120^th Anniversary and extend its ministry through evangelism and community service. Events include Theater Outings; a Celebrity Golf Outing; Four Weeks of Free Softball Clinics for Community Youth, culminating in a Community Softball Game between the Lee Chapel All-Stars and the Cincinnati Sentinel Police Association; Fashion Show Extravaganza; Monthly Family Movie Nights; Fish Fry Events; A Parade and Kick-Off Event; a Revival; Concert featuring International Gospel Recording Artist "The Prince of Praise" Byron Cage, a Celebration Banquet and Anniversary Sunday Service Program and Dinner.

The first event is a Theater Outing to world acclaimed Dance Theatre of Harlem, at the Aronoff Center for the Arts on May 11, 2018. Discounted Premiere Loge Seating is available for only $40. Tickets are available until May 8, 2018 at https://leechapelamechurch.org/purchase-tickets

The Celebrity Golf Outing will take place on July 28, 2018 at Avon Fields Golf Course and promises to be a fun-filled afternoon of fellowship and golf. Cincinnati Golf Pro Ron Dumas will organize the Scramble Format Outing.

These events will lead to the official Anniversary week which begins with a fabulous Parade, a Kick-off event and a Community Softball game between the Multi-Generation/Multi-Gender Lee Chapel All Stars and the Cincinnati Sentinel Police Association at The P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy at Roselawn Sports Complex on Saturday, September 15, 2018. Lee Chapel will host four Saturday Softball clinics for Community kids August 18- Sept 8, 2018 at Owls Nest Field prior to the game.

The Community Softball Game will be the finale of a day of Kick Off Events to Celebrate the Anniversary. The day will start off with a Parade in the O'Bryonville neighborhood which will include the O'Bryonville Business Association, Community Schools, Bands and Dance Teams, Local Politicians and other Churches. The Parade will end up at the main Community Kickoff event at Lee Chapel AME Church on Pogue & Cinnamon Streets including food, beverages, fun and entertainment. Then the Community Softball Game will be at The P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy at 3PM on the 15^th.

The following Wednesday and Thursday, September 19-20th will feature two nights of Spiritual Revivals at the Church.

The Anniversary Banquet will be on Saturday, September 22, 2018 at the Marriott East featuring a Silent Auction, The Hank Stephens Experience and Saxophonist Ellis Williams.  The Anniversary Sunday Morning Service and free Anniversary dinner following service will put a cap on the weekend.

But wait! The BIG News Headline is that the Anniversary Concert featuring the world renowned "Prince of Praise" International Gospel Recording Artist, Byron Cage (The Spirit of the Lord is Here) with an exciting lineup including The Southern Baptist Church Mass Choir, Henry Benefield and RaMeco Lattimore & True Worship Chorale will be at Allen Temple AME Church, 7030 Reading Road in Cincinnati on Friday, September 21, 2018 at 7PM.  There will be a Pre-Show VIP Reception/Meet & Greet with Selfie Photo Ops with the Star before the concert at 6PM. VIP Tickets for Preferred Seating and the VIP Reception are $50; General Admission Tickets are $25.

Tickets for the concert and all other ticketed Anniversary Events will go on sale May 20, 2018 at https://leechapelamechurch.org/purchase-tickets . Two Packages will be available. The VIP Package includes a VIP Ticket to the Concert, VIP Pass to the Pre-Show Reception, Banquet Ticket, Souvenir Book and T-Shirt and Commemorative Gift. The Beloved Package includes a General Admission Ticket to the Concert, Banquet Ticket, Souvenir Book and Hot/Cold Drink Mug.

Visit the website https://leechapelamechurch.org and Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/TheLeeChapelFamily to purchase tickets, make a donation and for more information and updates.