Biography

Vivian United Methodist Church was located at 223 West Louisiana Avenue, Vivian, Louisiana.

Services in Vivian began in circa 1893 when the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was built. Other denominations, including the Methodists, took turns using the building. In 1904, the Methodist church was organized. The itinerant pastor would come by to hold services once a month. When the Baptists built their own church in 1905, the Methodist pastor gave more services at the church. As the Presbyterian membership dwindled, the Methodists became the only denomination meeting at the church at that time. Rev. Robert Harp was the pastor then. The first full-time Methodist pastor was Rev. J. A. Alford from 1912-1915.

Construction on the first Methodist church began in the summer of 1916 and took a year due to bad weather. It was finally completed in the fall of 1917. After renting a home for the pastor, the church bought its first parsonage in 1917 while Rev. B. F. Crews served as pastor.

By 1924, a lot was purchased and the home on the property was used for the parsonage. The former parsonage was used for Sunday School classes and was later sold and moved off the property. In the mid-1930s, Rev. L. N. Hoffpauir had the old parsonage connected to the church, creating a large room in between. In 1936, the lot between the church and the parsonage was purchased from the Long heirs for $800. A new parsonage was constructed in 1938. Bishop Martin gave the message when the cornerstone was laid on September 3, 1947, for a two-story education building. The building was completed the following spring at a cost of $35,000.

In April 1948, demolition of the sanctuary began. The pastor at that time was Rev. J. C. Sensintaffar. The annex was sold and moved. The new brick Colonial-design church was completed at a cost of $50,000. The first service was held on January 15, 1950. When classroom space ran low in 1955, the church began using the parsonage for Sunday School, and a new parsonage was built at 709 West Arkansas Avenue. The garage was later (1960) converted into a classroom for young adults. In the early 1960s, the W. C. Burr Memorial Library was set up. An activities building was completed under the leadership of Rev. Terry Willis in 1989-90.

Vivian 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 SH-83.

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