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A BRIEF HISTORY OF MIN STREET METHODIST CHURCH, BAY ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI PART II (1842-1967)
Though far from being one of Mississippi's largest Methodist churches, very few places of worship in the state have had as long and as colorful a history as has Main Street Methodist Church in Bay St. Louis. Located only a short distance from the Gulf Coast,
Main Street Methodist was one of the coast area's earliest churches,
Its lifetime has been marked by gradual membership growth ana service to the community.
Before turning directly to a history of the church itself, it is important that we understand first something about the surrouding area. A noticeable growth has been seen in the Hancock County town since the recent building of the NASA Mississippi Test Facility which has sent thousands of workers to the Gulf Coast. A prolonged series of problems involving a water and sewerage program unfortunately has stymied much of the projected growth for the present. A tremendous future, however, is foreseen by most observers for Bay St. Louis as well as the entire Gulf Coast. Some forecasters envisage a complete city stretching from Bay St. Louis to Biloxi some 28 miles to the east.
Bay St. Louis was one of the first settlements on the Gulf Coast, having been founded by French explorers. The town has always had several characteristics setting it apart from most of the rest of the state, foremost being the large percentage of Roman Catholic population which has always dominated the area. The city is regarded as a resort town, and is a popular summer home for many residents of New Orleans and other non-coastal areas.
Along with projected growth for the town, an exciting future appears in store for the Methodist Church and Main Street Methodist in particular. Whereas Roman Catholic families have always constituted
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most of the area population, new industry including the NASA site has brought hundreds of Protestants to the coast. Main Street Methodist has already gained some of this group into membership and, when current sewerage problems are overcome, should pick up a large number of transfer