Biography

Asbury United Methodist Church (West Monroe, La.) is located at 2100 New Natchitoches Road, West Monroe, Louisiana.

In late 1946, the Methodist Men of First Church in West Monroe surveyed the area of Brownsville outside of West Monroe to inquire into the possibility of starting a new church in that area. After getting a positive response, a revival was held in 1947. Land was acquired next to Brown Street and the tent set up. At the end of the revival, fourteen people stepped forward to form the new congregation. D.S. Rev. W.H. Giles organized the church with sixty-five members.

Charlie Chisholm had paid for the tent and offered its use until a building could be constructed. Isaac A. Patton, Jr. served as the first pastor for a few months, but was replaced by Rev. C.K. Brooks by the end of the year.

Plans for a church were drawn on a brown paper bag by A.L. Roberts. Using labor provided by the members, the $22,000 church was completed by February 1948. A parsonage was also built.

Under the leadership of Rev. Durbin in the late 1950s, a new sanctuary was constructed and dedicated.

When it came time to move again, Walter Works helped finance the property for the new location . . . five acres on New Natchitoches Road. An agreement to sell the old property was signed in the summer of 1975. The $200,000 church was built during the first half of 1976 under the leadership of Rev. Carole Cotton-Winn. It included a sanctuary, a fellowship hall, classrooms, a kitchen, and recreation space. At that time, the church changed its name from Brownsville to Asbury United Methodist Church.

Asbury 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-4.

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