Woodlandville United Methodist Church
Our Pastor
Pastor Leslie Durrant was born in Hopewell Junction, New York. She comes from a long line of Reformed Church pastors and grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy from The Ohio State University and a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Florida. She and her late husband, Dr. Mark Durrant, raised triplet daughters, and she retired in 2023 after a 42‑year career as a Hospital Clinical Pharmacist with the Columbia VA Hospital.
She has been an active church member throughout her life, serving in the Reformed Church in America, the United Methodist Church, and the United Church of Christ. Her roles have included organist, choir member, Lay Servant, Lay Leader, Certified Lay Speaker, and pulpit supply preacher. After moving to Missouri in 2003, she continued to serve in multiple leadership capacities and eventually answered a call to ministry, receiving her pastoral license in 2022. She has served as pastor of New Bloomfield UMC for the past three years and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry through St. Paul School of Theology.
OUR CHURCH
The origin of our Woodlandville Church began in 1836 with land purchased for a square log building known as the Bethlehem Meeting House.
This was a shared church, alternating service for the Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians. The Methodists later build their own church in the town of Everett, which boasted a general store, blacksmith shop, and post office.
Everett no longer exists, but the remains of the towns one-room school house and the old cemetery can still be seen from Wilhite road.
After 41 years in Everett, it was decided to move the church to Woodlandville.
Woodlandville was a larger community with better roads, a general store, blacksmith shop, and post office. On May 11, 1901, the land was purchased for the current church. The church was dedicated in 1902. The town of Woodlandville no longer supports any businesses, but the church has stayed strong throughout the last one hundred years. It has served as a center of worship and a meeting place for many different organizations in our community.
On October 14, 2001, we celebrated our 100th anniversary. People came from near and far to gather in worship and fellowship. It is a tribute to our past and an inspiration for the future of our church. We invite you to come and worship with us, a small country church with a large community of faith.