The History of The Chapel

The Chapel on the Campus was established in 1972 by a group of people who were concerned for the spiritual needs of students on the LSU campus. They called Donald Tabb as the founding pastor. During the first three years, The Chapel met in many different locations. Recognizing that a growing church needed a more permanent identity, the leadership secured land on the LSU campus and completed building the sanctuary in the fall of 1976. By 1985 a second two-story educational facility was added at the rear of the original buildings. The church continued to grow and flourish under Donald Tabb’s leadership until his transition to Pastor Emeritus in 2001. In 2002 a growing ministry to families made it obvious The Chapel’s impact was movin beyond the campus. Under the leadership of Dr. Dennis Eenigenburg, Senior Pastor from 2001-2011, the elders initiated a stewardship campaign to provide funding to revitalize campus ministry and to relocate part of the congregation to a new facility. Ministry to collegians was enhanced by starting a Sunday evening service called Refuge 7:37 and opening a free coffee shop named Common Grounds. A second Chapel location was established at The Dunham School in June 2003. This temporary location found a permanent home when The Chapel received The Oaks Community Church and merged ministries in October 2006. This second location, named The Chapel in the Oaks, offers facilities, including a gym, commercial grade kitchen, football field and classroom space, that make it ideal for community focused ministry. With two permanent locations and an increasing number of college-oriented venues, one thing has not changed and that is The Chapel’s founding vision to proclaim Jesus on the campus, in the community, and around the world. Chapel leadership has consistently stepped out in faith, confident that God would provide a place for the ministry passion He placed in their hearts. The Chapel, under the leadership of Dr. Kevin McKee who became Senior Pastor in 2011, looks toward 2020 with renewed vision to pray, prepare people for ministry and plant churches.

Dennis & Jill Eenigenburg

Pastor Dennis and his wife Jill came to The Chapel from Dallas in 2001. After 30 years of pastoral and missions ministry, Dennis succeeded founded pastor Donald Tabb. During the next 12 years Dennis saw God bless the church and expand its impact through a gifted staff and a visionary elder board. During this period, The Chapel reignited its college ministry resulting in an attendance growth from 50 to 500 students in weekly attendance. This ministry was and is today called the Refuge. In response to needs in our local schools, The Chapel became one of the largest participants in a national outreach called Kids Hope USA. In a step of bold faith, The Chapel addressed the overcrowding of the Dalrymple campus by beginning a second location in South Baton Rouge, while remaining one church. After years of meeting at The Dunham School, God provided 10 acres on Siegen Lane for the present Oaks location. Jill served faithfully in Kids' Hope, the ESL program and hospitality. In 2012 Dennis and Jill stepped away from The Chapel to found Equipping Network. The goal was to "serve underserved shepherds." The focus has been on equipping and encouraging the ministries of third-world pastors. A major emphasis of Dennis and Jill's ministry has been marriage enrichment. Since 2012 their seminar material has been taught in 27 countries and their manual is translated into 9 languages. In 2019 they were able for the first time to teach Heart of Marriage in an Arabic speaking country. Dennis and Jill have chosen “refirement" over retirement and will continue as long as their health and resources permit.