Biography

Sun United Methodist Church is located at 84005 Louisiana Highway 21, Sun, Louisiana.

In the mid 1890s, members of the John and Will Talley families organized a Methodist church. Lumber was cut at Thomas Talley’s sawmill, and a building was built on land donated by John Talley. The building was used as a church and as a school. The church was served by circuit riders, though John Talley would preach now and then.

When the parish built a school house (on the Washington/St. Tammany parish line) in 1912, the church and school moved into the new building. The congregation later decided to move towards the center of the community and traded to lots they owned to the Woodmen of the World for a lot near the railroad tracks. The new church was completed on July 3, 1926, and the first service was held the following Sunday.

In the following years, the community would take turns worshiping at the Methodist Church one Sunday and the Baptist Church the next. The Seminary in New Orleans would furnish a minister each Sunday. Times were hard, and the ushers would pass the plate as many times as necessary to collect what they considered enough to send the minister back with. The minimum acceptable was $5.00.

The present church and land came from the estate of Lulu C. Mizell, the first mayor of Sun and a long-time member of the church. His will included plans for the buildings and the furnishings. His brother Jimmy and W.R. “Rich” Talley were put in charge. The old church was sold to the town. The first service in the new church was held on March 24, 1991, and it was dedicated on April 21, 1991. It is a one-story white vinyl clapboard siding with light blue trim. There is a tower designed for electric chimes. Eighteen pews in the sanctuary will easily seat ninety and the choir loft will accommodate sixteen. The 2400 square foot interior also contains a classroom, pastor's office, kitchenette, small fellowship hall, rest rooms, storage room and entrance foyer. The sanctuary has an open exposed laminated beam framing system with a twenty-six foot ceiling height. A rose window is above and behind the pulpit. A ten foot high "Cross and Flame" aluminum emblem stands in front of the church.

Sun United Methodist disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church in November 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 NO-68.

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