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Lakeview United Methodist Church (Shreveport, La.) records

 Collection
Identifier: LACUMC-1991-038

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the activities of Lakeview United Methodist Church (Shreveport, La.) and its predecessor congregations Texas Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church South (Shreveport, La.) and Park Avenue Methodist Church (Shreveport, La.). It includes membership records, quarterly and charge conference records, administrative and Board records, committee records, historical files, subject files, printed items, photographs and scrapbooks, audiovisual materials, and artifacts.

Membership records consist of church registers, certificates of transfer and baptism, and membership cards.

Administrative and Board records consist of administrative records, Administrative Board and Administrative Council minutes and records, and Board of Trustees minutes and records.

Committee records consist of minutes and records from the Building Committee, Church Council, Council on Ministries, Finance Committee, Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, Staff-Pastor Parish Relations Committee, United Methodist Men, and United Methodist Women, as well as various other committees.

Historical files consist of church histories and records associated with a time capsule.

Subject files consist of a variety of material including correspondence, donations, insurance, and property records. Folder 7:5 “Church Bonds” contains information about the sale of the Park Avenue Methodist Church property to Hurricane Bluff Baptist Church, a historically Black congregation.

Printed items includes bulletins and newsletters.

Audiovisual materials consist of open reel audiotapes, VHS tapes, audiocassettes, and a Hi-8.

Artifacts include commemorative plates and a mug, guestbook, memorial books, and other objects.

Dates

  • 1891 - 2018

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

Lakeview United Methodist Church was located at 5550 Lakeshore Drive, Shreveport, La. The congregation experienced multiple name and location changes: Shreveport City Mission (1890), Jordan Street Methodist Episcopal Church South (1890-1898), Texas Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church South (1898-1928), Park Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church South (1928-1939), Park Avenue Methodist Church (1940-1963), Lakeview Methodist Church (1963-1968), and Lakeview United Methodist Church (1968-2018).

The church began as a Sunday School class, organized by Dr. J.H. Scruggs of First Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Shreveport, La.). They met in a little cabin on Van Loan Street. The group received their first pastor (Rev. J.M. Henry) in 1891, at which time they moved their meetings to Capt. Thatcher’s Military School on Jacobs Street. The first church, constructed in 1892, was named the Jordan Street Mission. In 1898, they moved into the new Texas Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church South building. They moved again on February 19, 1929, and were known as the Park Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church South, located at 1702 Park Avenue, Shreveport, La. When Interstate 20 was built, it cut the church off from most of its membership. The decision was made in 1962 to relocate. Rev. James L. Beasley led the congregation in moving to its current location on May 1, 1963. It was renamed the Lakeview Methodist Church.

Lakeview United Methodist Church closed May 2018.

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-43.

Extent

12 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Arranged in the following series:

Series 1. Texas Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church South (Shreveport, La.), 1895-1926.

Series 2. Park Avenue Methodist Church (Shreveport, La.), 1927-1964.

Series 3. Lakeview United Methodist Church (Shreveport, La.), 1923-2018. Sub-series 1: Membership records, 1891-2018. Sub-series 2: Quarterly and Charge Conference records, 1963-2018. Sub-series 3: Administrative and Board records, 1961-2018. Sub-series 4: Committee records, 1961-2018. Sub-series 5: Historical files, 1891-2014. Sub-series 6: Subject files, 1962-2018. Sub-series 7: Printed items, 1949-2017. Sub-series 8: Photographs and scrapbooks, 1902-2016. Sub-series 9: Audiovisual materials, 1960-2006. Sub-series 10: Artifacts, 1963-2001.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Collection consists of multiple accessions. The first accession was transferred in 1991 (accession number 1991-038). A second accession was transferred by Klay Harrison (pastor of Lakeview United Methodist Church) in 2018 (accession number 2018-023). A third accession was transferred by Katie Wilson (Shreveport District administrative assistant) in 2024 (accession number 2024-020).

Title
Finding Aid to the Lakeview United Methodist Church (Shreveport, La.) records
Author
Maggie Hodges, Lillian Klingenberg, Lauren Troncoso, Beth Vogler, and Chris Brown
Date
2026
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