This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

A SHORT HISTORY 'MAIN STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Known for it’s emphasis on worship, love for neighbor, personal piety, and evangelization, Methodism grew out of a movement in England started by John Wesley who died in 1791. It grew throughout Great Britain and soon immigrated to America. Led by Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke, who later became the first bishops, Methodism spread quickly across America and was officially organized as a church in Baltimore in 1784. It was named the Methodist Episcopal Church. It has had several divisions and mergers over the years and is now called the United Methodist Church. It has about nine million members in the U.S. and six million in other countries.
Methodist people were meeting in Bay St. Louis (Shieldsboro) as early as 1842 but the church was not officially organized until 1852. Mr. E.D. Pitts, a local school teacher was the leader at that time. This year we are 150 years old. They first met in a small building on this very spot that was given by Mr. John V. Toulme. It was replaced in 1895 by the building that is now our main sanctuary.
It was not completed until about 1900. Other buildings on this block have been built since that time. This sanctuary was completely renovated in 1999.
One of the outstanding features is the stained glass windows. Those with the diamond shaped glass were part of the original construction. To the left and behind the pulpit is “St. John with scriptures”. Next to it is “Jesus our Shepherd” and then “Jesus in Garden of Gethsemene”. This window dates back to 1932 and is similar to Tiffany designs. Next to it is “Jesus with a Child” and in the back comer is “St. Paul on the Damascus Road”. In the back comer on the opposite side is “St. Peter” and, at the front on the right is the “Cross and Anchor” and “Musical Symbols”. Another window is in the church office and is the “Paschal Lamb” window.
Our church building has wonderful facilities for Sunday School,
Scouting, youth activities, a large music program, weddings and funerals, etc. and all of them are modem and well kept. We average around 200 people in worship on Sunday with many children as well as older adults. We are privileged to have a lot of tourists, those who come south for the winter, weekenders from other towns, as well as a good mixture of those who have been here all their life and those who are more recent arrivals.