Biography

Grand Chenier United Methodist Church was located at 2873 Grand Chenier Highway, Grand Chenier, Louisiana.

Methodism began in Grand Chenier around 1855, and a church was constructed on Alvin McCall’s property. The records record a ten day meeting with a class being organized in 1859. On October 8 of that year, Grand Chenier became a mission church and Rev. Joel Sanders was appointed. In 1879 a record shows that Grand Chenier had ten black members.

After a gap in the records, we find that the original church was destroyed in the August 1918 hurricane. Services were then held at the school and in private homes. In 1924, Rev. Willie Hebert led the congregation in purchasing property from Capt. C. C. Nelson. A new church, called the Grand Chenier Protestant Church, was completed in 1925. In 1947, the facilities and property were given to the Methodist Church when Rev. Raymond Pierson was pastor.

After the 1925 church was destroyed by Hurricane Audrey in 1957, a new sanctuary was built in 1958. It was paid off on April 12, 1963. The church bell, which had survived the hurricane, was installed in the new church. The dedication service was held on May 5 of that year. In 1998, the front window was replaced with the present window, depicting a cross with praying hands.

Grand Chenier United Methodist Church closed in May 2021.

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-13.

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