Port Arthur, Jefferson County
In 1915, Reverend S.D. Hackett introduced Methodism to the historic westside of Port Arthur, creating Hackett Chapel, a black Methodist church, with seventeen faithful members. The “prayer band” began meeting at the Ila Hall on West 7th Street and then in members’ homes. Hackett Chapel officially went on the Gulf Coast Black Conference Record in 1920 as St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church. The first church was erected through a grant from the Board of Home Missions from Port Arthur College in 1920 at 848 Lincoln Avenue and opened in 1926. In 1964, as church membership continued to grow, the church trustees began negotiations to purchase the O.C.A.W. Hall – local 254, located at 821 Texas Avenue, as the new church location. On Sunday, November 14, 1965, the first church service was held at the new location and was led by Bishop Noah W. Moore, Jr., resident bishop of the southwestern area. In 1968, Reverend Hubert B. Liedy, Jr., led the church through the United Methodist Church integration process. Through this merger, the church name changed to St. Paul United Methodist Church. Despite their small congregation, St. Paul United Methodist Church served and continues to serve the Westside community and beyond through many service programs, including local and foreign missions, clothing, food and school supply drives, youth mentoring and tutoring, and weekly meals for local residents. Locally and globally, the St. Paul United Methodist Church has served as a beacon of hope for over a century. (2017)