ELTON — Elton United Methodist Church, which dates from about 1911, is facing an uncertain future and may close due to financial struggles, a dwindling congregation and an aging structure.

The Rev. Steven Bellard, who has been pastor of the church for five years, says the church’s finances and shrinking attendance threaten imminent closure.

Members are praying for a miracle and asking the community to help save the church, which has been a part of the community for 103 years. It was listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places in 1994 because of its Gothic Revival-style architect.

“We are financially strapped and need a miracle and the right gift of the Holy Ghost,” Bellard said. “Our first goal is to reach out and spread the Gospel, and hopefully all the blocks will fall in place.”

Longtime church member Trudy Patterson said many generations of families have worshipped at the church since construction was completed in June 1911.

“This is the church I was christened in, my parents and grandparents came here and we had my mom’s funeral here when she passed away in April,” Patterson said. “Where would I go if we closed? I have been coming here forever, and it’s a part of my life. … We have to preserve our church, but we are struggling and getting no help.”

She said the church is a “balance” between Elton High School, which is next door, and the Baptist church down the street.

“A lot would be affected in this community if the church closed,” Bellard said, noting the church’s support of local food pantries, school supply drives and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Just because we are small doesn’t mean we don’t have anything to give.”

Bellard said he has seen attendance taper off in recent years. About a dozen followers regularly attend the Sunday morning service, but more are needed, he said.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he said of the decline. “The young people in town don’t stay in town. It’s a farming community, and young people don’t want to stay. They move to bigger towns and find better-paying jobs.”

The town’s population has dropped from 2,711 in 2000 to 1,121 in 2013, according to census data. Mayor Cathy Hollingsworth says the town’s current population is 1,193.

Closing the church is something that has been tossed around for some time, Bellard said. “We are not saying we are going to close,” he said. “If we do, we are not going down without a fight.”

The church is showing signs of disrepair.

The bell tower steeple has serious structural problems, including rotten boards, which fall and allow water to leak into the church. There is damage to the fascia board on the south and northwest sides of the tower. There are holes in the interior ceiling, and the entire church needs to be painted.

Most of the problems are due to age, water damage and weather-related problems. Without repairs, the building will become unusable, Patterson said. The repair cost is estimated at $16,000, she said.

The church does not have the money, and no funds are available from the state even with the historic status, she said. Funds are available for a new church, she said.

Roy Manuel, who returned to the church about 10 years ago after moving back to Elton from Baton Rouge, said more activity and more involvement from young people are needed. Many longtime church members have died or have a hard time getting to church because of their health, he said.

Rudy Tonn, who has attended the church since 1940, said that although many members no longer attend regularly, they still have a connection to the church.

“Even if people don’t come any more, many of them return to be buried here,” Tonn said. “It’s a place of refuge and place to be buried.”

Laverne Putnam, who has been a member since 1953, said the church has been a foundation for its members. “Many of the members have grown up in this church,” she said. “They went to Sunday school and vacation Bible school here.”

Although Hollingsworth does not attend the church, as mayor, she said, she has compassion for what it would mean to the community.

“This is these people’s church,” Hollingsworth said. “I can’t imagine closing these doors to its members. This building is a church, and it means a lot to these people. When we lost St. Paul’s Church to a fire in 1982, we fought to rebuild a new church.”

Doug Firestone and his family moved to Elton in 2010 from Lafayette and were welcomed with open arms into the church.

“The congregation welcomed us in and made us feel like a part of the family,” he said, noting that his 9-year-old daughter is the youngest member of the church. “Losing this church would be devastating. Where would we go? I know I wouldn’t want to go to a different church.”

Elton Alderman Margaret Langley, who is not a member of the church, is optimistic the church can stay open and its members can turn it around.

“These are strong-willed people, and they will fight till the end,” Langley said. “They have a will, a way and a want to keep this church open.”(Special to the American Press)