The Mandeville Bible Church in Old Mandeville has a history much more significant than it looks like. The modest structure blends so easily into the streetscape that ot could almost go unnoticed strolling toward the lake on Carroll Street.
There was a time in Louisiana when the culture of the Roman Catholic faith dominated every aspect of life in south Louisiana. Due to the French and Spanish influence during colonial years, there was never a shortage of Catholic churches and schools.
But until 1876, there was literally no place for Protestants to practice their faith in Mandeville. There were not enough Protestants of any of the non-Catholic denominations to afford the building of a church. As late as 1873, Episcopalians were only able to gather in private homes.
The power in numbers was found when the "Mandeville Union Protestant Society" decided to raise the necessary funds for the building of a church that would offer a place to worship for all Protestants: Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians and Lutherans. The entire community, even those of the Catholic and Jewish faiths, black, and white contributed to the fund-raising effort.
Under the leadership of Charles Whiting, C.M. Leet, Wm. Morgan, Dr. Alonzo Givens, George Kirk, and A.A. Kindigs, plans moved forward to build a place of worship.
"With the hope of being a source of strength, unity and inspiration to the people of Mandeville," the church was built.
For only $100 cash, a plot of ground was purchased on Carroll Street. A wooden structure, simple in style, was built with little ornate detail other than a carved sunrise in the gable facing the street. The structure was built using mortise and tenon, with pegs for extra strength-- a technique lost in the following century.
The belfry and bell, still in use today, were added when the church was 10 years old, in 1886.
For years the different congregations that used the church building depended on visiting ministers. There would not be a resident pastor until 1955. About the same time, an education/fellowship hall was built.
In 1978, the church grew along with the community. The sanctuary was extended by 40 feet, and a choir loft and baptismal pool were built.
In 1997, the congregation changed its name from the "Mandeville Union Protestant Church" to the present name, "Mandeville Bible Church."
The church has survived many a storm being just a bit more than a block off Lake Pontchartrain, but the sanctuary has never flooded. The fellowship hall has not fared as well, flooding in multiple tropical storms. So, in 2013 it was elevated above the flood level.
The history of the Mandeville Bible Church has grown and evolved with the community that surrounds it so warmly. Old, local names like Dr. and Mrs. R.B. Paine, Mrs. S.F. Gale, Mrs., Eads Poitevant, Zacharia Sharp, Mrs. Charles Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. W.H.Dobson and Mrs. Preston Prieto worshipped in the same space, sat in the same pews and listened to the same organ as worshippers do today.
The present pastor is Eric McNeil. McNeil left his law practice of 25 years in Dallas, Texas to attend the Dallas Theological Seminary and was then selected for the position in Mandeville when Reverend Greco retired in 2015.
"Melissa and I feel blessed that God has called us to a church with such a rich history. We look forward to God continuing to use our church to shine his light and share his love on the North Shore," McNeil said.
Eric and Melissa McNeil recently bought an older home in the Historic District of Mandeville and have begun the next chapter of the 140-year old Mandeville Bible Church.