OUR ROOTS ARE DEEP
INDIAN BAYOU UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
1834-1984
A HISTORY IN COMMEMORATION
OF AMERICAN METHODISM'S BICENTENNIAL
PART I: BEGINNINGS
CHAPTER ONE
Soon after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the first missionary appointment
to the new territory came from the young Methodist church, then less than
twenty years old. Elisha Bowman was appointed from the Mississippi conference
in 1805, to work in the Louisiana territory. His instructions, according
to conference minutes, were to work in Louisiana, beginning in New Orleans
and going into "Appalousa" land. Aside from New Orleans, Opelousas
was the center of the Attakapas country, and Bowman probably based his
circuit in that town.
According to records in Natchez, there were "Americans" in the Opelousas
area. Thus, the early Methodist church differentiated between the Acadians
and the Protestants. It was the "Americans" whom Bowman sought, and find,
preached.
J. R. Harper, writing in The Louisiana Methodist , mentioned a Thomas Nixon
in 1817 - 1818. It is said the he "served the Attakapas circuit." During
the first few weeks, he had difficulty finding his way around the countryside.
A portion of his diary, dated January 1, 1817, stated that "he had started
out to ride to Brother Foreman's, but after a night of riding he came to
the home of a Mr. Morgan and found, to his surprise, that he was on Vermilion
bayou. During the cloudy day and dark night of travel, he found he had
swum Plaquemine Brulee bayou, two large coulees, and crossed a number of
small ones."
During the years after 1817, circuit riders ventured into the trackless
prairies south of Opelousas, where, not too much later, men and women settled
near a bayou in a village which they called Kimball's Chapel.
CHAPTER TWO
In 1819, the Attakapas circuit was served by John Menefree and Thomas Owens.
In 1820, Daniel DeVinne rode in and served two years on the circuit. The
first building in the circuit was completed at Plaquemine Brulee during
DeVinne's term. While his chief concern was the Plaquemine Brulee church,
he did ride the circuit, as Plaquemine Brulee was not his home. (Plaquemine
Brulee has evolved into the village of Branch.) DeVinne stayed in Opelousas;
his assignment was to the circuit and not to Plaquemine Brulee.
Congregations varied, from three to as many as hundreds. DeVinne found
"forty-seven distributed in ten localities," and probably, although there
are no records of the meetings, he visited Kimball's Chapel.
Thomas Clinton and B.M. Drake are two riders serving Attakapas and Rapides
circuits in 1823. New Town -- today's New Iberia -- came into being at
this time, within the Attakapas circuit. No record exists of Kimball's
Chapel. By 1847, the Attakapas area was populous enough to justify the
formation of the Opelousas conference. The minutes of the first meeting
do not refer to Kimball's Chapel. The circuit riders continued building
their flocks.
A charter member and founder of the church at Kimball's Chapel was Isaac
Hoffpauir, who with his wife, Eliza, is credited with the establishment
of the congregation. Hoffpauir was the first "licensed Exhorter" of the
new church --"one authorized to recruit new members for the church." He
was born in 1814, and began serving as exhorter between 1830 and 1840.
This would indicate an unofficial founding date for the Kimball's Chapel
church as 1835-1840. An article appearing in The Louisiana Methodist in
August, 1982, by Clara Erath, indicates that persons from Kimball's Chapel
attended services at Perry's Bridge (the mother church for Abbeville United
Methodist Church) in the early 1830's. Isaac Hoffpauir was among those
in attendance.
CHAPTER THREE
Kimball's Chapel flock did not meet in a church building in its early days.
They congregated in private homes or beneath the trees on the banks of
the stream, where they sang Wesley's hymns and heard the preachings of
circuit riders or local men "exhorting" to better ways; they established
a foundation for the church that has existed for one hundred and fifty
years, and still is strong in the word of God.
They met in private homes or on the bank of the bayou, and worshipped.
Their numbers grew, and they built a church. One of Isaac Hoffpauir's sons,
Abel, wrote of the building of that first church for Kimball's Chapel.
He, among others, hauled timbers by oxen from forests west of the Mermentau
River. Abel (1843-1915) wrote that he was eighteen or nineteen at the time
of the erection of the church. This would place the construction shortly
after 1860.
The church was built on land which now contains the Methodist cemetery,
land donated by Benager Spell. The earliest record now in hand of a land
transfer is dated April 11, 1892, by Howard Hoffpauir as notary public,
whereby, for the sum of $18, seven and six-tenths acres of land were sold
by Benager Spell, with Thomas Hoffpauir, president of the board of trustees,
witnessed by Hampton Morgan and Elijah Spell, bought by the Indian Bayou
church "known as the Kimball's Chapel of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South." This was an addition to the original tract of land.
What did the first church, the 1860 model resemble?
They chose a place on the bank of a small winding stream, heavily wooded,
the wilderness tapering to the rolling fertile prairie all around. The
first house of worship was a simple one, merely a single gabled room of
surprisingly large proportions, capable of accommodating a congregation
many times larger than that of Kimball's Chapel. There were three windows
on either side from front to back, and two doors in front. It was a simple
building, with no spires or steeple, in keeping with the simplicity of
the times, and also in keeping with the practices of the people called
Methodist. Later, the double front door was eliminated, an extension was
built at the front center of the church, and a spire was erected. A small
gingerbread cupola marked the beginning of the steeple, and there were
louver windows all around a belfry which, according to those who recall
the old church, never contained a bell. Beneath the belfry, a single entrance
door was centered.
CHAPTER FOUR
Who conducted the early services? Who baptized the babies, performed the
marriages, buried the dead?
Conference records for 1847 do not mention Kimball's Chapel. It is assumed
that circuit riders served the church until 1872, when Abel Hoffpauir became
the first locally licensed minister in Louisiana and was assigned to Kimball's
Chapel. Conference records show him as minister for Indian Bayou -- not
Kimball's Chapel -- from 1876 to 1877, making him the first preacher whose
sole assignment was Indian Bayou. No conference statistics exist for Hoffpauir's
ministry, but his own records show fifteen infant baptisms -- Faulks, Foremans,
Morgans, Perrys, Sarvers, Smiths, Spells. That year, according to his records
(meticulous diaries), these were the elected officials: Isaac Hoffpauir
and M. Cady, exhorters; Howard Hoffpauir, Thomas Hoffpauir, Thomas J. Hoffpauir,
and Benager Spell, trustees; Martin Sarver, George Morgan, Howard Hoffpauir,
Benager Spell, and Elija Spell, stewards. The lay delegate was William
Shepherd.
In 1878, there were twenty-seven infant baptisms; ministerial support was
$138.66. In 1879, John Pointer was the minister. There were 220 members,
one Sunday School with six teachers and twenty-five scholars. One dollar
was collected for foreign missions. According to conference records, there
were two churches valued at $800, and no parsonage; apparently this was
a shared charge, and statistics are for both churches. John Pointer was
reappointed late in 1879, but he died in 1880, to be followed by John F.
Will, appointed, according to the records, to Kimball's Chapel and Plaquemine
Brulee. There were 213 members.
There was no conference in 1881. In January of 1882, John Winn returned.
In 1883, the two churches are listed together, with two ministers, L.A.
Reed and B. Clegg. There were three churches, valued at 41,600; a parsonage,
$600; preacher assessment, $600; $770.50 was collected for ministerial
support. There were two local preachers, five adult baptisms, 127 infant
baptisms; and sufficient monetary returns to indicate a form of prosperity
in the land. Indian Bayou is omitted from the 1884 minutes listing appointments,
although statistics are there for the church. Indian Bayou and Plaquemine
Brulee had 675 members, two preachers, 54 baptisms, three churches valued
at $1,800; one parsonage, a church lot, and $234 collected for building
and repair.
In January, 1886, J. Ivy Hoffpauir, younger brother of Abel Hoffpauir,
was appointed to Jennings and Kimball's Chapel. Nothing is said of his
ministry in the minutes, although we know that he returned to Indian Bayou
in 1912 and later became a presiding elder.
In 1877-1888, M.C. Manly pastored the church in the newly named town of
Lafayette (Vermilionville), and Indian Bayou. No statistics are given for
Indian Bayou. Robert Harry was appointed to these two churches in 1889;
again, no statistics.
In 1890, the first mention is found of district division, and W. B. Tilley
came to Indian Bayou, listed in the Opelousas district. K.C. Seward, in
1891, reported 328 members, 51 infant baptisms, three adult baptisms, $900
value of the church. In 1892, Jasper Spell of Indian Bayou was district
lay leader; Seward returned for a second year.
The Hebron Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1893 and assigned
to the Indian Bayou charge.
Other ministers in the list before 1900 include these: 1893, W.J. Porter;
1895, S.M. Whatley; 1896, S.S. Bogan; 1897, J. White Davis; and 1899, J.P.
Haney.
The list of preachers immediately after the turn of the century include
the following: 1900 - 1902, F.N. Sweeney; 1903 - 1904, J.F. Waltman; 1905
-1906, J.D. Nesom; 1907, F.P. Morse; 1908 - 1911, J.S. Rutledge; 1912,
J. Ivy Hoffpauir; 1913 - 1914, J.H. Hoffpauir (a son of Abel Hoffpauir);
1914, J.L. Lay; 1916 - 1917, G.D. Anders; 1918 -1919, C.B. Powell; 1920
- 1922, Perry Lowry; 1923 - 1926, L. E. Crooks.
One final chapter remains in this account of the days of the early church
at Indian Bayou, a sad chapter but one that must be told to have a complete
story.
CHAPTER FIVE
Perry O. Lowry (1920 - 1922) was the last preacher to serve out his ministry
in the old (1860) Indian Bayou church. Brother Lowry's daughter, Ruth Lowry
Kobs, wrote a beautifully reminiscent letter describing her father's pastorate
here, giving a picture of the people and the times. This letter is included
as Appendix 2 to this history.
The Lowry family were the first family to live an entire term at the present
location of the parsonage. Earlier, a minister's wife had protested having
to live so near to a cemetery (the first parsonage was in the same area
as the church, next to the cemetery), and the parsonage was moved. The
present parsonage was built in 1951.
During the ministry of L.E. Crooks, a movement arose to move the old church
building from its traditional site to a location near the new parsonage.
The congregation split into two factions -- those favoring the sylvan
setting of the old church, and those advocating a more modern, urbane location.
Those supporting the move won out; workmen began dismantling parts of the
venerable church building so that it might be transported.
About ten o'clock one evening in the spring of 1926, two young men tending
a rice pump irrigating the newly planted fields observed a light in the
sky that flickered, then suddenly grew stronger and brighter. The men aroused
the countryside, and they all watched, horrified, as the church burned.
Only the pews, which had been removed from the church before dismantling
began, together with the church records, were salvaged, the pews to be
used for many years in the new church, which was constructed on the site
to which they had planned to move the old building.
Nearly a century of tradition had ended in a pile of ashes.
PART II: MODERN TIMES
As the Indian Bayou Methodist Church drew near the end of its first century,
it grew slowly from its new beginning. Under ministers who succeeded L.E.
Crooks, the church was rebuilt at its new and present site. These were
depression times -- the late 'twenties, the early 'thirties -- and there
was no ready cash in the community to encourage the building of a new,
more modern, and larger church to replace the old. Yet the congregation
wanted so desperately to have this meeting place that they willingly indebted
themselves and rapidly erected the new sanctuary.
In 1926 - 1927, L. P. Moreland was the minister, followed by J.T. McVey;
from 1929 to 1930, J.T. Parsons served. The church was paying its own debt
during this period, through the generosity of a member who donated a plot
of ground to the church. It was part of a rice field, and the grain harvested
from this plot served each season to lessen the debt. This was called the
"church rice patch", and its proceeds are listed in the church records
as money from "church rice". Additionally, each member dedicated an acre
of his own rice crop to the church (in addition to tithes).
In 1931, Reverend G. H. Corry was appointed to the church. During his ministry,
the great indebtedness of the church was ended. Again, the church rice
patch plus dedicated member rice, together with specified additional donations,
cleared the debt. Appendix 3 is Brother Corry's list of contributors and
their contributions which, taken together, amortized the outstanding building
debt of $1,300.60, a very large sum in that depressed time.
Brother Corry, as ministers before and after him, was frequently given
farm produce -- rice, chickens, potatoes, preserves, or whatever the members
could spare. "Sharing with the preacher" was a community tradition, with
no financial credit expected. The produce was considered lagniappe
by the donors; however, Brother Corry kept strict accounting of it all,
and applied it to his reports, to his total salary. (Brother Corry was
interviewed in Shreveport in June, 1971, and recalled, among other tidbits,
that Bishop Dobbs visited the Indian Bayou church for the dedication of
the new building. During the visit, he stayed with the Corrys, and while
he was there, the two small Corry boys set fire to the haystack from the
church rice patch, causing much excitement in the parsonage and no small
embarrassment for the host.)
Brother Corry was succeeded by J.A. Knight (mentioned again below), 1934
- 1937. During Brother Knight's ministry, the tabernacle was moved from
its original site. In 1938 -1940, W.T. Gray was minister.
In September of 1940, new seats were installed in the church. The new pews
were a sizable advance in the church's growth, both in money and in pride.
Previously, the pews had been homemade slat benches, with a few heavy solid
benches. All of these had come from the old church as salvage, and they
had served very well through the years. Members still active in the church
recall the decision facing the church regarding the choice of new seats,
and the debate, leading almost to a schism. Some wanted expensive cypress
pews; other, more practical, would settle for pine. Because the depression
days had not ended, the pine pews won the vote. They have worn well to
this day.
The years 1941 - 1942 saw Lastie Hoffpauir as minister. He was followed,
briefly, by Jeff Holliday. Then, in 1943, A.M. Martin was appointed minister,
to remain until 1950.
Brother Martin, one of Indian Bayou's most highly revered ministers, was
an example of the Louisiana French contribution to Methodism. According
to a chapter in his book, "In the Land of New Acadie", Dr. R. H. Harper
says, on pages 26-27, the following:
|
"The history of Bayou Blue, the mother church of our French work in Terrebonne
and Lafourche, is quite interesting. Mr. Robert E. Martin, who lived in
the neighborhood, was a man of deep religious nature who was not satisfied
with Romanism, which was dominant in his vicinity. He led in the organization
of a society known as the "Spiritualist Society of Bayou Blue." An old
hay shed was converted into a place of meeting, services were held, members
were received into the society, infants were baptized, and the dead buried.
In 1907, Mr. Martin came into the neighborhood to conduct a meeting. Mr.
Martin, viewing a list of denominations in our country, said, "Now, which
is your church?" A native of the area replied, of course, that it was Methodist.
The results were that the Spiritualist Society went out of existence and
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of Bayou Blue, took its place, and
has ministered in that neighborhood ever since". |
Dr. Harper continues, stating that Mr. Martin was licensed to preach and
in time became a local elder. "Two of his sons are members of the Louisiana
Conference -- Reverend J.A. Martin and Reverend A.M. Martin." (This information
is on pages 29 and 30 of Dr. Harper's book.) Another minister at Indian
Bayou from the Bayou Blue mother church was Brother Knight, mentioned above.
Maxine Wagner, a daughter of Brother Martin, recalls her father's ministry:
| "A series of barbecues was
started to raise money for the cemetery. Before this time, I don't believe
there was a caretaker hired on a regular basis....A sidewalk was installed
at this time. Miss Eva Crenshaw, deaconess in the Methodist Church,
was appointed to Indian Bayou by District Superintendent Hicks. She stayed
about two years. As her specialization was rural work, she loved country
people in a country setting. Serving as a combination social worker, spiritual
adviser, and chauffeur, she gave a lift to all areas of the church community.
As this was war time, special services were held for
servicemen, especially remembering those overseas. The Second World War
was in full swing, and anxiety was the rule of the day, as almost everyone
had someone in combat or near its sites. As I recall, a candlelight service
was held, a candle being lit for each serviceman from the community. A
plaque listing all those serving was situated on a corner adjacent to the
church. Various alterations took place, including the tabernacle being
screened in and updated. Donation of a pulpit and a pulpit Bible was given
as a memorial; Salsman's Head of Christ was put up. There had been no restroom
facilities before the 1940's; an outhouse was installed to the rear of
the church. |
Following Brother Martin's lengthy ministry, in 1951, R.E. Pierson was
minister, to be followed by W.G. Wilson in 1952. Indian Bayou was designated
a supply church in 1952, with Byrl Moreland occupying the pulpit during
the summer while still a seminary student. In 1954 -1957, M.L. Davis preached;
1958 -1965, J.B. McCann, whose tenure was one year longer than Brother
Martin's. In 1959, the old tabernacle was replaced by the fellowship hall.
In 1966 - 1968, T.R. Bergeron was minister. In 1969 - 1971, Robert W. Peterson
was the pastor.
During
Brother Peterson's ministry, many signs were evident of church growth.
A letter written by Brother Peterson in 1976 lists the events. The letter
follows:
| "We (the Petersons) arrived
at Indian Bayou in June of 1969 to start our ministry there....That Christmas,
we had a really nice Christmas play. Then at Easter of 1979, we held a
Passion Play. Older people, rather than young, took part. Some construction
was accomplished while we were there. In the winter of 1970 - 71, Sunday
school rooms and a choir loft were added to the sanctuary. All this was
done through donations, and made the sanctuary more serviceable.
The chancel area was changed at that time, and was carpeted. A lectern
was donated for the altar area. A sidewalk was placed around the building.
The parsonage was updated through a money-raising shrimp gumbo -- with
the help of the UMW. The gumbo was held at the school, where money was
raised to buy and install carpet throughout the parsonage, and to paint
the interior. This year, the United Methodist Men started a project whereby
as many of the past preachers who could be found would be requested to
send us a photo to have reprinted and placed in the fellowship rooms of
the church to make a gallery. This involved a lot of work and correspondence,
but certainly was worth it, as at each Labor Day barbecue, friends and
relatives come and have a time of remembrance. There are also pictures
of the old church and some classes in the gallery. A new barbecue
house was built in the summer of 1971. All the while, we continued to hold
our "Congregational Sings" and they advanced to the point where we had
one every six months. A hurricane fence was installed around the
parsonage property..., and the old barbecue house was moved over to this
lot after a new building was agreed upon.... |
Brother Peterson repeatedly
mentioned the Labor Day barbecues (also referred to by Maxine Wagner above).
The earlier barbecues in the 1940's have continued and grown from almost
family affairs to area-wide events, a tradition anticipated eagerly each
year for a genuine fellowship that is interdenominational and refreshing.
The Labor Day affair is a general homecoming, not alone for one family,
but for all persons involved with Indian Bayou. The cemetery, once supported
haphazardly if at all, and maintained by volunteer labor on a hit-or-miss
basis, has a fulltime caretaker and is an outstanding example of unity
of purpose and desire to serve that characterizes so much of the history
of Indian Bayou United Methodist Church.
In 1972,
Doug Davis was minister, followed in 1973 by Etienne Brouilette. For 1974
and 1975, the minister was H.C. Howell, who was succeeded for 1976 - 1977
by Brother Jim Constable. "Brother Jim" was followed in 1978 by John Coker.
In 1981, Indian Bayou's first woman minister, Reverend Kibbie Behling,
was appointed, to be followed by the present preacher, Reverend John Wesley
Guyre. During his term, central air conditioning and heating have been
installed in the parsonage. Brother Guyre has instituted a film ministry,
and tapes of Sunday services have been made available for shut- ins.
As the
Indian Bayou United Methodist Church approaches the second half of its
second century, it stands firm in the conviction that is a growing church,
a loving church, and a church worthy of survival and strengthening because
of its illustrious history. The church looks forward to a new building
program to keep pace with a young, invigorated congregation, to a new evangelical
program, and to many as yet unstated advances in its ministry.
Submitted by
Bonnie Rives
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