“All dogs go to heaven” may be debatable theologically, but in Roanoke, Va., there’s a place where canines can go to church.
Welcome to “dog chapel” at Colonial Avenue Baptist Church, a 53-year-old congregation affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Quentin Madder and Chipper
Pastor Quentin Madden, a 30-year ministry veteran who studied at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, said Roanoke is a dog-friendly town, featuring a number of outdoor spaces for pets including the Blue Ridge Parkway and Roanoke River Greenway. It’s one of the characteristics that appealed to him when he moved there in 2013.
Then he learned about Black Dog Salvage, a 40,000 square-foot remodeling warehouse in Roanoke featured on the popular television show Salvage Dawgs on the DIY Network. He went there and met Sally the Salvage Dog, the black Labrador retriever who serves as the welcoming committee for visitors, and got an idea for the church’s open-air prayer garden that wasn’t getting much use.
“I discovered that many of the families in our church also had dogs who were clearly precious parts of their family,” he said. “So, I thought the prayer garden might get some use and also offer a place for prayer with pets for those in our community and church.”
The “dog chapel” area includes a cross, a small statue of St. Francis of Assisi and plenty of available seating.
Madden said he goes there with his dog, Chipper, who comes to work with him every day to greet visitors, and finds it a “sacred place.” An invitation to the public appeared as a community news item in The Roanoke Times Oct. 25.
“I thought that we might offer others in our community the opportunity to bring their pets to a sacred place for prayer,” Madden said.
“One can certainly pray anywhere,” he said. “However, there is something compelling about prayer in sacred places, and we hope that this will offer comfort and encouragement to those in our church and community who come to pray.”