Biography

Hebert United Methodist Church is located at 6308 Louisiana Highway 561, Hebert, Louisiana. At the time the church was established on November 25, 1894, services were held at the Hebert schoolhouse. The pastor was Rev. G. W. Garret, a former Methodist Episcopal Church South minister. The charter members were Henry Olivier Hebert, Amelia Ann Hebert, Emily Smith, and David Duncan.

The first church building was completed in February 1910. That original location was a few hundred yards north of the present site. Carpenter Martin Howard built the church on land donated by H. O. Hebert for the church and cemetery. By 1904, membership had risen to 124.

By 1925, attendance had dropped and services were moved back to the schoolhouse, which was closer to most of those attending. In 1935, Rev. Virgil Morris led the church in holding services at the church once again and a Sunday School started.

After non-use for a long time, the building was suffering from termite damage. In 1948, the damaged wood was replaced and four classrooms were added. In the 1950s, the school board gave the church three rooms from the Ward 8 schoolhouse. To allow for expansion of the facilities and cemetery, property was donated to the church by the Martin Howard estate and by Charlie Gamer.

Later, the sanctuary received paneling, new windows, new ceiling tile, and a central heating and cooling system. The church’s pews were replaced and the current set is the third that the church has used.

Hebert United Methodist Church disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church in 2023.

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 MO-38.

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