Biography

Roanoke United Methodist Church was located at 1604 First Avenue, Roanoke, Louisiana.

The church was started at the community schoolhouse in 1895 by Rev. E.J. Church. They became known as the Roanoke Class of the United Brethren Church by 1897. After meeting in the Thomas hay barn by the railroad for several years, a church was built. It was dedicated by Rev. W. M. Bell on February 8, 1902. Rev. W.R. Wilgus was the pastor, but it was common for the Methodist and United Brethren ministers to preach on alternate Sundays. The first parsonage was built under the leadership of Rev. J. H. Patterson (1902-06). It was torn down in 1946 and replaced with the J. C. Barman house. Later, in 1976, a brick parsonage was built.

Although a building fund was started in 1955, construction of a new church began on March 26, 1975. The new facility was dedicated in 1976. Work on a new parsonage began right away. It was soon built, with the dedication of the parsonage held on February 22, 1981. A bell tower was added in 1979. While there were sixteen United Brethren churches at one time, the Roanoke church is the last remaining church in the Louisiana Conference to come from the United Brethren Church.

Roanoke United Methodist Church disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church in May 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 LC-45.

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