St. Andrew United Methodist Church founding pastor Rev. Robert Hasley knew Sunday would be a special day. The church he helped establish in the 1980s was breaking ground on a new chapel named in his honor. What he didn’t know was that Plano Mayor John Muns would make a special proclamation declaring “Rev. Robert Hasley Day” across the city.
“I do thereby encourage all citizens to join me and the Plano City Council in honoring Rev. Hasley for faithfully fulfilling his divine call to servant leadership where he has made a positive impact in countless lives,” Muns said in his official proclamation.
Among the accomplishments he cited were Hasley’s leadership at St. Andrew that helped build over 20 Habitat for Humanity homes in the Douglass Community. He also led church efforts to find housing for over 300 Hurricane Katrina victims and helped found the Seven Loaves Food Pantry.
After leading the congregation for 35 years, Hasley stepped away from the lead pastor role this past summer. Just a few weeks later, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
Newly installed senior pastor Rev. Arthur Jones said he received multiple inquiries from the congregation wanting to find a special way to honor Hasley and his legacy. They ultimately decided to name the new chapel in his honor.
Construction on the Hasley Chapel is scheduled to commence in April 2022. It is expected to take approximately one year to complete.
