Biography

Covenant United Methodist Church was located 115 East D'Amour Street, Chalmette, Louisiana.

In 1999, the congregations of the Arabi and Saint Bernard churches approved of a merger at charge conference. The name of the new church was Covenant United Methodist Church, which occupied the former Saint Bernard buildings.

The Arabi church began in February 1939. The first church south of the Industrial Canal was the Aldersgate Church at 1000 Flood Street. It relocated in 1956 to 1818 Center Street in Arabi and was renamed Saint Claude Heights. Though damaged by floods in Hurricane Betsy in 1965, it was soon repaired. Around 1975, the church relocated to 626 Mehle Street and was renamed Arabi United Methodist Church.

The Saint Bernard church began the first Sunday of September 1951, as a small group of people met on the courthouse steps for a worship service. Later that month, the Saint Bernard church was organized under the leadership of Rev. Clarence Snelling, Jr. Services were held at the Meraux Elementary School from January to November of 1952. Property was purchased on D'Amour Street and services were held in the building later used for an administration building. The church was built in 1953 and consecrated in October 1954. The parsonage was bought in 1963. The fellowship hall was extended in 1973. In the mid-1980s, the atrium was enclosed and the roof redesigned. A steeple was added to the church in 1993.

Covenant 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 NO-14.

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