Paoli United Methodist Church
In 1972, during the construction project, seventeen of our youth and adults went on a mission trip to Morant Bay, Jamaica, in the West Indies.
While there, they conducted a vacation church school and painted the church buildings.
Here we see family waiting for their return to the Louisville airport.
Members — Does anyone have pictures of them in Jamaica or anything else we can add here? Contact the web master if you have anything to add here!
Around that same 1971-1972 time frame of our construction project, the community's Countdown Parade had a theme of "Yesterday".
A historical re-enactor protrayed an early Methodist circuit rider like those who served our area in the early 1800s.
In the mid 1970s, Eldon Brown showed the youth that God's creation included all the Earth and also all that is beneath it as he led them on caving trips.
Above ground, there were canoe trips on Blue River and at Sugar Creek.
Also in the 1970s, our church took several trips on God's Nightcrawler, a United Methodist overnight bus.
Onboard, there were three levels of bunks. And it was not just the youth that traveled on the bus! At left here we see Eldon Brown outside the bus, where it has arrived somewhere in the morning.
Below you see someone loading baggage, and the group taking a break at an Interstate highway rest stop.
Then some night-time shots on board the Nightcrawler.
Members — Does anyone have pictures from or stories from any of these trips? Contact the web master if you have anything to add here!
Clergy through the years
| 1964-1969 1965-1969 |
John Russell (Methodist) Richard Gillum (E.U.B.) |
| 1969-1972 | Bob Allred |
| 1972-1978 | Eldon Brown |
| 1978-1980 | Dale Smith |
| 1980-1983 | Tom Brooks |
| 1983-1987 | Jerry LeBrun |
| 1987-1991 | Gary Schaar |
| 1991-1998 | Ken Wells |
| 1998-2000 | Howard Allen |
| 2000-2005 | Richard Russell |
| 2005-2007 | Jan Akers-DuBois |
| 2007-2010 | Pam Cook |
| 2010-2015 | Val Foughty-Killion |
| 2015- | LaMont Bonath |
John Russell and Richard Gillum, with District Superintendent Robert Baldridge, at the merger ceremony in December, 1968.
Bob Allred, at the old Methodist Church in town.
Eldon Brown and Bob Allred, at the consecration service in October, 1972.
District Superintendent Robert Baldridge and his wife, Robert and Margaret Allred, Bishop Ralph T. and Marion Alton, and Eldon and Helen Brown after the consecration service.
Eldon Brown and Robert Allred at the consecration service.
Eldon Brown and the children's choir in Paoli's Christmas parade.
Jerry LeBrun.
Gary Schaar.
Gary Schaar.
Ken Wells and Bishop Woodie White.
Ken Wells.
Ken Wells.
Howard Allen.
Pam Cook.
Val Foughty-Killion.
Val Foughty-Killion and District Superintendent Charles Wilfong.
Rev. Dr. Gary Schaar, United Methodist District Superintendent, appointing the Rev. Dr. LaMont Bonath as pastor of Paoli United Methodist Church for a second year in August 2016.
Rev. Dr. Gary Schaar and his wife Joyce, visiting for the start of LaMont Bonath's second year as pastor.
