Throughout the years at Mercer University, Newton Chapel has been more than just a campus landmark; it has also been a symbol of cherished memories, whether that be wedding ceremonies, worship nights or, once a year, Freshman Sunday Introduction to Mercer.
On Oct. 29, 2025, Mercer University Chief of Police Haley Beckham informed students in a mass email that the esteemed chapel would be temporarily closed starting Nov. 3 for roof renovations. According to Craig McMahan, the University's minister, repairs stem from water damage and leaks from the ceiling, and the renovation is estimated to be completed by February 2026.
Newton Chapel is home to numerous religious campus organizations including the Baptist Campus Ministry, AGAPE and Delight Ministries. BCM President Megan Fachisthers '26 heard about the news of Newton's renovation through Mary Ness, head event coordinator for the Provost's office. Despite the organization already reserving their usual dates for the semester, which include Wednesday nights for band rehearsal and Thursday evenings for ministry gathering, a series of emails to Fachisthers confirmed the chapel's upcoming closure.
"I remember her reaching out to me probably early- to mid-September about potential changes," Fachisthers said. Faced with the possibility of being displaced, Ness helped organizations like BCM find a temporary home.
Shantell Scott '26, AGAPE president, received the news in a text message from a friend.
"Another campus organization leader texted me and was like, ‘Hey, did you get this email?’” Scott said. “I did not get the email, and then I emailed Miss Ness about it, and then we started talking about it that way."
Transitioning to a new location following the midterm season has presented some challenges for BCM, which often hosts as many as 70 members for each meeting.
"In the Innovation Center, there are a lot more restrictions than with Newton,” Fachisthers said. “The cap there is 80 people, so we are kind of right up to the cap, and it is not really equipped for as large a band as we are used to.”
Despite the sudden change in location, leadership for BCM said that membership has not decreased significantly. For their second week at the Innovation Center, BCM saw nearly 80 members – the maximum allowed in the space – attend their worship night. At the same time, AGAPE executives have seen a slight decline in their average of 30 attendees.
Built in 1894, Newton Chapel was initially named Tatnall Square Baptist Church and was not officially affiliated with Mercer until the University bought the building in 1974 after the congregation moved to a different location. Soon after, the chapel was renamed after Southern Baptist Leader and Mercer alumnus Louie D. Newton. Newton graduated in 1913 and went on to teach at his alma mater beginning in 1914. After his death in April 1986, a room in the back of the chapel was created in his honor.
A notable part of the collection of items in the chapel is a eucharist cup that dates back to the 1800s. According to the Dean of Chapel and University Minister Craig McMahan, Newton was a member of a delegation sent to the Soviet Union from the United States. In that role, Newton met with Joseph Stalin and gifted the leader a New Testament and two smoking pipes.
"Stalin kind of felt obligated to give a gift back to him, and the gift that they gave was this chalice that had fallen into Russian hands," said McMahan.
McMahan explained that the chalice originally belonged to a church in Tbilisi, the capital city of the Republic of Georgia, a former Soviet state. Malkhaz Songulashvili, a Baptist minister whose church in Tbilisi was the original owner of the chalice, eventually determined the long-lost item was located at Mercer. McMahan said that the Georgian minister wrote to the University library inquiring about the chalice, and soon enough, it was found in Louie. D Newton Hall.
Today, Songulashvili works closely with the University and its Mercer on Mission trip to Tbilisi.
Precious Clark '26 is a Law & Public Policy major with a minor in Political Science. She works at the circulation desk in Tarver Library and Auxiliary Services. When she is not writing for The Mercer Cluster, she enjoys reading, drawing and listening to Tame Impala.
