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Covenant United Methodist Church (Chalmette, La.) records

 Collection
Identifier: LACUMC-2023-127

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the activities of Covenant United Methodist Church (Chalmette, La.), as well as its predecessors Saint Bernard United Methodist Church, Saint Claude Heights United Methodist Church, and Arabi United Methodist Church. The collection includes membership records, charge conference records, audit records, administrative board records, administrative records, and committee records.

Dates

  • 1951 - 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

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.

Extent

1 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Arranged by subject, then chronologically.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Unknown person dropped off collection at Louisiana Conference Office of the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church, then transferred by Rhonda Whitley (Ministry Coordinator, Congregational Development and Transformation) in 2023.

Title
Finding Aid to the Covenant United Methodist Church (Chalmette, La.) records
Author
Beth Vogler and Chris Brown
Date
2024
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