The Wesley congregation dates
back to 1838 when meetings began in a stable on Gravier Street. A
church was later built by the congregation, which included blacks and whites.
The first pastor was Rev. L.S. Scott, a white pastor.
In those days, the men and women
sat on opposite sides of the church, and the children sat by the altar
rail. Its membership had grown to 500 by 1844 when it relocated to
South Liberty Street. After the new church was built by blacks, some
whites tried to claim it. Since the blacks had indeed built the church,
even making the bricks themselves, they were given the church. Bishop
Lang of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church was sent to oversee matters.
Mother Wesley, as it has been
called, is the location of many significant events over the years.
The church helped several other congregations to form, including Grace
United Methodist, St. James African Methodist Episcopal, and St. Mark Fourth
Baptist. The first General Missionary Conference was held at Wesley.
Bishop Joseph C. Hartzell had his first office at the church. The
first class in the public school system was taught there.
In 1951, the church had to move
because the city was building a new civic center and railroad terminal
in the area. The congregation met with the Mt. Zion Methodist Church
at 2517 Jackson Avenue. When the Mt. Zion congregation built a new
church, Wesley bought the church (built in 1873) on Jackson Avenue.
The church was later renovated
under the pastorates of Rev. Louis Augustine, Jr., Rev. Percell Church,
Sr., and Rev. Nathaniel P. Williams.
Three local churches in New Orleans voted to merge at a special charge conference on April 22.
Peck United Methodist Church and Wesley UMC voted to merge with First Street UMC after several months of meet ings and discussions. Peck and Wesley, deeply affected by Hurricane Katrina, have been worshipping together at First Street since the storm in 2005.
Present at the historic charge conference were Rev. Dr. Martha Orphe, mission zone director; Rev. Ralph Ford, New Orleans district superintendent; Rev. Lance Eden, pastor of First Street UMC; and Cooperative Parish 3 Team Leaders Revs. Simon Chigumira, Eunice Chigumira and Mollie McGee.
Rev. Orphe noted that all three of the merging churches have served the Central City of New Orleans with “outstanding ministries” for both adults and children. Along with Rev. McGee, she developed a resolution for church merger that was drawn up by designated members of all three churches. They include Tommie Alexander and Dian Lawless from First Street; Clarence Crockett and Cheryl Gorden from Peck; and Djuana Cole and Leola Newton from Wesley.
The churches merge under a new name: First Street PW United Methodist Church.
“Hurricane Katrina’s devastation and the breaking of the levees caused much sadness and despair in the city of New Orleans and the United Methodist community. But out of this sadness, three congregations have come together in love and Christian fellowship to form a new church out of the ruins,” said Rev. Eden.
The merger of the three churches allows for expanded ministries, joining the three churches in an effort to more effectively fulfill the mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in New Orleans.
LA Now, June 22, 2007 |
|
