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Asbury United Methodist Church (West Monroe, La.) records

 Collection
Identifier: LACUMC-2023-113

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the activities of the Asbury United Methodist Church (West Monroe, La.). The collection includes membership records and administrative council minutes.

Dates

  • 2016 - 2023

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Physical rights are retained by the Centenary College of Louisiana Archives and Special Collections. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.

Biographical / Historical

Asbury United Methodist Church (West Monroe, La.) is located at 2100 New Natchitoches Road, West Monroe, Louisiana.

In late 1946, the Methodist Men of First Church in West Monroe surveyed the area of Brownsville outside of West Monroe to inquire into the possibility of starting a new church in that area. After getting a positive response, a revival was held in 1947. Land was acquired next to Brown Street and the tent set up. At the end of the revival, fourteen people stepped forward to form the new congregation. D.S. Rev. W.H. Giles organized the church with sixty-five members.

Charlie Chisholm had paid for the tent and offered its use until a building could be constructed. Isaac A. Patton, Jr. served as the first pastor for a few months, but was replaced by Rev. C.K. Brooks by the end of the year.

Plans for a church were drawn on a brown paper bag by A.L. Roberts. Using labor provided by the members, the $22,000 church was completed by February 1948. A parsonage was also built.

Under the leadership of Rev. Durbin in the late 1950s, a new sanctuary was constructed and dedicated.

When it came time to move again, Walter Works helped finance the property for the new location . . . five acres on New Natchitoches Road. An agreement to sell the old property was signed in the summer of 1975. The $200,000 church was built during the first half of 1976 under the leadership of Rev. Carole Cotton-Winn. It included a sanctuary, a fellowship hall, classrooms, a kitchen, and recreation space. At that time, the church changed its name from Brownsville to Asbury United Methodist Church.

Asbury United Methodist Church disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church in 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 MO-4.

Extent

2 Folders

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Arranged by subject, then chronologically.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Nick Wagner dropped off collection at Shreveport District Office of the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church, then transferred by Katie Wilson (Shreveport District Office administrative assistant) in 2023.

Title
Finding Aid to the Asbury United Methodist Church (West Monroe, La.) records
Author
Jasmine Jones and Chris Brown
Date
2023
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Centenary College of Louisiana Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
2911 Centenary Blvd.
Shreveport LA 71104 US
(318) 869-5462