In 1832, Rev. Benjamin Coxe was appointed
to the Lafourche Mission. At that time, Thibodaux was the largest
town in the Lafourche area; so it probably served as the headquarters for
Rev. Coxe. The church journal states that the sacraments were administered
at the courthouse in Thibodaux. The membership along the circuit
consisted of 20 whites and 20 blacks. Several preachers were appointed
at different times over the next decade or so. Services were held
in the courthouse until the late 1840's, when construction began on a church
building.
The Thibodaux church was the
largest Methodist church in the area. It had a 50' tall steeple that
could be seen from far away. The church had seating space for 300
people. It was dedicated on September 24, 1851. Although built
on a back street, it was moved to Jackson Street in September. Later
that year, in December, the 6th session of the Louisiana Annual Conference
was held in Thibodaux.
In 1852, Rev. Robert Harp arrived
to find a charge consisting of 64 white and 62 black members. He
organized the first Sunday School at Thibodaux when he arrived. It
is Rev. Harp that started the only church journal of Methodism in the area
for the 19th century. That journal is now in the Conference Archives.
For the next 20-30 years, the
church was usually served by a pastor. Some years, no one could be
found to serve the charge. At times, the circuit extended from Berwick
to Donaldsonville. The last entry in the church journal comes in
1889. Rev. James Matthew Henry was appointed to the Thibodaux circuit
for that year. He found a church and six remaining members.
After E.T. Denson was appointed in 1891, Thibodaux disappears from the
records. Finally, the church was sold. The old church's location
is now marked by a parking lot for an auto dealer.
In 1948, a group of men set
up to reestablish the church. While funds were raised and construction
occurred, they held services at the Episcopal Church. The new church
was completed under the leadership of Rev. John Redmond and dedicated in
1950. A farm house was donated to the church and moved to the church
property to be used as a parsonage. In 1954, the educational building
was built. Two years later, in 1956, a two-story Fellowship Hall
was build by members of the church. In 1978, the old parsonage was
turned into classroom space and a new parsonage was purchased. Later,
in 1991, the old parsonage was removed to make room for a new Fellowship
Hall.
Source: Methodism Along the Bayou, Timothy Hebert |
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