Much as the United Methodist
Church today is a combination of many groups, the Trinity United Methodist
Church has came out of several organizations.
In 1840, a group of mission
workers started services in half of a double house on Spain Street.
After 2 years, a church was built at the corner of Dauphine and Piety Streets.
A new church was built in 1854 at the corner of Chartres and Almonaster.
In 1899, the Spain Street and Second German Missions joined and became
the Burgundy Street Methodist Church. In 1906, the old German building
was torn down. Services were temporarily held at Spain and Rampart
Streets. A new church, the Second Methodist Church, was completed
by the summer of 1907 and dedicated on February 2, 1913. The pastor
at this time was Rev. A.I. Townsley.
After a planning meeting on
November 1, the first service of Elysian Fields Methodist Church was held
on November 12, 1948 at George Lambert's Plumbing Shop. The sermon
was delivered by Bill Matthews. On April 4, 1949, the growing congregation
moved to Pitt Theater. Construction started on the sanctuary at 2221
Filmore Avenue in 1953 and was completed in the summer of 1957.
On June 17, 1984, the Elysian Fields Methodist Church merged with the Second
United Methodist Church to become the Trinity Methodist Church. The
combined membership was 224 ... 192 from Elysian Fields and 32 from Second.
The pastor of Elysian Fields, Rev. Mickey D. Stringfield, became the first
pastor of the merged congregations.
The Gentilly Methodist Church
began meeting in an apartment on Wisteria St. around 1930. Rev. Ira
Flowers was the first pastor. A church was built. In 1936,
the church was dismantled and rebuilt at the corner of Franklin Avenue
and Wisteria Street. Rev. A.W. Townsend, pastor at that time, called
it "The Little Chapel of the Golden Windows."
On June 1, 1992, under the leadership
of Dr. Richard Stiltner, the Gentilly and Trinity United Methodist Churches
merged to become the Trinity United Methodist Church of Gentilly. |
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