Lydia United Methodist Church (Lydia, La.)
Biography
Lydia United Methodist Church (Lydia, La.) is located at 5201 Freyou Road, Lydia, Louisiana.
The Lydia UMC began as the ’Isle aux Cannes” Methodist Church on September 16, 1894. Meetings were held in Toussaint Duplantis’ home until 1898. A small parcel of land was purchased from Edmund Richards at that time for $50. The original founding families were the Duplantises, the Broussards, the Charpentiers, the Princes, the Henris, the Vaughns, and the Landrys. A church was built shortly thereafter. It was painted white and had a very high steeple. The inside was never finished and the congregation sat on chairs. A parsonage was built in 1901. In 1909, a hurricane destroyed the church. A smaller building was then built. The interior of the second church wasn't finished until Rev. A.D. Martin's pastorate in the 1920s. Eighteen 8 foot pews (costing $1.75 each) were made for the church. An old chimney was donated, dismantled and used to build the church steps.
When Rev. Martin was succeeded by his cousin. Rev. A.M. The Lydia Church was on the same circuit as the Weeks Island and Pecan Island Churches. At one point, services were also held at Oaklawn Plantation, also. The average attendance at Lydia in 1924 was 25 at worship and 20 at Sunday School. The pastor's salary was $300 ($125 from Lydia, $125 from Weeks Island, $90 from Pecan Island). A parsonage was used in the late 1920s. But in 1933, it was dismantled and used to build a parsonage in Jeanerette.
Membership rose in the 1940s when Brother Pierson switched from French to English services and held weekly services. On October 3, 1964, hurricane Hilda destroyed the second church. It was rebuilt within a year under Rev. Cansler. The roof sustained damage from a hurricane in 1992, but it was repaired. The congregation still continued to increase and an adult Sunday School program was added.
In 1969, the Weeks Island Church merged with the Lydia Church. The actual Weeks Island church building was moved behind the Lydia church in 1970 and was used as an educational building. The building has since deteriorated and is not being used.
Lydia United Methodist Church disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church in 2022.
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-25.