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History of Main Street United Methodist Church
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Envisioned by founding fathers to bring glory to God
Mississippi Methodism has produced some of the noblest men and women in the history of the church and every congregation, though large or small, has made its contribution to the building of the Kingdom of God.
History links the present with the past and today we look into the past to glimpse the highlights in the growth of Main Street Methodist Church.
Main Street Methodist Church was organized in the year 1852 in the town of Shieldsboro, now known as Bay St. Louis. Methodism was exceedingly weak along the gulf section and this particular community did not belong specifically within the' territory of either of the two pastoral charges in that section. The Biloxi circuit, George T. Vickers, preacher-in-charge, did not reach as far west as the western side of the Bay of St. Louis, and the Gainesville circuit, James 0. Woodward, pastor, did not reach that far south. (The acutal organization of a Methodist Congregation was affected by E.D. Pitts, a local Methodist preacher and a teacher, who had established schools at Napoleon, on Pearl River above Pearlington, and in the town of Shieldsboro. The new church was attached to the Gainesville charge.)
The name of Gainesville mission in the Paulding district reminds us of a village of some size, that once served as the center of a Methodist circuit. Gainesville was on Pearl River, about twenty-five miles from Bay St. Louis. Before the Civil War it
was of importance as a trading place for a considerable section of the adjacent territory. From the early days of Methodism in Mississippi there had been Methodist churches along Pearl River, but they had been stronger on the west side of the river in the vicinity of John Ford’s. Just how early Methodist churches were established on the east side of the river nobody seems to know. (The first circuit east of Pearl River and south ofthe Whitesand circuit was formed at the Annual Conference hald at Vicksburg in 1836.) It was called Pearlington frdm a small community, also on Pearl River, about eight miles south of Gainesville. By 1843 the work had extended along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the name of the charge was changed to Biloxi, from the cheif coast city.
In 1858 the Gainesville charge consisted of four churches, Gainesville, Pearlington, Bay St. Louis, and Jourdan River. Henry D. Berry was pastor that year, which was marked by gracious revivals, in which fifty were added to the church. From that time until the outbreak of the Civil War the Gainesville charge had a fairly large membership, but they were in the main poor people, so that in 1864 it was served as a mission and appeared under that name. The name of Gainesville appears for the last time in the list of appointments in 1870, after which the name of the charge was changed to Pearlington, by which name it had been called thirty years before.
In the year 1874, Bay St. Louis was one of the four main preaching places in early coast Methodism, the other three places being Biloxi, Handsboro and Pass Christian. In 1880, services were held in a small building at the corner of Main and Second Street on property given for the purpose by the late John V. Toulme. Rev. J.W. McClarrin was the pastor.
Annual Conference of 1881 state that Rev. M.C. Callaway, pastor told of the Handsboro Circuit:	the
churches were at Handsboro with 400 white population and 50 Methodist, and a good house of worship; Bay St. Louis with 2,000 population, a good church building, and 16 members, well attended.
In 1892, the first parsonage was built and in 1895 the present church building was erected on the corner of Main and Second Streets on a lot given six years earlier by J.V. Toulme. In 1977, the building will be 82 years old and the church will observe its 125th anniversary. It was dedicated by Bishop Charles B. Galloway in 1897, the year a disastrous $75,000 fire destroyed about half the town.
The church building was not completed until near the turn of the century. In 1896, Bay St. Louis was worshipping for the second year in an imcomplete building which had no doors or windows. Records also show that in 1900 the new building was wired for electricity at a cost of $36. W.W. Cammach, pastor in 1902, was awarded $375 as a salary for his services.
In 1936 under the pastorate
of Rev. J. Early Gray, a six classroom annex was constructed at the rear of the present sanctuary and in 1944, Mr. A.C,Exnicious gave to the church a plot of land adjoining the church building lot; then five years later the church purchased from Mr. Exnicious a two-story building which was used for educational purposes. The building was adjacent to the land given earlier and with these additions, the church grounds cover nearly all of a small city block in the downtown area next to the County Qourthouse. Mrs. Exnicious gave the church the last $1000.00 note.
It will probably be of interest to some to learn that the front portion of the second floor of that building was the first house of Worship for Methodist in Bay St. Louis, and it had originally stood on the site of the present church building. The frame building had been raised after it was moved and a cement block first floor built beneath it. This old building has been demolished and the site is part of the present churchyard.
In the 1950’s, under the pastorate of Rev. H. Bufkin Oliver, the annex building was renovated and enlarged to contain a Pastor’s Study, a kitchen, dining room, fellowship hall and two dressing rooms.
While Rev. C.S. Schultz was the pastor on December 7, 1952, the Centennial Anniversary was observed with an all day celebration.
Bishop Marvin Franklin came for the Centennial Anniversary, as did some of the former pastors and
members from out of town.
Later, during Rev. A. I,amar Martin’s pastorate, the parsonage, a $26,000 project was built on a lot 100 by 130 feet five blocks from the church on the corner of Second Street and Timberlane. It was constructed on a lot purchased from current church member C.C. McDonald, Sr., and the building was occupied on March 16, 1964. The new parsonage was dedicated on March 12, 1967, by Bishop Edward J. Pendergrass, and at this time had already been completely paid for. In the early 1970’s, the old parsonage behind the church was razed and new fireproof Educational Building was constructed to house the entire Sunday School.
The church building is considered to be an outstanding example of the architecture of its type and period. The glazing and installation of the original windows is of very fine quality and workmanship.
The original communion service is contained in a wall display case constructed by the late Wallace Chevis as was the repository housing the “Book ot Remembrance,” the permanent honors and memorial records of the church.
Generations of local families have made Main Street Methodist their church •home. Children baptized, confirmed, reared in Sunday School, and married here, now see their children and grandchildren following in the tradition envisioned and established by Shieldsboro’s early founding fathers to the glory of God.
Main Street United Methodist Church
Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi