History
Waldheim United Methodist Church, Waldheim, Louisiana
Services might have begun at Waldheim as early as 1860 in an old log church, though records are lacking. It is known that a new church was built and dedicated in 1875. The church was 41 by 25 feet and had a steeple with a bell. J. B. A. Ahrens wrote that he had "opened a new field" and had a society of 22 members. The congregation was a part of the German Mission Conference. It was called Boniface Church, after the apostle of the Germans. Through the years, it has also been called St. Tammany Mission, Camp Ground, Talisheek, German Settlment, and now, Waldheim.
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On August 29, 1884, John J. Ryan sold 40 acres (which encompassed the church property) to the M. E. Church, South, German Mission Conference of Texas and Louisiana. In 1887, a "tabernacle" (shed) of 40 by 60 feet was built for the Camp Ground. It had a dirt floor covered with pine needles. Fires were lit on several stands around the shed to provide light at night.
In the early 1930's, an addition was built onto the back of the church. A Fellowship Hall was added in the mid 1950's. Various improvements have been made over the years, such as a new organ (1952 & 1967), air conditioning (1971, though the units were stolen the following year), and furnaces (1974). It is thought that a parsonage was built about the same time as Boniface Church.
Waldheim United Methodist Church 2005
Source: The First Century, 1875-1975: Waldheim UMC
The United Methodist Church
In 1729 England, a small group of Oxford University students were ridiculed as "Bible Bigots," the "Holy Club" and "Methodists" because they spent so much time in methodical prayer and Bible reading. Led by John and Charles Wesley, the students held their ground against jeering students and went out to preach and pray with those considered to be the underbelly of English society.
The United Methodist Church is the result of a 1939 merger of three Methodist bodies (Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal South and Methodist Protestant churches), and a 1968 union of the Evangelical United Brethren and The Methodist churches.
The United Methodist Church is part of a Wesleyan movement that now claims a total of 18 million members of various Methodist churches around the world. There are 8.5 million Methodists in the United States and one million members of the denomination outside of the United States.
The United Methodist Church is part of the Church Universal. All persons, regardless of race, color, national origin, status, or economic condition are welcome to attend its services, receive Holy Communion, and, after taking vows, be baptized and admitted into membership.
Denominational practices and standards are set by General Conferences that meet once every four years. Delegates to that conference are elected by clergy and lay representatives from local churches gathered in regional annual conferences.
