Oil City Churches - Methodist Episcopal (Later United Methodist)

For at least a couple of years, there was a Methodist Episcopal Church, separate and distinct from the MEC, South congregation, that served local black parishioners of the time. The following is the chronology immediately before, during, and after the period in question.

1913 and Prior

Annual conference minutes first identify a church at Fopp(s)  (a farm near Belcher) in 1901. Later a Belcher church, likely the Fopps congregation renamed, is first mentioned in 1905, where H. T. O. Abbott is appointed to serve that community and Gilliam. A church is also identified at neighboring Dixie.

1914

The Reverend David Harrison was appointed pastor to Belcher only at the MEC's annual conference. He had already been serving in this capacity for a few years.

1915

Rev. Harrison was appointed to Belcher and Oil City, presumably sharing his time between two congregations..

Official Journal 1915 - Louisiana Conference (Central Jurisdiction, The Methodist Church, Page 11

1916

C. D. C. Bryant is appointed to lead Belcher and Oil City. David Harrison had moved to Longstreet, a village in DeSoto Parish.

Official Journal 1916 - Louisiana Conference (Central Jurisdiction, The Methodist Church, Page 35

1917

A. W. Goins is appointed pastor for Belcher and Gilliam, again presumably separate groups. Oil City was not mentioned. Rev. Bryant was appointed to the Franklinton Circuit. Note E. J. Harrison (see below) at Wardville (near Pineville).

Official Journal 1917 - Louisiana Conference (Central Jurisdiction, The Methodist Church, Page 35

1918

Rev. Goins is appointed to Belcher only.


1919

E.  J. Harris (sic) is listed solely as Belcher pastor. A. W. Goins was appointed to Schriever (near Thibodaux in south Louisiana). 

Official Journal 1919 - Louisiana Conference (Central Jurisdiction, The Methodist Church, Page 39


However, in a 1939 listing of retired pastors, Belcher and Oil City are among the communities shown to have been ministered at one time by Rev. Harrison.

Official Journal 1939 - Louisiana Conference (Central Jurisdiction, The Methodist Church, Page 74

1920

Irvin  Benjamin Henderson is appointed to the "Belcher Circuit." The other churches in this circuit (Dixie?, Gilliam?, Oil City?, ???) are not disclosed. He continued as Belcher (listed singularly) pastor for several more years.

The published information appears to conflict, however it is evident there was an ME church that served Oil City for at least two years (1915 and 1916) by appointment, a third; taking Rev. E. J. Harrison's 1939 resume into account; and potentially a fourth as part of the "Belcher Circuit."

1921 and Beyond

Through the following years, a Belcher church is listed in the annual conference minutes through 1956. There is however no mention of it thereafter. 

Ministers

The following is additional information found about the clergymen from this period. All served numerous communities over their careers, as the practice was typically to reassign ministers every year or two.  

C. D. C. Bryant (1851-1936) passed away in 1936 and interestingly, his obituary appeared in the Pittsburgh, PA newspaper.

Pittsburgh (PA) Courrier 03-Oct-1936, Sec. 2, Page 10

Augustus W. Goins - (18??-1928) In addition to his pastoral charge, Rev. Goins occasionally served roles in the state-wide organization including assistant statistical secretary (1907), as well as being on the memoirs committee (1921). He retired in 1922 and passed away in 1928.

David Harrison (1865-19??) appears in the 1900, 1910, and 1920 censuses in Winnsboro, Calcasieu Parish, and Natchitoches respectively, along with his wife Temese and son Benjamin. Rev. Harrison retired in 1923. What became of him later in life is not known.

Ephraim J. Harrison (~1874-19??) It is not known if he was related to Rev. David Harrison. He appears in the 1910 U. S. Census living in Baton Rouge. He's identified as 46 years old, born in Louisiana, and having the occupation of clergyman- ME Church. Wife Julia was 34, and a Louisiana native. She died in 1918. 

His first wife, Hanna, earlier passed away in 1901 in Boyce, where Rev. Harrison had been appointed the prior year. You can read her obituary at this link. Rev. Harrison was listed in the annual convention minutes for several years as retired through 1947. The following year, he appears neither among retired nor deceased pastors. What became of him is also not known.

Irvin Benjamin Henderson (1874-1951) Per his World War I draft registration, Reverend Henderson was born 18-Nov-1874 and then living at 1811 Looney Street in Shreveport with wife, Octavia. By 1930, they were still at this address.

Rev. Irvin Benjamin Henderson
(undated photo)

Source: Ancestry.com Contributor

Like, Rev. E. J. Harrison, he had lost his first wife. At this link, is the obituary of Ollie Henderson. He passed away in 08-May-1951.


Return to Give Me That Old-Time Oil City Religion.