The beautiful stained-glass windows of Schlatter Chapel create a mosaic pattern on the campus lawn when the light shines through them. It’s been a favorite sight for students for many years – 30 to be exact.
This past month, Warner Pacific commemorated the 30th anniversary of the completion of Schlatter Memorial Chapel and
Kardatzke Hall. Originally designated as the “H.A. Schlatter Memorial Prayer Chapel,” the university broke ground on this beloved place of worship on October 25, 1990, and construction concluded three years later in 1993. The chapel pays tribute to Henry A. Schlatter, a Church of God pastor and evangelist, whose efforts secured the property in Spokane for Pacific Bible College’s (now WPU) inaugural site. In fact, Henry played a pivotal role in Warner Pacific’s establishment as a college itself, as reflects his signature being the first one to mark our Articles of Incorporation.
Situated at the site of the original college building known as “Old Main,” Schlatter Chapel stands where the entire campus once existed. “Old Main” served various functions, housing dorm rooms, classrooms, the dining hall, administrative offices, and the chapel. Before that, (and before Warner Pacific acquired the property), it functioned as a sanitarium. Its transition to becoming a sacred space was marked in a special way: during the dedication, students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members gathered to transport a steeple cross from Division Street to the chapel where it remains to this day. This symbolic gesture signified a uniting of the community in celebration of a newly completed sacred space.
Schlatter Chapel was dedicated during the West Coast Ministerial Assembly Church of God, as the first new building on campus in 18 years. Originally designed as
a prayer chapel, it became a place where students frequently gathered for prayer throughout the day. Derek Bradford, Multimedia Specialist at WPU and one of the chapel’s builders, recalls that the chapel immediately became a place of spiritual significance to students, and remains so for students, as well as community members, today.
The chapel’s stained-glass windows intricately depict the story of Jesus’ life, starting with His birth on the far left and culminating in His persecution on the far right. This visual narrative adds to the chapel’s beauty, maintaining its status as a sacred space for students, staff, and faculty seeking respite from the demands of daily life.
Kardatzke Hall, located directly beneath Schlatter Chapel, honors Rev. Elmer E. Kardatzke, a pastor at the First Church of
God in Wichita, KS. Serving as a spacious classroom, meeting room, and event/conference space accommodating up to 80 people, it has become a venue where local congregations who are without a church home of their own choose to hold their worship services every Sunday.
As we reflect on the 30-year milestone of these remarkable spaces, we feel truly blessed to have felt their enduring significance throughout WPU’s history. To honor this anniversary, you are invited to make a contribution to special projects which will ensure the upkeep of Schlatter Chapel and Kardatzke Hall as enduring sacred spaces on campus.
To learn more, email Mary Clayton at mrclayton@warnerpacific.edu.