Biography

Davidson Memorial United Methodist Church (Lafayette, La.) is located at 710 Jefferson Boulevard, Lafayette, Louisiana.

After a neighborhood survey was conducted in north Lafayette in 1941, the Davidson Memorial Methodist Church was organized. They first met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Davidson, Sr. A church was later built on Jefferson Blvd.

When the population began declining in the neighborhood, the congregation began thinking about relocating to a growing area north of Interstate 10. Rev. Robert Deich, appointed to the church on October 1, 1987, organized a task force to study the idea. Six months later, they decided it would be best to move to a better location for future growth. On May 16, 1989, a called charge conference of the church officially voted to relocate.

In 1991, members from four United Methodist churches helped to make 7300 telephone calls in a three week campaign. Direct mail and personal visits were also a part of the campaign. The final service at the Davidson church was held on Palm Sunday, March 24, 1991.

The new church began the following Sunday as 183 people attended Easter services held at the Evangeline Elementary school. A Constituting Service was held on May 19, Pentecost Sunday, with over 100 people coming forward to form the core of the new church. They voted to name the new church Northwood United Methodist Church.

Source: Timothy Hebert, “The Historical Register of the Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church,” (Louisiana: Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, 2004), page AC-37.

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