Epps United Methodist Church (Epps, La.) records

Collection

Identifier: LACUMC-2021-002

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the activities of Epps United Methodist Church (Epps, La.). The collection includes membership records, quarterly conference records, charge conference records, administrative records, property records, United Methodist Women records, financial records, insurance records, correspondence, church bulletins, photographs and photographic disc negatives, and printed items.

The quarterly conference and church conference records also include records from Floyd United Methodist Church (Floyd, La.), Forest United Methodist Church (Forest, La.), Holly Ridge United Methodist Church (Holly Ridge, La.), Locust Grove United Methodist Church (West Carroll Parish, La.), and Pioneer United Methodist Church (Pioneer, La.). Financial and administrative records from the 2010s also include material from Holly Ridge United Methodist Church (Holly Ridge, La.).

Dates

1920 - 2018

Creator

Epps United Methodist Church (Epps, La.) (Organization)

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

Epps United Methodist Church was located at 400 Old Delhi Road, Epps, Louisiana.

In the early 1900s, the closest Methodist church to Epps was the Midway church between Epps and Warden. When there was bad weather, they couldn’t make the trip. Led by the Midway pastor. Rev. U. Smart, Methodists in the Epps area organized their own congregation. Land was donated by Mrs. Tom LeFevre along Hwy. 134 East and the church was built in 1920. On May 23, 1920, the first service was held in the new building.

The church burned down in 1933 and was rebuilt the following year. Classrooms were added during the rebuilding.

In 1953, the parsonage on Holly Street was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. C.L. Miller for $3,000. Rev. J.B. McCann (the first full-time pastor) and his family were the first occupants of the parsonage.

After the church burned down on February 28, 1968, services were held at the Epps High School auditorium. Joe Kelly and Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Lusk donated property across the street from the church property and work began on new facilities on June 15, 1968. Rev. Theron McKisson led services in the fellowship hall when it was completed, and then in the sanctuary by September when it was finished. Bishop Aubrey Walton led the dedication service on January 19, 1969. The old parsonage was sold, and a new one was built next to the church later in 1969.

Epps United Methodist Church closed in 2019.

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 BR-30.