The Leon Russell Chapel, nestled among the pines, literally and figuratively stands at the heart of NC Wesleyan’s beautiful 200-acre campus.  The chapel was named in memory of the Rev. Dr. Leon Russell.  The Rev. Dr. Russell was a distinguished leader of the North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, an entity which covers the 56 easternmost counties in North Carolina and helped to found the college in 1956.  NC Wesleyan broke ground on the chapel in February 1982, and it was dedicated in the fall of 1983.  A cozy setting, yet light and airy, the sanctuary seats 95.  The chapel also contains the chaplain’s study and the Rena Blackburn Perry prayer room.  A brick courtyard on the south end of the chapel is used for picnics, Bible studies, and informal gatherings.

The Leon Russell Chapel hosts numerous worship services including several campus ministries, seasonal observations and concerts, practices of the Wesleyan Singers and the Voices of Triumph, celebrations of Holy Communion, and the Youth Theology Institute.  Religious Studies classes are also held in the chapel.  When not in use for formal events, campus community members are invited to use the sanctuary for quiet meditation and/or prayer.