The church began under the leadership
of Rev. Benjamin Oliphant in 1947. It was organized with seventeen
members on October 1, 1947 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Smith at 6124
Canal Blvd. With $5,000 from the District Board of Missions and $8,500
raised in the District by subscription, property was bought on Canal Boulevard
and Brooks St. The first service on the lot took place on Easter
Sunday 1947. At that time, the General Board of Missions offered
the church a $15,000 loan towards building a church. At first, the
congregation called itself the Lakeview and met at the Lakeview Theater.
By the beginning of 1948, the name was changed to St. Luke’s.
In 1948, an education building
was constructed on the current church site. Starting on Mother’s
Day 1948, services were held on the first floor (the fellowship hall) until
a sanctuary could be built. The first parsonage at 6128 Catina Street
was bought for $10,000 in 1949.
The sanctuary was built in 1956-57
under the leadership of Rev. W. Spencer Wren. The first service in
was held on June 30, 1957. During construction of the church, the
parsonage was sold and a new one at 807 Polk Street was purchased.
That parsonage was sold in 1972 and a new one bought at 5824 Chamberlain
Drive in Gentilly.
In 1997-98, the facilities were
renovated and a new multipurpose building was constructed.
The church holds two church-wide retreats at Istrouma
each year. It has supported several missionary efforts over the years,
including present-day work in Senegal. The church’s preschool program
has been in existence for over three decades. |
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