Jeff McClain
Nestled alongside the South Fork of the New River, Blackburn’s Chapel in Todd, NC has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1850. In 2007, Blackburn’s Chapel merged with Boone United Methodist Church, and it is now operated as a satellite campus of Boone UMC. The churches share worship resources including speakers and musicians, and the Blackburn campus offers an intimate worship setting in the heart of the rural community of Todd.
Worship With Us
Blackburn’s Chapel is located at 3986 Railroad Grade Road in historic Todd, NC just down from the Todd General Store and across the street from the River Girl Fishing Company.
We gather together every Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. to praise and worship God together in community. Blackburn’s Chapel has a tradition of inviting speakers and musicians from throughout the local area to serve in ministry each week.
April 29: Rev. Jeff McClain – Jeff is on staff with Boone UMC and serves as the pastor of the historic Blackburn’s Chapel in Todd.
May 6: Cindy Shelton – Cindy is a seminary student who is active in Emmaus, Crossroads, Bible Studies, Welcoming Ministries, and Appalachian Wesley Foundation.
May 13: Carrie McClain – Carrie graduated from North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. Her focus of study was on how the church can have a positive impact on community development.
May 20: Rev. Jeff McClain – Jeff is on staff with Boone UMC and serves as the pastor of the historic Blackburn’s Chapel in Todd.
May 27: Ralph Jacobs – Ralph is an active member of our church, who teaches Sunday School and Bible Studies.
Intentional Community
“The church is Christ existing as community.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Blackburn’s Chapel in historic Todd, NC (minutes from Appalachian State University in Boone) is welcoming students and recent graduates who want to live in an intentional Christian community where they can follow Jesus and mutually discern together how God is moving in their lives. The goal of this living experience is to provide a safe, rich, and cost-effective transitional space for young adults to explore whether God is calling them to vocational ministry.
Blackburn’s Chapel Chapel offers students the chance to develop their ministry gifts by contributing to worship through preaching, teaching, worship leading, music, Bible studies, discipleship, caring for one another, and meeting the needs of the local community in Todd. Though it’s not far from the bustle of Boone, Todd is a rural community which presents participants with unique challenges and opportunities for leadership development in a rural context. Participants will covenant together for a life of discipleship overseen by an abbot – a seminary-educated person with the wisdom and savvy to lead such a community. As they cultivate their callings, they will be Christ to one another, to the local community, and to the world.
Blackburn’s Chapel owns a four bedroom house on an acre of land situated across the street from the banks of the New River and just down the road from the Todd General Store. It’s the ideal location for being immersed in the heart of the Todd community while also providing a quiet sanctuary for reflection and discernment. The land next to the house is perfect for a community garden which could also help offset the cost of living and allow students to be a part of the vibrant local agricultural scene even as they meet tangible needs of the surrounding community by feeding their neighbors.
For more information or to apply for residence please contact Pastor Jeff McClain.
