By KEVIN CHIRI

Editor and Publisher

LAPLACE – First United Methodist Church of LaPlace will be celebrating its 70th anniversary on Sunday evening, and Pastor Mark Bray hopes the special memories will continue to be a springboard for continued improvements for the future.

The Methodist Church began in LaPlace in 1937 in a small building on Old Hwy. 51, thanks to land donated from Mr. and Mrs. George Lasseigne. Known as the Pink Chapel, the building was wiped out by Hurricane Betsy in 1965, leading the church to rebuild in 1966. That facility eventually was the home to a local bank, and now is the facility for New Home Ministries.

But, the church began plans to build their current sanctuary on new Highway 51, on land donated by T.L. James. They opened there in 2001 after holding services in a local mall. Now 70 years later, Bray and others at the church wanted to do something special for the 70th anniversary of the church, feeling like a look back at their history would help the church continue to grow into the future.

&#8220To be stronger, I think you need to celebrate your past and the people who helped build the church to where we are today,” Bray said. &#8220It’s especially important to celebrate the past as you look ahead to the future.”

The special service will be held at the church on Sunday at 5:30 p.m., with a walk down memory lane with lots of old memorabilia, as well as a 30 minute video with interviews of longtime church members, talking about their favorite memories from the history of the church.

Bray is in his third year as pastor of the church, after serving as pastor in Many, Benton and Bunkie, where he was over three churches for four years.

After attending high school in Texas, he went to college at SMU and Centenary, eventually feeling a call to full-time ministry in the footsteps of his father.

&#8220My father became a minister as a second career, after he had retired,” Bray said. &#8220So I know that was something which affected me.”

But he had gone to college still not sure the ministry was to be his full-time profession.

&#8220I always had a passion for others to know about the love of Jesus, and I had been in some leadership roles in high school with a youth group, then again in college, so I saw what I could do as a leader. It wasn’t a sudden decision to go full time into the ministry, but slowly in college I realized it was what I wanted to do,” he explained.

When he came to LaPlace three years ago he saw &#8220lots of potential for growth,” but that has meant quite a few changes that have been challenging at times.

&#8220Anytime you try to change an established congregation it can be difficult, and we’ve certainly had our challenges,” he said. &#8220But we’ve also had many things that I consider to be victories in trying to grow, and encourage young people and others to come to the church.”

Bray has upgraded the Vacation Bible School program to become a night-time event to draw more people, and did away with a former $20 charge for children to attend. &#8220We want to do anything we can to make sure people come to the church, especially if they can’t afford to be involved in certain things,” he said. &#8220We have even helped with summer camp for families which can’t afford it.”

He has changed the two Sunday morning services to offer contemporary praise music at the 8:30 service, and traditional music at the 10:45 service, and is trying to grow the youth group, besides making a strong push in several mission areas. One big project the church is currently undertaking is called &#8220Kids Hope,” where church members become mentors to students at nearby Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School.

&#8220We have raised the money to cover the cost outside our budget, and have about 10 mentors so far, including myself,” he said. &#8220This is more than just tutoring kids, we are trying to become true mentors for the kids there.”

The church has been sending a team to New Orleans every month to continue gutting houses from Katrina, and has their first mission trip to Mexico planned for July, when 13 people will be attending.

Blaine DuBose, president of the United Methodist Men, believes Bray has brought positive changes to the church that are helping the potential growth.

&#8220I think Pastor Bray’s accomplishments have been enormous since he got here,” DuBose said. &#8220I think we have better programs in a lot of areas, and I believe he has brought real leadership to the church. Even the 70 year anniversary celebration was his idea.”

The church has added multi-media to their weekly services, and will begin a Dave Ramsey class on April 15, that offers financial teaching from a Biblical perspective for those who attend.

In the future, the church wants to build the final sanctuary on their five acre property to the front of the current building, which then will serve as a family life center.

Bray is married and has four children.