City Basile
 Address N. Lewis Ave.
 Membership 12
 Founded 1914

 The Basile Methodist Eipiscopal Church, South, organized in 1914, was one of the first churches to be established in the town.  In 1920, the church built and operated a high school in the town.  The school, the Evangeline Preparatory College charged twenty-five cents per month tuition.  The school burned down five years later and the land was later (1939) sold.
 The current church building was constructed in 1920.  Hebrand Aguillard, Frank Aguillard, and J.W. Hester provided most of the labor.  In later years, a vestibule was added to the front of the church.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 65 from I-10 and head north to Basile on Hwy 97, then turning left onto Hwy 190.  Or head west on Hwy 190 from Opelousas to Basile.  Turn right on S. Lewis Ave.  The church is just past the RR tracks.

 City Cameron
 Address
 Membership 103
 Founded

 Methodist preachers first held services in Leesburg (as it was known then) as early as 1848 in private homes.  Services were later held in the schoolhouse and the courthouse.
 The first appointed minister on record is Rev. John B. Shearer in 1931.  The church purchased property from Alexis Daigle and built their first church in 1933.  The church property increased in 1944, when J. Austin Davis deeded two lots to the church.  Construction on a parsonage was begun in November 1947.
 New facilities, including a sanctuary, fellowship hall, and classrooms, were completed in 1948.  The church was named the Wakefield Methodist Church in memory of George Wakefield.
 A decade later, an annex was constructed (1957) that added classrooms and a kitchen.  But just a few months later, on June 27, hurricane Audrey destroyed the church.  While constructing the new church, the congregation met at the Wesley Foundation at McNeese and at the Cameron Parish courthouse.
 By November 1957 the parsonage had been built; some of the materials from the old church were used in its construction.  Property was purchased from J.A. Davis and Ashburn Rous for a new church.   In February 1958, the education building was completed.  The sanctuary was completed later that year, in October.  A dedication service was held May 5, 1963 with Bishop A.G. Walton leading the service.  In 1995, repairs and painting were applied to the church.

How to Get There:
   Head south to Cameron from Lake Charles on Hwy 14 … which turns into Hwy 27.  Turn right on Hwy 27/82 at Creole and go 13 miles to the church in Cameron.  The church is on the north side of the road, a mile past the flashing light ... or about 2.5 miles east of the ferry.

 City Grand Chenier
 Address Hwy 82
 Membership 50
 Founded 1859

 Methodism began in Grand Chenier around 1855, and a church was constructed on Alvin McCall’s property.  The records record a ten day meeting with a class being organized in 1859.  On October 8 of that year, Grand Chenier became a mission church and Rev. Joel Sanders was appointed.  In 1879 a records shows that Grand Chenier had ten black members.
 After a gap in the records, we find that the original church was destroyed in the August 1918 hurricane.  Services were then held at the school and in private homes.  In 1924, Rev. Willie Hebert led the congregation in purchasing property from Capt. C.C. Nelson.  A new church, called the Grand Chenier Protestant Church, was completed in 1925.  In 1947, the facilities and property were given to the Methodist Church when Rev. Raymond Pierson was pastor.
 After the 1925 church was destroyed by hurricane Audrey in 1957, a new sanctuary was built in 1958.  It was paid off on April 12, 1963.   The church bell, which had survived the hurricane, was installed in the new church.  The dedication service was held on May 5 of that year.  In 1998, the front window was replaces with the present window, depicting a cross with praying hands.

How to Get There:
 Head south to Cameron from Lake Charles on Hwy 14 … which turns into Hwy 27.  Go past the Hwy 27 turnoff to Oak Grove and turn left onto Hwy 82 at the flashing light.  The church is on the left, 8.2 miles to the east of the turn.

 City Church Point
 Address N. Plaquemine St.
 Membership 49
 Founded 1889

 Methodists first began meeting in Church Point in 1889.  The first services, led by Rev. R.M. Blocker, were held under a brush arbor on the Evan’s property on the north bank of Bayou Plaquemine.  Rev. Blocker made the trip from Plaquemine Brulee near Branch where he was serving.  Rev. Blocker stayed at Dr. Jenkins’ home during the two-week revival.  Sixty-one people came forward to start a church at Church Point.  An arpent of land in town was purchased on April 24, 1891 for $150 from Valentine Breaux.  The first church building was constructed of wood that year using mostly volunteer labor.
 Around 1935, a parsonage was built next to the church so that they could house a full-time minister.  When that home was sold and moved from the property in 1959, they bought the Theodore Daigle home to use as a parsonage.  It was dedicated on March 15, 1964.
In 1948, the church was taken down.  Using some of the lumber from the old church, a new church was constructed on the site.  Services were held at the Woodman of the World Hall during construction.  The new church included three classrooms, a kitchen, and a study.
  The parsonage was sold in December 1974.  A new one was built next to the church.  Rev. and Mrs. Etienne Brouillette moved in the new parsonage on September 12, 1975.  It was dedicated on January 11, 1976.
 The cemetery is behind the church.

How to Get There:
   Take Hwy 35 north of I-10 or Hwy 178 west of I-49 to Church Point.  Turn north on Main St. and cross the RR tracks.  Turn left at the light on W. Plaquemine St.  The church is on the right 0.2 miles ahead.

 City Iota
 Address
 Membership 27
 Founded 1902

 A lot was donated to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1901.  The church was constructed the following year.  A bell that had hung in the Acadian Parish courthouse in the 1880s was given to the church and was installed in the church tower.
The current church was built in 1938 using donations and building materials from the 1902 church that was taken down.  The parsonage was purchased in 1957.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 72 from I-10 and head north on Egan Hwy for 2 miles.  At the Hwy 91 intersection turn left.  Head north on Hwy 91 to Iota.  The church will be on the right, about half a mile north of the Hwy 98 east intersection.

 City Crowley
 Address 321 E. Third St.
 Membership 358
 Founded 1888
 Pic of old church

 The first services and Sunday School were held in a one-room schoolhouse in West Crowley in 1887.  Rev. H.O. White, the pastor at Rayne, would travel to town to hold services.
 W.W. Duson donated a lot, and construction began on the first church (of any denomination) in Crowley on October 8, 1888.  The Houma church had been sold that year, and provided some of the funds.  The first service was held on Christmas eve that year.  The church wasn’t completed, so members had to sit on planks.  The wood structure, with a tall steeple enclosing a bell, was completed by February 1890 at the corner of Third Street and Avenue I.
 By 1909, the congregation had outgrown the church.  Plans were made for a new $30,000 church and ground was broken on Thanksgiving Day 1912.  The congregation continued to meet in the old church (which was moved to Avenue I) until the new church was completed.  The first service in the new church took place on January 31, 1914.  Eleven stained glass windows, made in St. Louis of German glass, were installed in the church.  The pipe organ, which was installed in1913, became worn during the years.  So in 1965 it was decided to replace the organ and to remodel the chancel.  The new pedal organ, with twenty-four ranks of pipe, was dedicated on February 18, 1968.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 80 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 13.  After 1.8 miles, turn left on 3rd St.  The church is 3 blocks ahead on the left.

 City DeQuincy
 Address 301 E. Center St.
 Membership 230
 Founded

The first mention of the DeQuincy church in the records appears in the report of the 1908 Gulf Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Pastor W.F. Bolton reported a full membership of 87 and $1,200 in property value.  There was also $590 was spend on the building of a parsonage that year.  We know very little of those early days because a hurricane in 1918 destroyed most of the local records.
 It appears that pastoral care in those early days was intermittent.  Most of the residents were Baptist with few Methodists in the area.  One member of that day referred to the church as a “big, crude barn” that had never been completed.  It was located between Third and Fourth Streets on Front Street, just north of the service station.  The parsonage was on the north side of the church.  Property was purchased … lots 3 and 4 of block 3.
 After the 1918 storm destroyed the church and parsonage, a lot on the corner of Holly and Center Streets was purchased for $400 on March 17, 1919.  District Superintendent J.A. Carruth led the congregation in building the new church that year.  The white church, painted white and built on piers, cost $4,500 and was 40 by 56 feet in size.  A new parsonage was built on the opposite corner.   The first pastor in the new parsonage was Rev. C.M. Hollett who arrived in 1920.
 On July 12, 1921, lot 8 of block 3 east of the church was purchased for an annex of classrooms.  An open-air tabernacle was built in the early 1920s on the south side of the church for holding revivals.
 In 1947, an education building was acquired under the leadership of Rev. Spinks.  The building had been a chapel at the DeRidder Air Force Base.
 In 1957, the decision was made to construct a new church.  The old church was taken down and the new church completed by the end of 1958.  The dedication service was held on May 5, 1963.
 When the education building was badly damaged by a fire on March 1, 1966, it was decided to build a new one.  The new fellowship hall was built in early 1967.   The church built a new parsonage in the Boise Southern Addition in 1972.
 In 1988, property on the south side of the church was purchased.  The house on the lot was sold and the lot reserved for parking space.  The fellowship hall was remodeled in 1991 and a new activity building was built in 1994.

How to Get There:
   Take Hwy 171 north from Lake Charles to Ragley.  Take Hwy 112 west to DeQuincy.  One block past the RR tracks, turn left on Holly St.  The church is one block away at the corner of Center and Holly.

 City DeRidder
 Address 212 Broad
 Membership 731
 Founded 1901

 The first religious body in the town was a union Sunday School that met in the Oddfellows Hall.  Out of this group came the DeRidder Methodist Episcopal Church, South.  Organized in 1901, its first pastor was Rev. Nelson Hoffpauir.  By 1902, the meeting place had been moved to the first floor of the Masonic Hall.  In 1905, the Hudson River Lumber Company gave the church two lots on the northeast corner of the present courthouse square.  The cornerstone of the church was laid on July 2, 1905.  It was a frame building with a gabled roof, high arched windows, and a bell tower.  Services weren’t held in the new church until November due to a yellow fever epidemic in the area.
 The church property was sold for $7,500 on September 11, 1913 to make room for parish buildings since DeRidder had become the parish seat.  The church building was moved to New Heights Road (present-day Martin Luther King Drive).  Later that year, James E. McMahon turned down other offers to sell property at the corner of Pine and Port Streets to the church for $2,000.  Rev. Walter S. Henry was appointed to the church in December 1914 to help with the building of the new church.  The brick church was completed the following year.  At the rear of the sanctuary was a large meeting room surrounded by Sunday School rooms.  The first parsonage was acquired at this time.
In 1920, the 75th session of the Louisiana Annual Conference was held in DeRidder.  When the parsonage burned down in 1931, a new one was rebuilt in the same location.
 By 1951, the church had outgrown its educational facilities.  Extra Sunday School classes were begin held at the parsonage and at a rented house across Pine Street.  The church raised $32,000 to start work on a new education building in April of 1951.  The remainder of the cost ($43,000) was paid off in the next three years.  Besides classrooms, the new building contained an office, parlor, fellowship hall, kitchen, and pastor’s study.
 A new parsonage was built on Lee Avenue on property donated by J.H. Cain and L.C. Lee in 1958.
 By the 1960s, the church had outgrown its sanctuary.  Property on the corner of Shirley and Broad Streets was purchased from the J.D. Frazar family.  Construction began on the Georgian Colonial design in January 1965.  The new church included ten stained glass windows, a rose window, and a pipe organ.  The first service in the new church was held in January 1966.
 The Methodist Men led in remodeling the old facilities into a recreational area and fellowship hall.  The old parsonage was moved to make room for a play area.  Another lot on the block was purchased at that time.
 After a lot on the corner of Pine and Shirley Streets was donated to the church by Mr. and Mrs. T.R. Sartor, Jr. in the late 1980s, plans for a Family Life Center were begun.  The $1.2 project began under the leadership of Rev. Rick Hebert and was completed while Rev. John and Marie Williams served the church in 1994.
 A prayer garden was constructed in 1983-84 in memory of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Cain.  The 1958 parsonage was replaced by a new one on Doctor Beckcom Drive in 1987.

Source: History of DeRidder (3 booklets)

How to Get There:
   Head north to DeRidder on Hwy 171/190.  The highway makes a left turn (Hwy 112 is to the right).  Continue west on Hwy 171/190.  The church is past the RR tracks on the right … 2 blocks past N. Pine St. (where Hwy 171 turns north).

 City Ebeneezer
 Address Ebeneezer Rd.
 Membership 84
 Founded 1889

 The church was organized by Rev. Cline on September 1, 1889.   Local founders of the church were Rev. William Shepherd and Walter Faulk.  The church appears to have occupied the same piece of land over the years.  The original church was replaced in August 1909 with a second church building.  The church was incorporated at that time.
 In April 1957, the Hebron Methodist Church (located four miles away) merged with the Ebenezer church.
 On March 13, 1955, the Quarterly Conference approved the building of a new church by the Ebenezer congregation.  The new structure was completed the following year under the leadership of Rev. Travis Campbell.  In 1983/84, the sanctuary and classrooms were remodeled.  A fellowship hall was built behind the church under the leadership of Rev. John Scarf.
 The cemetery is behind the church.

How to Get There:
  Take exit 87 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 35 for 1.65 miles.  Turn right (west) on Hwy 90.  After about 2.5 miles, turn left on Ebeneezer Rd.  The church is on the right 4.65 miles down the road just past Wades Rd. (Hwy 3007).

 City Branch
 Address Branch Hwy
 Membership 14
 Founded 1819

 The area of Plaquemine Brulee was first visited by Methodist circuit riders in the early 1800s.  Property for a church was purchased on November 19, 1819.  Rev. Daniel DeVinne was appointed to the circuit and arrived in the area soon after.  He wrote in his autobiography that they built the first Protestant church in the area while he served there.   It was 24 by 36 feet “on the Spanish model.”  The walls were whitewashed plaster.  Rev. DeVinne dedicated the church himself.
 In 1895, the building was moved about a mile northeast to land donated by W.W. Duson.  The old church was dismantled and a new present church built in 1947.  Some of the material in the new church at Branch (such as a couple of cypress pews) came from the original church.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 87 from I-10 and head north on Hwy 35.  After 6.75 miles, turn left on Hwy 365 (Branch Hwy) at the flashing light.  The church is on the left, 0.2 miles ahead.

 City Eunice
 Address 5th St.
 Membership 167
 Founded 1894

 At the end of the 19th century, Methodist began to meet in homes for worship services and Sunday School classes.   On August 6, 1896, one of the founders of Eunice, C.C. Duson, donated the land for the church.  For its first two years, Rev. W.E. Fraser came to town from his home in Lake Charles once a month to hold services.
 The Baptists and Methodists took turns holding Sunday School on Sunday afternoons in the Methodist church until the Baptists built their own building in 1905.  At that time, all Protestant marriages in Eunice were recorded at the Methodist church.
 A parsonage was built under the leadership of Rev. S.D. Howard (1909-10).  A larger church was built in 1918.  That second church was replaced by a brick edifice in the early 1940s.  The stained glass windows memorialize past leaders in the church.
 In 1950, a new parsonage was built, along with an education building.  The final unit of the education building was added in 1960.
 The parsonage was remodeled in 1978.  In 1983, the roof and ceiling of the education building were renovated.

How to Get There:
   From I-49 in Opelousas, head west on Hwy 190 to Eunice.  Turn left on 5th St.  The church is 4 blocks ahead, just past W. Oak St.

 City
 Address
 Membership 7
 Founded 1909

 Before the Methodist church was founded, local Methodists would meet with other denominations.  The first Methodist services were held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Glaze.  Rev. Hoffpauir would travel to town twice a month to hold meetings.  In 1909, Mr. and Mrs. Eloi Campbell gave the church a couple of lots on which to build a church.
 When Rev. Sensentaffer visited the area in 1945, it was decided to hold services on Friday nights.  The Friday night services were first held in an old building belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Burleigh.  After that, a rooms was rented at Sam Coles’ store for $12.50 a month for two months.  Then it was held in the home of the Glaze family and then the Barnes family.   Rev. Sensentaffer raised $1700 for a new building.
 In the mid 1940s, John Clark offered to build a church, giving the church a 10% discount.  Max Heinberg of Alexandria drew up the plans at no cost.  The congregation moved into the new structure in the spring of 1947.  To pay off the $3162 balance on the construction, the church rented a booth at the tri-parish fair to help raise money.  With those funds and other contributions, the debt was paid off on May 4, 1955.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 46 from I-10 and head west on Hwy 106 (St. Landry Hwy) to Hwy 13.  Turn left (south) on Hwy 13 (Veterans Memorial Hwy).  Turn right at Jefferson St. in Pine Prairie.  The church is one block ahead on the right.

 City
 Address Davis Rd.
 Membership 41
 Founded 1955

 In the mid 1950s, retired Methodist minister Martin Hebert was holding interdenominational services in the area.  They decided to become a denominational church on March 20, 1955 so that the children and young people would have membership in an organized church.
 The Fairview Demonstration Club building was rented and the first service held on April 3, 1955.  There were thirty-one people at that service.  The District Superintendent, Karl Tooke, led the group in organizing the Fairview Methodist Church on June 23, 1955 with twenty-seven members.  Rev. Hebert was its first pastor.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray B. Hebert donated land on which to build a church.  Construction on the church began on July 19, 1955.  Work was led by Thomas Hebert, with the labor being donated or volunteered.  Though still unfinished, the first service in the new church was held on September 18, 1955.
 Rev. Hebert was getting along in years and stepped down from the pulpit in 1957.  His successors, Rev. Garland Dean and then Rev. W.F. Howell, led the congregation in building an addition to the church facilities.

How to Get There:
   Head south on Hwy 14 from Lake Charles.  When Hwy 14 makes a left turn and Hwy 3092 is straight ahead, take a right on Davis Rd.  The church is on the left.

 City Florien
 Address 1401 Prospect Road
 Membership 68
 Founded 1874

 Beginning in the mid 1800s, Mrs. Marcellus Branch started a church on her plantation southwest of Florien.  In 1861, the membership consisted of eight people.  In the mid 1860s, the location was changed to a piece of land donated by Mrs. Branch (at Victoria, near Columbus on the Sabine River).  By the end of the decade, services had stopped because of the lack of members.  The Victoria property (except for the cemetery) was sold in 1974.
Some services were held in the early 1870s at a log cabin a few hundred yards away from the present church.  The congregation reorganized about 1871-72.  A new church was built by W.F. Sandel in 1874 for $75.  It was used as a church on Sundays and as a school during the week.  In 1904, William Sandel donated four acres of land to the church.  The current church is located on that property.
 Led by the Missionary Society, the idea for a new church began in 1920.  The church members tried building it themselves, but their attempt came crashing down after the framework was put up.  The new church, which included several classrooms, was finally completed in 1930 under the leadership of Rev. L.E. Crooks.  It was dedicated on November 23, 1938 under the leadership of Rev. B.H. Andrews.
 In the early 1960s, the congregation decided to build a parsonage.
In 1973, the congregation began plans for a new church.  A brick church was completed by the following year under the leadership of Rev. Charles E. Scott.  The first service in the new church was a dedication service on January 20, 1974.  The new facilities also included a fellowship hall, kitchen, bathrooms, and a pastor’s study.  Additional classrooms were added in 1988.

How to Get There:
   Take Hwy 171 to Florien.  Turn left (west) on Port Arthur at the light.  After 0.7 miles, turn left onto Prospect Rd.  Follow the curvy, narrow road for 1.35 miles.  The church is on the left.

 City Hornbeck
 Address Pt. Arthur Ave.
 Membership 31
 Founded 1902
 

 The congregation first met under brush arbors in the late 1800s.  After land was donated by N.A. McInnis, a church was built in 1902.  The sanctuary was round.  The lectern stood in front of the choir, and a pump organ provided the music.  A metal chandelier with kerosene lamps hung in the center.  A large circular stained glass window was on the west wall.   In 1909, Henry Beckcom gave the church some land next to his farm to use as a cemetery.
 The original church burned down in 1938.  Since it was at the time of the Depression, the new church was smaller and was built with donated lumber and fixtures discarded from other churches.  The church was renovated in 1963.  The windows got a facelift in 1982/83 and the parking lot was paved.  A new education building dedicated to L.B. Youngblood was completed in 1991.  Vinyl siding was added to the church in 1992.

How to Get There:
   Take Hwy 171 to Hornbeck.  Turn right (east) at the flashing yellow light onto Pt. Arthur Ave.  The church is on the left, a quarter mile ahead.

 City Gueydan
 Address Main St.
 Membership 162
 Founded 1898

 In the late 1800s, Mr. & Mrs. W.L. Doss, Sr. began holding union Sunday School at their home.  Preaching occurred on Sunday afternoons in the shade of their store.  Later on, meetings were held at the schoolhouse, and then at a rice warehouse when the crowd got too big.
 The church was organized by Rev. P.R. Knickerbocker in January 1898 with eight charter members.  Thirty-two members were added in the first year.  Rev. S.L. Riggs was appointed as the first minister in 1899.  Jean Pierre Gueydan donated property at 511 Daspit Street to the church in June 1900, and a church was built later that year.  A parsonage was built under the leadership of Rev. H.L. Johns in 1904-05.  The home, at 701 Levert Street, cost about as much as the church ($1,200-1,500).  Both debts were paid in the next few years.  Since it was the only Protestant church in town in those early years, Presbyterian and Baptist congregations also used the building for services.
 In 1905, Rev. J.A. Carruth organized a Methodist Episcopal church on Daspit and Eighth Sttreets.  When the congregation disbanded in 1927, the building was moved next to the Gueydan church and used as an education building.
 In the 1940s, land and a home were purchased from Mrs. Agnes Abraham Bunker.  A new parsonage and new church facilities were completed in 1949.  The home, a duplex, was renovated and turned into a parsonage.  The new Gothic-style sanctuary and education buildings cost $70,000.  The mortgage was burned in February of 1954 while Rev. D.B. Boddie served as pastor.  In succeeding year, new pews, an organ, and faceted glass windows were added.
 Three people have gone out of Gueydan as ministers: W.J. Doss, Jr., E.V. Duplantis, and Charles Richard Hoffpauir.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 76 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 91 (Estherwood Hwy).  Turn right (west) on Hwy 90.  After about 2 miles, turn left (south) on Hwy 91 (S. Crocker St.) and go to Gueydan.  Turn left on Main St.  The church is a quarter mile ahead on the left.

 City Kaplan
 Address 501 N. LeJeune Ave.
 Membership 42
 Founded Early 1900s

 The first services in the area were held by Rev. Martin Hebert under a tent.  Later services were held at the Kaplan School on North Lejeune Avenue.  Land was deeded to the church on April 14, 1916 by the Irving Irrigation Company.   The church was built on that property.  A fellowship hall and education addition were added in 1948.  When the congregation began to outgrow their facilities, Rev J.B. McCann began a building fund in 1961.  C.J. Montgomery, a contractor and member of the church, volunteered his services in early 1982 and work began on a new church in August of that year.  The first service in the new sanctuary was led by Rev. John W. Guyre on July 24, 1983.

How to Get There:
    Take exit 87 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 35.  Turn right (west) in Gueydan on Hwy 14 (1st St.).  After 2 blocks, turn right on N. LeJeune Ave.  The church is 4 blocks ahead on the right.

 City
 Address
 Membership 52
 Founded

 The church, located in northwest Allen Parish, may have been organized in the mid 1860s.  A cemetery was established nearby at that time.  The first pastor on record was Rev. P. Galvin in 1878.
 The current church building is the fourth one used by the congregation through the years.  It was built in 1911.  An education building was added later.

How to Get There:
     Head to Oakdale on Hwy 165 or Hwy 10.  Continue west on Hwy 10 to Elizabeth.  A mile past the flashing light in Elizabeth, turn left (south) on Hwy 112.  Go 7.4 miles and turn right on Hwy 377.  After going 1 mile on Hwy 377, turn left.  When the road forks, veer to the left by the cemetery.  The church will be straight ahead

 City Elizabeth
 Address Poplar St.
 Membership 33
 Founded 1921

 The first services were held in the Parks home.  For about two years, the Methodists and Baptists alternated services.  The building was then converted into a hospital (it was the only one with electricity in the area) and services moved to the schoolhouse.  That didn’t work, so they bought a tent and held services underneath.
 Property was later bought on the Front and Fifth Streets.  Construction began in 1920 and was completed the following year.  Rev. Riggs led their first service in the new church, which was a dedication service since everything was paid for.

How to Get There:
  Head to Oakdale on Hwy 165 or Hwy 10.  Continue west on Hwy 10 to Elizabeth.  Turn left on Hwy 3206 at a flashing yellow light.  Follow a curvy road that bends to the right (and becomes Main St.) until you get to Poplar St. (just past the Baptist Church) on the left.  Take a left and the church will be just down the road on your right.

 City Sugartown
 Address
 Membership 10
 Founded 1887

 The church was organized on April 10, 1887 with about eight members.  The first church building was made of split logs and had a fireplace.  It was located about 100 yards below the present church.
 A prayer meeting was held once a month, and Sunday school was held twice a month.  When the congregation couldn’t afford to pay the pastor, services weren’t held.  The pastor, James A. Taylor, would walk nine miles to the church to preach.  When he moved, the church services stopped and the building was used as a schoolhouse.  Services later resumed at the Lucky School House.
 Rev. T.J. Liglits, a Baptist minister, moved to Pine Grove and began a Union Sunday School.  It was changed to Methodist in 1937, with Rev. J.C. Bennett serving as pastor.
 The current Pine Grove church was built in 1921.  By 1939, the church had 32 members.

How to Get There:
        Head to Oakdale on Hwy 165 or Hwy 10.  Continue west on Hwy 10 to Elizabeth.  A mile past the flashing light in Elizabeth, turn left (south) on Hwy 112.  Pass the Sugartown post office and go 2.4 miles.  Turn right and the church will be almost 2.5 miles ahead on your right.

 City Iowa
 Address S. Kinney St.
 Membership 156
 Founded 1901

 The first services were held by Rev. Wm. B. Van Valkenburgh in 1901 in the schoolhouse.  There were nine charter members.  Various Protestant denominations attended those early services.  Property was purchased on the corner of Thomson Avenue and Second Street.  A church building was completed and dedicated the following year.  It took a while to build, because the man had to transport the lumbar in a wagon and worked on the church in their spare time.
 The first parsonage was built in 1903.
When the original church building was damaged in a 1918 hurricane, it was sold and moved off of the property.  The congregation bought the Congregational Church and parsonage, located at the corner of Kenny Avenue and Second Street, for $3,200.  A new annex was completed in 1927 and added classrooms and a kitchen.  Additional rooms were added in 1943.  The parsonage was taken down in 1947 and replaced with a new one.  It was dedicated on March 7, 1948.
The present sanctuary was built in 1950, holding it’s first service on November 7.  A few years later, new pews were purchased.  The sanctuary was dedicated on May 9, 1954.
In the mid 1980s, the church acquired a new parsonage on Lightner Street.  The 1943 building and the 1947 parsonage were sold in 1986 so that an educational wing could be added to the church facilities.  In the summer of 1986, the chancel and choir areas of the sanctuary were renovated.  The educational wing was dedicated on April 20, 1988 under the leadership of Rev. Mark Benge.  It contained six classrooms, restrooms, a nursery, and a storage area.
Stained glass windows were installed in the sanctuary in 1995.  A stained glass window was added to the narthex, which was renovated that year.
 Though the church doesn’t have a cemetery, many of its former members are buried in nearby Pine Hill Cemetery.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 43 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 383 (Thompson Rd.).  After 0.7 miles, turn left on First St.  Then turn right on S. Kinney St. and the church will be one block ahead on the left.

 City Jennings
 Address 702 Cary
 Membership 388
 Founded 1888
 Trinity Church

 In the fall of 1888, Rev. P.A. Drown arrived from the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church to organize a church.  The roll of the church as it was organized in December 1888 lists 19 members.  Work soon began on the church, which was completed the following year (1889).  That church burned down in 1893 but was immediately rebuilt.  The (Gulf) Annual Conference for the north branch of Methodism met often in Jennings (one of the the largest congregations in the Conference).
 In the mid 1940s, plans began to construct new facilities.  The old church was sold.  Services were held at the Masonic Hall while the education building was built   The education building was completed at the end of the decade and fundraising plans began for a new sanctuary.  On October 2, 1955, the first service was held in the new sanctuary.  Rev. Crichlow and Bishop Paul E. Martin led the service.  The dedication service led by Rev. William F. Mayo and Bishop Aubrey G. Walton was later held on February 14, 1965.
 In 1958-59, the old parsonage was torn down and a new brick home constructed.
 By the mid 1970s, the church was outgrowing its walls again.  The facilities were renovated in 1978.
 On May 31, 1998, the Trinity United Methodist Church merged with the Jennings congregation.  Trinity was founded by Rev. E.J. Church in 1897 as a United Brethren Church.  The first church, made of wood with a unique covered entrance and bell tower,  was built in 1902.  Classrooms were added in 1926 and 1951.
A new church and classrooms were built in 1962.  The dedication service for the sanctuary, chapel, and classrooms was held on December 17, 1962.  The church became the Trinity United Methodist Church after the 1968 merger.  Since both churches were now the same denomination and only three blocks apart, the congregations merged their resources to become one.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 64 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 26 (Elton Rd.).  Turn left at the 3rd light onto Hwy 90 (Shankland Ave.).  Then turn right on Cary.  The church is 1/3 mile ahead on the left.

 City Kinder
 Address 1002 5th Ave.
 Membership 96
 Founded 1914

 A small school was built about 1890, near the home of Charles Clark Hill.  Soon after, Sunday School classes began in Mr. Hill’s home.  Fred Giggar brought in Rev. Norton and a church was organized.  The first services in the 1900s were held in homes and in the hotel lobby.  The earliest recorded pastoral appointment was Rev. William Bennett in 1906.
 A church was built in 1914 on Fifth Avenue.  When it was destroyed by a fire on November 15, 1969, plans began for the construction of a new church in the same location.  Services were held in the education building next door (recently dedicated on April 16, 1967) during construction.  Groundbreaking services were held on October 25, 1970, and the first service in the completed church was led by Bishop Crutchfield less than a year later on May 9, 1971.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 44 from I-10 and head north on Hwy 165 to Kinder.  Turn left on 5th Ave.  The church is 2 blocks ahead on the left.

 City Oberlin
 Address
 Membership 20
 Founded 1888

 When Charles Haines’ family moved to the area from Iowa in 1888, they and other families wanted to start a Methodist church and Sunday School. Services began in the area when Rev. C.A. King, pastor of the Simpson Methodist Church in Lake Charles, came by to hold services once a month for the eight charter members.
After a revival by Rev. Bennett in the early 1900s, more people joined the group.  After the revival, Rev. Paul Leeds … a missionary to the Coushatta Indians … often came by to hold services.  In those days the gatherings were a combination of Methodists and Baptists, so it was a union congregation.  At some point in the early 1900s, the congregations had grown and the Baptists separated to form their own congregation.
Under the leadership of Rev. George Purcell, a new church building was constructed in 1927-28.    A parsonage was not acquired until 1949.  In 1958, a fellowship hall was added under the leadership of Rev. J.C. Skinner.  In 1971, the church facilities were remodeled.

Source: Oberlin Methodist Church, Maude Cranford Musselwhite

How to Get There:
      Take exit 44 from I-10 and head north on Hwy 165 to Oberlin.  Turn right on Sixth Ave.  The church is 2 blocks ahead to the left.

 City Lake Arthur
 Address 323 New Orleans
 Membership 113
 Founded 1890

 The church was founded on April 13, 1890 by Dr. James L. Gibson.  The current church was built in the spring of 1891 and was enlarged in 1910.  The parsonage was built in 1940.
 The church was again enlarged and the sanctuary remodeled in 1947.  Classrooms, a pastor’s study, a nursery, and a choir room were added.
 An annex was added in 1954 for educational classrooms.  New choir robes and pew cushions were also purchased at this time.  Later renovations include the addition of vinyl siding and brick to the exterior, new glass for the windows, and remodeling of the parsonage.  The bell was moved from the steeple to the side of the sanctuary.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 64 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 26 to Lake Arthur.  The road turns right and then right again.  Take 4th St. to the west and go to New Orleans Ave.  Turn left and the church will be on the right.

 City Lake Charles
 Address 812 Kirkman St.
 Membership 1208
 Founded 1871

 The church was organized on November 10, 1871 and was charted in May 1873 with thirteen members.  The first church (the first Protestant church in the area) was a 30 by 50 foot building on the southeast corner of Broad and Bilbo Streets.  The first service in the church was held in October 1875.  The church was expanded in 1888.  The name was changed to First Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1894.
 A new church was built on the site, with the first service held on July 19, 1900.  A 1918 storm damages the church and destroyed the belfry.  The bell that hung in the belfry was later given to Milsaps College.
 Land was purchased on the corner of Broad and Kirkman Streets in 1925.  The cornerstone was laid for a new church on March 9, 1928.  Five months later, on August 11, the first service was held.  There were 1000 members at that time.
 It helped to organize the University Methodist Church in 1947 and the Oak Park Methodist Church in 1952.
 An education wing was added to the west side of the church in 1953.  Another education building (Mayo Building) was added in the 1960s on the west side of the main building.  The Family Activities Center was built south of the main building in 1976.  It contains a gym, classrooms, a kitchen, and the Lake Charles District office.
 The church operated a school serving pre-school through 5th grade in 1968.  In 1997, the elementary portion closed so that the school could concentrate on pre-school age children.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 30 from I-10 and head south to Broad St. (Bus Hwy 90).  Turn east and the church will be on the right, on the corner at Kirkman St.

 City Lake Charles
 Address 1800 Orchid St.
 Membership 136
 Founded 1952

 The church was first planned by District Superintendent Hubert Gibbs in 1951.  He made arrangements to purchase six lot on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 17th Street for $6,000.  The first pastor, Rev. Theodore Weber, was assigned in June 1951.  The first services were held at the City Recreation Building and at the Wesley Foundation at McNeese.  Music was provided by a small organ that Rev. Weber transported in the back seat of his car.
 Work began on August 12, 1951 with the groundbreaking ceremonies.  By Christmas eve, a service was held in the shell of the new church.  The church was organized on March 1, 1952 with 76 charter members.  A Sunday School was organized the following month.  First Methodist and some of the congregation donated chairs for seating, though some children sat on empty ammunition boxes from the Chennault Air Force Base.
 The first parsonage, a small two bedroom house on 13th Street,  was purchased in September 1953.  By 1955, the church was growing outside of its facilities.  Classes were meeting in neighborhood garages.  The first church organ was purchased that year.  A new parsonage at 2305 17th Street was purchased in September 1956.
 Hurricane Audrey in June 1957 cause damage throughout the area, including blowing off most of the church roof.  An educational wing was added the following year in 1958.  When the Channault Air Force Base closed at the beginning of the 1960s, the church lost quite a few members.
 The year 1962 saw the addition of new equipment (new organ, piano, P.A. system) and a lighted cross.  A parking lot was set up on the east side of the facilities in 1972.  On October 20, 1974, a service was held to burn the church mortgage.  Additional work was done and the sanctuary was completed (and all pews refinished) in 1977.  A steeple was added later in the year, along with a stained glass window behind the choir loft.  The next major remodeling occurred in the mid 1980s, when the kitchen, bathrooms, and classrooms were remodeled.  The pastor’s study and secretary’s office were moved at that time.  The memorial prayer garden was completed in the church courtyard in April 1990.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 30 from I-10 and head south to Broad St. (Bus Hwy 90).  Turn east and go to 3rd Ave.  Turn right (south) and go 1 1/3 miles to Orchid St. and turn left.  The church will be on the right.

 City Lake Charles
 Address 1500 Country Club Rd.
 Membership 1167
 Founded 1890

 The church was organized on March 2, 1890.  The nineteen persons in attendance were led by Rev. C.A. King.  Services were held in the old Masonic Hall for the first eight years.
 Property was acquired on the corner of Pujo and Moss Streets in 1898 and a church built.  It was known as the First Methodist Episcopal Church.  When the branches of Methodism merged in 1939, the name was changed.  Another church in town, from the southern branch of Methodism, was called First Church and predated them.  So the congregation changed their name to the Simpson Methodist Church, to honor a Methodist bishop.  Since they were smaller than the other First Church, they decided to move to a better location.  Property was acquired on Highway 14 and the church moved to its new location on November 14, 1954.  When the old church property was sold for $52,000 in 1956, the funds were used to construct another building.  A third building was completed in 1959 and dedicated in May of 1962.
 In 1956, the National Board of Missions for the Methodist Church bought property on Jefferson St. to start a church for people moving into the university area of town.  Rev. Taylor Wall was appointed as  pastor of the new church, named St. Luke.  At first, the congregation met at the Wesley Foundation at McNeese.  The church was organized on January 15, 1957 and held its first services on Jefferson Street on February 3, 1957.
 The St. Luke and Simpson congregations merged in 1983.  Dr. Charles B. Simmons pastored the merged congregation, which first met together on Jefferson Street on April 24, 1983.
 The church purchased 17 acres of land on Country Club Road.  Under the leadership of Dr. Tommy Dunbar, construction began on a new church in the summer of 1988.

How to Get There:
   Head south on Ryan St. off of Hwy 210 (exit 6A).  After the McNeese St. intersection, go 1.65 miles (the road curves to the right) and the church will be on the right.

 City Lake Charles
 Address 3501 Patrick
 Membership 958
 Founded 1947

 Led by Rev. Henry Bowdon, Sr. of First Church, funds were given in 1947 to buy a lot on the corner of Patrick and LaGrange Streets for the purpose of building a new church in south Lake Charles.  A survey of the neighborhood showed good support for the new church.  The small white wooden church was built over the next few months, with the first service being held on September 28.
 During a bad hail storm in 1953, the ceiling was destroyed.  The following year, the decision was made to build a new church to accommodate the growing congregation.  There were 1100 members in the church by the time the new church was completed.  The old church continued in use as a classroom.
 In 1960, a pre-school was begun.  In 1973, installation of a new 1,080 pipe organ began.  The installation was completed three years later.  The following year, work began on  a new children’s wing and multi-purpose room.  The mortgage on that construction was paid off in1994.  The old church was also remodeled in 1974 into office space.
 On May 20, 1984, the stained glass windows were dedicated.  Additional renovations, including new pews and carpeting, in the sanctuary were completed on March 1996.

Source: Reaping the Golden Harvest, Nola Mae Ross and Robert Coulson Benoit

How to Get There:
   Head south on Ryan St. off of Hwy 210 (exit 6A).  One block below College St., turn left (east) on E. LaGrange St.  Turn right on Patrick St.  The church is on the left.

 City Lake Charles
 Address 1231 Lawrence St.
 Membership 235
 Founded 1888

 When Mary Ellen Holmes Benoit moved to Lake Charles from Pineville, there was no black Methodist Episcopal church in town.  Though she worshipped at Baptist church and at the Reeves Colored Methodist Episcopal Church for a while, she began holding meetings in her home on October 12, 1888 with eight charter members.  As membership grew, a lot was purchased for $5 on the 300 block of Franklin Street.  A brush arbor was constructed and services were held underneath.
 After determining a corner lot would be more desirable, they exchanged the lot and $30 for a lot on the corner of Lawrence and Franklin Streets.  The pastor (Rev. Edward Powell) and Mrs. Benoit worked for the Long Bell Lumber Company.  The company donated the lumbar and the pastor built the first small church on that corner lot.  The church was later enlarged under the leadership of Rev. B.J. Reddix.
 Rev. T.A. Brown began planning for a new church after a hurricane destroyed the church in August 1918.  The new church was built under the leadership of Rev. C.C. Spears in 1920.  The National Board of Missions and Church Extensions matched the congregation’s contributions to pay of the $40,000 cost.  The church was built with features based on a modernized version of the old Pharaunic temples of Egypt, with a 13th century-type high vaulted ceiling.  The main building is topped by a 40 foot high dome and a 60 foot tower at the Lawrence Street entrance.
 New pews were installed under Rev. George C. Hayward’s leadership in 1945, at a cost of over $5,000.  An organ was later added, and a $25,000 parsonage was built.  Renovations (which included air conditioning) were made under the leadership of Rev. T.E. McElroy.
 A total renovation project was accomplished under the leadership of Rev. Moses T. Jackson, Sr.  This included new flags, unbreakable windows, and glass doors.  An expansion plan begun in 1972 with the purchase of 2 lots across the street from the church (one of which had 6 apartments on it).
 Under the leadership of Rev. Richard H. Harry in the late 1970s, numerous improvements were made.  These included refinishing the pews, reroofing the buildings,  new furnishings, and new A?C and heating systems.  The apartments across the street were torn down so that the area could be used for parking.  The parsonage was completely remodeled in June 1986.
 Under Rev. Kenneth Fisher’s leadership, additional remodeling was done on the kitchen and pastor’s study and fire escapes were installed.  The property next to the church on Boston Street was purchased in 1987.

How to Get There:
  Take exit 31 from I-10 and head south on Enterprise Blvd.  One block below I-10 and Belden St. you will turn left on Lawrence St.  The church is on your left after Boston St.

 City Leesville
 Address 202 N. Fifth St.
 Membership 366
 Founded 1900

 The first Methodist services in the area were probably given by Rev. S.S. Holladay.  He came to the parish in the 1880s and preached in the area.  Meetings were held on the first floor of the old Lottery Building; Masons met on the second floor.
 When Methodist families moved to town to work for the Nona Mills Lumber Company, they asked for a church to be organized.  Rev. J.M. Alford was appointed to the church in December 1899.  He held services at the W.O.W. Hall for the first year.  The first church was completed in December 1900.  A storm destroyed that church on January 5, 1918.  The Women’s Home Missionary Society donated two lots next to the church, and a brick church was constructed at a cost of $25,000.  The church bell survived the storm and was installed in the new church.
 In the early 1950s, and education building was constructed.  Completed in 1953, it was dedicated in 1959 in a service led by Bishop Paul E. Martin.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 103 from I-49 and head west to Leesville on Hwy 8.   Turn left (south) on Hwy 171.   Or head north on Hwy 171 from Lake Charles into DeRidder.  The church is on the west side of N. Fifth St. between North and Lee Streets.

 City Anacoco
 Address
 Membership 90
 Founded 1854

 The first Methodist services at Holly Grove may have been conducted by Rev. Henry Stephenson.  He held services in the local schoolhouse in 1826.  In 1837, Rev. Luke Conerly and J.W. Franklin bought 40 acres of land and patented it to the Holly Grove Church.
 Although the congregation began as a Methodist Protestant church, when Joel Sanders was appointed in 1841 it was taken over by the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Rev. Sanders’ circuit was from Bienville to Holly Grove, then across Bayou Toro at its mouth to Negreet, then to Many, then to Bayou Scie, then to Pleasant Hill, and finally back to Bienville.
 A log building, 24 by 30 feet, was constructed in 1854 (at approximately the same location as the present church).  Hewn logs were used for the pulpit and the pews.  The building was also used as a school during the week.  The log church was replaced with a boxed church in 1872.  In 1894 a two-story frame church was built by the congregation.  The Masons used the second floor, and church services were held on the first.  The porch was four feet high so that ladies could easily dismount from their horses.  The second floor was removed and an addition was added to the north side of the building in 1915.
 A new church was constructed across the road from the old church in 1977.  The old church was left with its furnishings and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

How to Get There:
   Head north on Hwy 171 from DeRidder towards Anacoco.  Take the first left (Holly Grove Rd.) after passing over the Lake Vernon bridge.  The church is on the right 1.25 miles down the road.  The old church and cemetery are on the left side of the road.

 City Leesville
 Address 807 Simpson St.
 Membership 32
 Founded 1898

 Mr. Dan Mullens and others in his community in Leesville had to travel to Hawthorne to attend the Shady Grove Methodist Church at the end of the 19th century.  Desiring their own church in Leesville, they asked Rev. Braddock of Shady Grove to help get a church started.  In January 1898, Rev. Braddock received permission to start a church in Leesville.  A small wooden building was constructed on property owned by Mrs. Nettie Kirk.  That site later became the location of a Buick dealership.  Services began in the new church in May of 1898.  The structure also served as a school.
 The church was renovated in 1915 under the leadership of Rev. S.H. Hayes.  It was again remodeled in 1858 while Rev. E.L. Berry served as pastor.

How to Get There:
      Take exit 103 from I-49 and head west to Leesville on Hwy 8.   Turn left (south) on Hwy 171.   Or head north to DeRidder from Lake Charles on Hwy 171.  Turn west from Hwy 171 onto Warner Rd.  After crossing the tracks, the road joins Nona Rd.  Turn left on Simpson St.  The church is on the right.

 City
 Address
 Membership 34
 Founded

How to Get There:
      Take Hwy 171 to Florien.  Turn left (west) on Port Arthur (Hwy 474) at the flashing light.  Stay to the right and go about 6 miles.   Take a right onto a dirt road (just before Miller Rd.).  The church will be on the right about 3 miles down the road.

 City Zwolle
 Address 1836 N. Sabine
 Membership 17
 Founded 1908

 Local residents organized the church along the old Many highway in November 1908.  The church was named after its first pastor, Rev. J.J. Haskin.  In 1938, Joseph Ferguson gave the church permission to rebuild on his property.  The community lent a hand to clear the land and put up the church.  The land was purchased on February 18, 1957 by Mr. J.B. and Mrs. Estelle White and donated to the church.  On September 15, 1957, the church remodeling work was completed.  On November 9, 1992, the congregation purchased land next to the church.

How to Get There:
   Take Hwy 171 to Zwolle.  About a mile past the city limits sign, turn right on Horton St. (Hwy 1216).  Go a quarter mile and turn left on Gay St.  Follow the road for 0.55 miles around a curve to the right.  The church will be on the left.

 City Merryville
 Address
 Membership 61
 Founded 1907

 The Merryville church dates back to 1907.  The current sanctuary, built in 1927, is the third church building for the Merryville church.  The first two churches each burned down.
In the mid 1990s, the church was renovated.  Improvements included painting, new carpeting, more choir space, new sheetrock, foundation work, adding storm windows, ceiling insulation, and widening the altar rail.

How to Get There:
   Take Hwy 190 west from DeRidder to Merryville.  Turn left onto Hwy 110.  Turn right on Frazer south of the tracks.  The church is about half a mile ahead on the right.

 City DeRidder
 Address 701 N. Texas St.
 Membership 95
 Founded 1957

 The roots for Wesley began in the late 1950s, when the First Methodist Church of DeRidder began a mission effort in the North Texas Street area.  Many of the people in the area were military families from Fort Polk.  An old army barracks was placed on property that was purchased on the corner of Texas and McArthur Streets.  The first pastor was a chaplain from Fort Polk.  An education building was later constructed facing McArthur Street.
 The present sanctuary was constructed in the early 1960s.  The current parsonage on North Texas, purchased in 1978,  is the third parsonage for the church.

How to Get There:
      Head north to DeRidder on Hwy 171/190.  The highway makes a left turn (Hwy 112 is to the right).  Continue west on Hwy 171/190.  A mile and a half past the RR tracks, turn right on N. Texas St.  The church is 1/3 mile ahead on the left, just past McArthur St.

 City Moss Bluff
 Address 755 Sam Houston Jones Pkwy
 Membership 461
 Founded 1957

 The church was organized on May 19, 1957.  Rev. Rex Squyres led twenty-one members at the first service held at Claudius Mayo’s home.  Land was donated to the congregation by C.A. Mayo and Sam Jones, and the church was soon constructed.
The parsonage was built under the leadership of Rev. Henry Bowdon, Jr.  Most of the labor was contributed by church members.  Additional property was donated tot he church by Dorothy W. Carter.  In 1974-75, Rev. Robert Rowland led the church in the construction of classrooms, an office, a fellowship hall, and a kitchen.  A new sanctuary and four rooms were built in the mid 1980s, with the dedication service on April 20, 1986 led by Bishop Walter Underwood and pastor Glynn Foreman.
On June 26, 1994, the Community Center was consecrated.  Besides being used for church activities, it is also a community outreach center.  Stained glass windows were added to the sanctuary in January of 1993.  The parking lot was paved and a new church sign put up in the fall of 1995.

How to Get There:
   Take Hwy 171 north out of Lake Charles to Moss Bluff.  Turn left on Sam Houston Jones Parkway (Hwy 378) and go 0.8 miles to the church (on the left).

 City Oakdale
 Address 310 E. 6th Avenue
 Membership 227
 Founded 1905

 The church began with twelve charter members in 1905.  The first services were held in the Masonic Hall on 8th Street.  The circuit rider would hold services every 1st and 3rd Sundays.  Music would be provided by a pump organ in the back of his wagon.
 By 1908 the membership had risen to 60 people.  Needing a bigger place to gather, services moved to the Oak City Hotel on 10th St.  A house located a block behind the hotel was rented for use as a parsonage.  Sunday school classes were held there at first.  When the Presbyterians built a church in 1909, they shared it with the Methodists.  The Methodist congregation met there on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.
 In 1914, the congregation bought a lot on the corner of 9th and Hudson Streets.  Money was raised to build a new church and parsonage.
 In the mid 1920s, land was purchased on the corner of 6th Avenue and 11th Street.  A new parsonage was built at this time next to the church.
 In 1958, a lot on Pelican Highway was donated to the church.  The parsonage was moved there.  The church was moved over so that a new sanctuary could be built on the old site.  After touring churches around the state, the congregation decided to build one similar to the DeQuincy Methodist Church.  Construction began on April 9, 1958.  The church was dedicated on October 19, 1960.
 The old structure that had been moved to the side was torn down in 1967 so that a new education building could be built.  It was dedicated on January 22, 1970.
 The parsonage was sold in 1972 and a new one was built on East 10th Avenue.
 The courtyard of the fellowship hall was developed into a memorial garden with a gift from the Erwin family.
 The church paid off its debts and had a mortgage burning celebration on June 7, 1998.

How to Get There:
   Head to Oakdale on Hwy 165 (from the north or south) or Hwy 10 (from the east or west).  In Oakdale, The church is on the south side of 6th Ave. (Hwy 10), 0.4 miles east of Hwy 165.

 City Raymond
 Address Hwy 395
 Membership 75
 Founded 1889

 A Sunday School was organized in 1880 in the Fairview Community with the help of Rev. W.H. Cline.  It was held in the home of Gilbert N. Brown.  Later, in 1888, a school was built and the Sunday School held classes there.  The following year, the church  … the Fairview Methodist Episcopal Church … was organized.  On January 31, 1894, Willard Taylor sold the church five acres of land for $1.  Construction of the church began in July of that year, with members of the church contributing their labor.
 When the community applied for a post office, the name Fairview was already taken.  So the town’s name was changed to Raymond, and the church’s name was changed as well.  The post office was to be put in the home of Monroe Brown, who had a son by the name of Raymond.
 Rev. R.R. Ellis and his family were the first occupants of the parsonage, which was constructed in 1916.
 Times were bad from 1930 to 1933, when worship and Sunday School were ceased.  When an attempt was made to sell the church, the congregation reorganized and formed a Sunday School.  Rev. John Deschner (the pastor at Welsh) came to Raymond every other Sunday to conduct worship.
 An education building was constructed in 1942.  The dedication service was held on August 9, 1942.  The new structure contained a kitchen, a recreation area, and four classrooms.
 The church was remodeled in 1945-46 and dedicated on March 3, 1946.  Changes included new colored windows, new carpet runners, a remodeled altar, a new choir loft, and two new classrooms.  Classrooms, a pastor’s office, and a larger kitchen were added to the education building in 1948.
 The church was seriously damaged by hurricane Audrey on June 27, 1957.  Though it was twisted off its foundation and damaged, it was soon repaired.
 On October 11, 1970, ground-breaking ceremonies were held for a new church building.  It was completed in a few months, with the first service (for consecration) held on March 28, 1971.  An open house was held on September 12, 1971 after everything was completed, including new pews.  The dedication service later took place on June 8, 1975.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 64 from I-10 and head north on Hwy 26.  After 7.3 miles, turn left on Hwy 102 at the flashing light in Hathaway.  After traveling 2 miles on Hwy 102, turn right on Hwy 395.  The church will be on the right.

 City Elton
 Address
 Membership 56
 Founded 1911

  In 1908-09, Sunday School classes began in Elton.  They were held in a variety of locations … warehouses, schools, stores, and homes.  At the time of a 1909 tent revival, a young man passed away.  Realizing there was no church to hold services, the Protestant families began raising funds to build a structure.  A lot at 803 2nd Street was purchased from the Aylsworth family for $100.  With the help and donations of local people, the church was built in 1910-11.  It was completed in June of 1911.
 Classrooms and a pastor’s study were added in 1958.
 On September 30, 1994, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places.  It is a rare example of Gothic Revival architecture in Jefferson Davis parish.

Source: A Short History of the Elton United Methodist Church, Thelma Brower

How to Get There:
   Head west on Hwy 190 from Opelousas to Elton.  From Hwy 190 (Main St.) in Elton, turn left on Broadway St.  The church is on the right after 2 blocks.

 City Roanoke
 Address 1604 1st Ave.
 Membership 151
 Founded 1895

 The church was started at the community schoolhouse in 1895 by Rev. E.J. Church.  They became known as the Roanoke Class of the United Brethren Church by 1897.   After meeting in the Thomas hay barn by the railroad for several years, a church was built.  It was dedicated by Rev. W.M. Bell on February 8, 1902.  Rev. W.R. Wilgus was the pastor, but it was common for the Methodist and United Brethren ministers to preach on alternate Sundays.
 The first parsonage was built under the leadership of Rev. J.H. Patterson (1902-06).  It was torn down in 1946 and replaced with the J.C. Barman house.  Later, in 1976, a brick parsonage was built.
 Although a building fund was started in 1955, construction on a new church began on March 26, 1975.  The new facility was dedicated in 1976.  Work on a new parsonage began right away.  It was soon built, with the dedication of the parsonage held on February 22, 1981.
 A bell tower was added in 1979.
 While there were sixteen United Brethren churches at one time, the Roanoke church is the last remaining church in the Louisiana Conference to come from the United Brethren Church.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 59 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 395 for a mile (the road dog-legs to the right).  Turn right on First Ave.  The church is just ahead to the right.

 City Crowley
 Address 325 E. Elm
 Membership 84
 Founded 1949

 In August 1949, local Methodists began research into a new church in south Crowley.  Led by Rev. W.C. Barham (at Centenary in Rayne) and Rev. Alfred Brown (at First Church in Crowley), a survey was made in the area in September.
 The first service for the fledgling group was on October 16, 1949.  It was held in a building (owned by Crowley’s Presbyterian church) on the corner of Elm Street and Avenue I.  U.G. Barham gave the sermon and Rev. Ted Howes (pastor at Gueydan) led the singing.  After several nights of services, the new congregation had fifty-four charter members.  The group chose the name “Wesley” for their new church and Rev. Barham was appointed to serve as their first pastor.

How to Get There:
 Take exit 80 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 13.  After 2.2 miles, turn left on Elm St.  The church is 3 blocks ahead on the left.

 City Ragley
 Address 13936 Hwy 171
 Membership 177
 Founded 1977

 Residents of the Ragley-Longville area started thinking about forming a church in the mid 1970s.  Though some questioned if the area could support a new church, the members were confident.  With financial help from the Lake Charles District and the use of the old Ragley School building, the first pastor (Rev. Nathan Avant) was appointed to the church.  The first service was held on May 1, 1977.  The name of the fledgling congregation was the Community Methodist Mission.
 On March 26, 1978, the Conference granted a charter for the Squyres United Methodist Church, who had forty charter members.  The church was named for Rev. Rex Squyres, a strong supporter of rural churches.
 As the church grew, larger facilities were needed.  After groundbreaking on February 8, 1981, members of the church pitched in to help build the church.  It was in full use by the end of the year.  The dedication service was held on May 3, 1987 and led by Bishop Walter Underwood.  A cemetery was later added on the west side of the church.  The Squyres Church-Risinger Memorial Park opened in October 1987.  An expansion project in 1995 saw many improvements,  including a new paved parking lot.  After land was donated on S.A. Cooley Road, construction began on a brick, four-bedroom parsonage on November 5, 1995.

How to Get There:
   Take Hwy 171 north from Lake Charles to Ragley.  The church is on the left, one mile past the overpass over Hwy 12/190.

 City Sulphur
 Address
 Membership 1261
 Founded 1885

 In 1884, presiding elder Rev. Christian Keener bought a lot in the back of Burton’s Hardware on North Huntington Street for $50.  The following year, John T. Henning and two carpenters built a church on the property.
 After a donation by Dr. D.S. Perkins in 1892, new property was purchased and the “little black church” was built.   The old church was sold.  The first Sunday School was organized in 1898, and the first ladies group was organized in 1904.  The men’s group wasn’t organized until 1946.
 In 1918, the “little black church” was destroyed by a hurricane.  The bell that stood in the belfry was sold to a Methodist church (northern branch).  Construction of a new church began the following year.  A bell was purchased from the Westlake Methodist Episcopal Church.
 In the 1930s, the name of the church was changed to Henning Memorial to honor John T. Henning.
 When the congregation outgrew its facilities in the 1950s, a new sanctuary and parsonage were built.  In the 1960s, the sanctuary was demolished and a new fellowship hall erected on the spot.  A new sanctuary was built, with an education building attached to the rear.  The education building contained classrooms, a parlor, and offices.
 In 1974, the prayer garden was dedicated.  The bell tower in the garden contains the bell from the former sanctuary.  The following year, W.L. Henning and J.T. Henning donated their parents’ home to be used as an activity center.  The lot behind it was later purchased.
 In the 1980s, a parsonage was purchased at 1900 Diane Drive.  A paved parking lot was added when two lots were bought on Ruth Street on the east side of the church.  The Family Life Center was constructed on Ruth Street as well.  Additional property was added when land was purchased on Cherry, Ruth, and Elizabeth Streets.

How to Get There:
  Take exit 20 from I-10 and head north on Hwy 27.   The church is on the right side of Hwy 27 (Huntington St.), just past Church St.

 City Sulphur
 Address 11 Center Circle
 Membership 194
 Founded 1944

 The Maplewood community began as a rental community during World War II.  It was home to numerous families that worked in various factories working on the war effort.  The community was later absorbed into the city of Sulphur.
 A group of residents got together and chartered the Maplewood Methodist Church on May 28, 1944.  For the first three years, the congregation met in various public buildings in the area.  They obtained their first facilities in 1947.  The first service was held on Easter Sunday of that year.  The building, which had been the cafeteria for a construction company, was adapted to include a sanctuary, classrooms, an office, a kitchen, and an assembly room.
 A temporary education building was put up in the early 1950s.  It was replaced with a more permanent building completed in 1961.   A fellowship hall was completed in 1974.  The fellowship hall was used for worship services when the sanctuary was torn down in 1983.  The new sanctuary was completed in 1984.  In 1958, a three bedroom parsonage was completed three blocks from the church.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 23 from I-10 and head north on S. Cities Service Hwy.  Turn right at the 2nd light onto Maplewood Dr.  Go a quarter mile and then turn left on Center Circle.  The church is on the left.

 City Sulphur
 Address
 Membership 270
 Founded 1963

 Several of the members of Henning Memorial started the movement to create a new church in Sulphur.  The first service was held on January 20, 1963 at the Fox Theater.  Rev. Louis Hoffpauir was the first pastor.  The following month, on February 10, the congregation bought the Church of Christ building at 423 Live Oak St. for $5,000.  There were 104 charter members by April 14, 1963.
 Plans soon began to build a church of their own.  They raised $9,000 to get things started, and the new church was completed in 1964 under the leadership of Rev. A.M. Martin.  The first service was held on November 22, 1964.  In 1967, a parsonage on East Carlton was built at a cost of $20,000.
 Under the leadership of Rev. Charles Humphrey, the church bought property in 1974 on N. Huntington Street for $15,000.  That debt was paid off in six months.  During the ministry of Rev. Melvin Ray Holt, Sr. (1987-93), all of the church’s debts were paid.

How to Get There:
     Take exit 20 from I-10 and head north on Hwy 27.   Go straight past Hwy 90 and turn right on E. Lyons St.  Turn left after one block onto Live Oak St.  The church is on the left.

 City
 Address
 Membership 28
 Founded
 
 

How to Get There:
   Take exit 20 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 27.  The church is on the right side of the road, 5.6 miles south of I-10.

 City
 Address Hwy 397
 Membership 121
 Founded 1908

Methodism began in the area when Rev. Joe Berwick preached in the area in 1891.  Four local boys were converted and later became ministers.  They were: brothers Willie and Martin Hebert, Dallas Hayes, and Daniel Hayes.
The church was organized on December 20, 1908.  The first pastor, Willie Hebert, served the church from 1908 to 1929 (except for a single year when the D.S. was in charge).  The first services were held in a one-room schoolhouse east of the Catholic Church given to the church by Mrs. H.G. Chalkley, Sr.  A six-room parsonage was built at that time.
After the 1918 hurricane destroyed the schoolhouse building, services were held in private homes.  Permission was later obtained to use another one-room schoolhouse to the north.
A dedication service, led by Rev. Martin Hebert, was held on November 11, 1956.  New pews and other additions were dedicated at that time.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Helms have the church an acre of land in 1959.  In 1998, the home of the Walter Helms family was remodeled and dedicated as the parsonage.
Plans for a new church began during the pastorate of Rev. Garland Dean in the mid 1950s.  The new church was completed in 1963 under the leadership of Rev. Hubert Gibbs.
     In June 1998, Sweet Lake became a station appointment with a full-time pastor.  In the fall of 1999, the church began work on a Family Life Center and parking improvements.
 The church opened a local mission ministry (Faith Share Outreach) at a separate location in mid 2002.  The ministry provides food, clothes, furniture, and medical equipment to families in need.  It works together with Domestic Violence, Community Action, and the Council on Aging programs in the parish.
 With increasing growth in the local community, the church continues to seek ways in which to witness and serve.

How to Get There:
   Head south from Lake Charles on Hwy 14.  When Hwy 14 turns left in Holmwood, go straight on Hwy 27 for another 3.9 miles.  Then turn right onto Hwy 397.  The church is on the right, 1.4 miles ahead down the shell road.

 City Vinton
 Address 1110 Horridge St.
 Membership 281
 Founded ~ 1889

 The church began between 1888 and 1890 under the leadership of Rev. F.N. Sweeney.  Land was purchased in 1902 and the church was completed by 1903.  There were 35 to 40 members at that time.  In 1965, the church was enlarged and renovated.  In the early 1980s, the parsonage was sold and the old church was torn down.  A new church was built, with the first service in the new building on September 5, 1982.  It was named the Welsh Memorial United Methodist Church in memory of the Welsh family.  They donated funds for the new church and parsonage.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 8 from I-10 and head north on Gum Cove Rd.  The road turns left and becomes Center St.  Turn right on Horridge St..  The church is a quarter mile ahead on the left.

 City Welsh
 Address 306 N. Adams
 Membership 256
 Founded 1889

 In the spring of 1889, Rev. W.H. Cline organized the first class of five members and two probationers.  The first services were held at the schoolhouse, with Rev. James Ellis (a local deacon) serving as pastor.  A church building was constructed in 1891 and dedicated on January 1, 1892.  It cost $600.  A Mr. Fletcher gave $100 of that amount so that the church would be named after him.  So the first name of the church was the Fletcher Methodist Episcopal Church.  It was later sold  to the Roman Catholic Church and stands today.
 The first parsonage was built in 1901 while Rev. G.W. Campbell was pastor.  When it was partially burned while Rev. Thomas E. Webb served as pastor, it was sold an a new parsonage was built (on the site of the current education building).
 The second church was built in 1909 under the leadership of Rev. J.C. Carruth.  The church, which cost $7000, was dedicated in May 1909.  Another building, with classrooms, office space, a dining room, and a community hall, was built under the leadership of Rev. R.L. Weldon in 1924.
 Plans for a new sanctuary began in 1950 under Rev. A.T. Law’s pastorate.  It was completed and was dedicated on May 9, 1954.  The pipe organ was later installed while Rev. Don Risinger served as pastor.
 The current education building was constructed in 1968.  The parsonage was remodeled in 1995.  The old annex building built in 1924 was sold and moved downtown in May 1998.  A new activities building was constructed on the site of the old building and was completed in 1999.

How to Get There:
   Take exit 54 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 99 for 1/3 mile.  The church is on the left.

 City Hayes
 Address
 Membership 22
 Founded 1898

 Protestant services were held intermittently in the area, first known as Dugas Prairie in the 1800s.  Records from 1859 list a Lacassine Class of 18 people that consisted of people that would later form the Hayes congregation.
Some members recalled a Rev. Joe Berwick holding services in homes there as early as 1885.  Meetings under brush arbors can be recalled from the 1890s.  Sometimes services were held in the one-room schoolhouse.  When the school burned, efforts at building a church were begun.  The first church building was constructed in 1898 with Rev. Robert P. Howell as pastor.  It had one room, approximately 24 by 32 feet in size and made of cypress.  It was unpainted with glass windows and a small foot-powered organ.  It was the only church in the area for the next 10 years.
 The town of Hayes sprang up when the railroad was completed between Lake Charles and Lake Arthur.  To position the church in a better location with respect to the town, the church was moved sometime between 1905 and 1907.  Billy Cox used a logging wagon to move the church to a piece of land acquired from Soloman Hayes.  The building was shared with the Baptists until 1915.
 On August 6, 1918, a hurricane destroyed the church.  The Methodists used the new Baptist church for services for several years after this.  In 1926, the congregation purchased a dance hall (formerly a school building) and used it for services until 1939.  Since there was often no regular minister assigned to the church, services were random … though Sunday School continued uninterrupted.
 With the help of a gift from Mrs. Ettie Holland Bernard in 1939, a new church was built.  The first pastor assigned to the new church was Rev. Carrigan.
 In 1960, the sanctuary was renovated and rooms (fellowship, kitchen, restroom) were added.

Source: History of Hayes United Methodist Church, Eloi Primeaux

How to Get There:
   Take exit 48 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 101 for 9.9 miles.  The road then turns left.  After the left turn, go 1.2 miles (around a curve to the right).  In Hayes, turn right on Lacassine and the church will be on the right.

 City Welsh
 Address 203 North King St.
 Membership 37
 Founded 1901

 Though some records list the beginning of the church in 1898, the church was organized by Rev. Welsh in 1901 on the first block of South Adams Street.  It was later moved to the 600 block of West North Street.  Wanting a better location, the church relocated to the corner of North King and West Welsh Streets in 1928 under the leadership of Rev. Haynes.
 Plans for a new church began under the leadership of Rev. Robert Harris.  It was completed when Rev. Willie B. Sweat served as pastor.  The church was consecrated in October of 1980.  The cornerstone was laid at the southeast corner on October 10, 1982.

How to Get There:
 Take exit 54 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 99 to Welsh St.  Turn right and the church will be 6 blocks ahead on the right.

 City Jennings
 Address Peterson St.
 Membership 20
 Founded 1927

 The church was organized as Mallalieu Methodist Episcopal Church, South on February 14, 1927.  It was named after Louisiana bishop W.F. Mallalieu.  A building was completed by January 1929 under the leadership of Rev. P.N. Jones.  It was used as a school during the week, and for church services on Sunday.  In the summertime, youth in the south Jennings area used the building for recreation.

How to Get There:
 Take exit 64 from I-10 and head south on Hwy 26 (Elton Rd.).  Turn left at the 3rd light onto Hwy 90 (Shankland Ave.).  Then turn right on Main St.  After 1.5 miles (and crossing the tracks), turn left on School St.   Turn right after 2 blocks onto Peterson St. and the church will be on the left.

 City Westlake
 Address 704 Johnson
 Membership 246
 Founded 1894

 A Methodist society met at Westlake (then known as Bagdad) from 1873 to 1918.  Quarterly records from June 21, 1873 list a Sunday School attendance of 10 to 12 people at Bagdad.  Services were held in the schoolhouse.  In 1894, a church was built on the corner of Miller Avenue and Pilley Street under the leadership of Rev. F.C. Hocutt.  When the 1918 hurricane destroyed the church, the congregation was left without a church.
 Two decades later, in October 1939, property was purchased after the sale of the Miller Avenue property.  A one-room wood church was built the following year under the leadership of Rev. W.R. Corrigan.
In November 1949, construction began on a new brick sanctuary under the leadership of Rev. Martin Hebert.  The little white church was converted to a hold children’s classrooms, a nursery, and a fellowshiphall.
A six room education building was completed in February 1955.  The first parsonage, on Goos Street, was bought that year.  In 1958, a brick education annex and a fellowship hall were added to the sanctuary.  In Janary 1959, the original ‘chepel in the pines’ … the white wooden church … was sold to E.E. Rider for $700.
In 1967, the current parsonage was purchased.  In 1979-80, members built a retired minister’s home in Westlake.
In 1985, the Pomeroy Center and more classrooms were added and the offices were renovated.    The following year a renovation of the sanctuary was completed.

Source: A Chapel in the Pines, Rosie Newhouse

How to Get There:
   Take exit 27 from I-10 and head north on Hwy 378 (Sampson St.).  About 1/3 mile north of I-10, turn right (east) on Sulphur Ave.  Turn right on Johnson St.