First United Methodist Church

First United Methodist Church. . , The Methodist Episcopal Church South in Winnfield was organized between 1859 and 1865. Rev. J.F. Bellany, a Methodist minister, was the chaplain of the Masonic Lodge and minutes of the Lodge infer that he was also the local pastor., In 1870, the one acre block of land on which the Methodist Church is still located was donated by Daniel Kelly, a Winnfield lawyer. The first frame church building was erected in 1871, and was the first church building in town. The building served also as a school house and as a meeting place for Baptist worshipers., The original building was torn down and was replaced by another frame building in 1900. The second frame church was torn down and the foundation for the present building was laid in 1918. The cornerstone of the present building contains a letter written by Rev. John F. Wynn, who served the charge on a circuit as large as the state of Delaware from 1865 to 1870., Winnfield was made a station in 1905. In 1906, the district conference met here and hosted Bishop Seth Ward for one of his first official acts after being elected to the bishopric. Numerous changes have been made to the building since then and it has been host to other conventions. Over the years the church has been blessed with many excellent pastors and members that have helped it to grow and endure. It is said that Winnfield is the exact center of Methodism of Louisiana.