About Us

Early Church Memories as Remembered by Active Member Nita Rogers

We are currently celebrating our first fifty years. You might say some of our members came with the building or let us qualify that by saying “were part of the beginning.” Active Member Nita Rogers takes us back to the early years.

“My mother-n-law, Jeannie Rogers, was instrumental in my family joining Ellerbe Road Church. She had moved from Plain Dealing and was Presbyterian by faith. She soon joined a local group meeting in the old Forbing School Building (located north on the Norton Estate). These people of several different denominations were active in the late 40’s and early 50’s. They lived within a fifteen mile-radius and were farmers, dairymen and housewives.

The Ellerbe Road Estates pastureland was the location of the Shreveport Dairy owned by the Forbing family. The history of the area goes back to A. P. Bacque who emigrated from France at age fourteen. He learned the dairy business and eventually bought 600 acres of land on Ellerbe Road. Several of his family were members of the early worship group and later joined the Ellerbe Road Church. South of our church is Sadie Douglas Street, named for a lady who owned the dairy which now has beautiful homes on its pastureland.

The early congregation of the church decided to form a Methodist church. Some of its members were Walter and Tom Jacobs, A. C. Morgan, Burton Garrard, Earnest Turner, and many others. They appealed to Centenary College for assistance and Alton Hancock was appointed as a student minister. He later became an ordained minister and has retired from Centenary as a faculty member. Dr. Webb Pomeroy, head of the Bible studies at the college, was the first ordained minister and served the church for twelve years. He conducted Sunday morning and evening worship services, Wednesday night prayer meeting and Bible study and choir practices. He has well supported by his wife Juanita. Dr. Pomeroy secured and helped refinish the pews for the sanctuary and also assisted A. C. Morgan to dig the water well. The old choir room served as the kitchen until the fellowship hall was added.

Through most of the years, our church has had less than 200 members. Its ministry has been one of service, being blessed with the brightest, most enlightened pastors serving people willing to 'bloom where they are planted.'"