Welcome to Calvary United Methodist Church
Our Service
Every Sunday at 8:30am
Our Mission
We are looking for people to love, who Jesus would forgive.
Our History
If the birth of an idea is the birth of an institution, the Calvary United Methodist Church can trace its beginning back to the very end of the Civil War, 1865. History tells us, however, that Calvary was created as a church in 1867 after many valiant men had struggled to meet the needs of the newly freed “Colored People”.
In August of 1867, the Freedman’s Aid Society was organized by Abraham Lincoln. The purpose of that society was the “aiding of Colored People, who called themselves Christians, who were freed from slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation.” Since thousands of freed slaves were left homeless and without a place to worship, the Freedman’s Society’s staff with Dr. Isaac Wilsy as President sent several men to provide for the spiritual needs of the “freedmen”. The Society sent down, in the southern part of the country, several men, namely Rev. R.S. Rust, secretary of the Society, Dr. J-M. Walden, R. M. Hatfield, T.M. Eddy and others.
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To aid the Colored People, the Society’s representatives settled in Thibodaux and purchased a lot from a black woman named Rachel Tabor who had owned the land from as far back as 1845. The material for the building, which was the remains of a building which had been torn down in another part of the state, was brought down Bayou Lafourche on a barge. It was the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church which ordained the establishment of a church in Thibodaux. Calvary Methodist Episcopal, which after the merger of the A&B conferences became Calvary United Methodist Church. Calvary was built in 1867 under the pastorate of Rev. W. M. Murell, and Rev. R.K. Dorsey the Presiding Elder. It was rebuilt in 1885 under the pastorate of Rev. G. W. Lacey, and Rev. E. Williams being the District Superintendent. The Trustees at that time were George Watkins, President, W. Guidry, Secretary, Joseph Williams, Sam Turner, S. Burrell, L. Arsen, William Brown, D. D. Marcell, W.H. Young, T.A. Brown, builder. The church was later renovated in 1830 under the leadership of Rev. L.O. Richards, Pastor and Rev. H. Daniels, District Superintendent. Trustees at the time were J- Phillips, President, W. Wilson, Treasurer, Thomas Folse, Secretary, Frank Walker, Thomas Wilson, R. Smith, V. Hills, S. Burrell, E. Neville and Resident Bishop R.E. Jones.
In 1976 the church was renovated again under the pastorate of Rev. Taft Bowie, Clarence Fleming, Jr., Secretary, Oscar Johnson, Richard Johnson, Osben Jones, Bennie Turner; Henry Campbell, Russell Jones, and Johnny Thompson.
The church still retains a lot of its early charm and character. It’s unique hand-hewn altar rail is the center piece of worship experience and serves as a monument to the talents of Black laborers who were not formally trained but were highly skilled.
From its early history, the church was used as a school for Black children. This practice ceased in the 1920’s with the state establishing public schools.
The church walls still reverberate with the joyful sounds of worship that has characterized the African American community since the doors of the church opened. The church continues to house the seed of that Great Spirit that moved our forefathers to establish the house of worship known as Calvary United Methodist Church.
