Biography

Saint Mark United Methodist Church was located at 712 Avoyelles Drive, Alexandria, Louisiana.

Saint Mark began in a one-room frame building in 1903. This church, called the Darmon Chapel Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, was later destroyed by a tornado. It began under the leadership of a pastor (Rev. W. J. Hampton) and nine laypeople (R. M. Davis, M. Page, C. Johnson, J. Jones, J. Page, J. H. B. Hampton, Dave Levy, R. Johnson, Andie Bowie, Sr.). In 1908, church was held in a brush harbor that was constructed on Guy Peart Lane. Later, services were held in the home of member Jessy Page. In 1918, services were held for a while in the home of Oliver Peart.

At the Annual Conference, Rev. W. R. London, Sr. was sent to the area to cultivate the membership. The church was reorganized early in 1919. Money was raised at camp meetings and an acre of land was bought for $50. The members cut down trees on the land and built the Saint Mark Methodist Episcopal Church on the southwest side of Magda. Construction was completed within 2 years. The cornerstone bears the names of Andie Bowie, Sr., Joe Jones, Frank Hughes, Dave Levy, Joshua Dotson, Hickmon Shilow, and Abraham Williams. Since most of the members lived in Alexandria, the congregation decided to relocate and moved to its present location in 1970.

Saint Mark United Methodist Church 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 AL-49.

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