St. Landry UMC was originally named St. Punchin. The church was named St. Punchin because of the puncheon boards that were used to build the original church. St. Punchin church was the vision of a dedicated group of Gonzales community members, that gathered together to start a work for God. This group of dedicated men gathered puncheon boards from the woods to build the original church.

St. Punchin opened in 1884, under the leadership of Reverend Craige, and Superintendent Hilton.

Sam Scott willed a new piece of land to the church; and a second church developed through the conscientious efforts of Reverend Pierre Landry. At that time Reverend Landry was the presiding elder of the south New Orleans District of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The second church was named St. Landry Episcopal, in honor of Reverend Landry.

St. Landry was destroyed by a storm in 1909. And, was again destroyed by hurricane Betsy in 1965. But, each time it was rebuilt.

During the reconstruction of St. Landry after the 1965 hurricane (1965-1966), St. Paul Baptist Church in Gonzales, Louisiana, and Haven Chapel Methodist Church in Darrow, Louisiana, opened their doors to the St. Landry congregation for Sunday worship services.

The present structure is built of brick, and was dedicated to the service of God in 1967. Through the unification service in 1968, St. Landry Episcopal became St. Landry United Methodist Church. New additions and classrooms were built and dedicated in 1987.

The current Pastor of St. Landry United Methodist Church is Reverend Gregory McClay.

Former ministers of St. Landry:

Reverend Leban

Reverend Wise

Reverend Hilton

Reverend Kewey

Reverend Wesley

Reverend Isom Sanders

Reverend Usien

Reverend Emile Ennis

Reverend Adam Franklin

Reverend J. C. Miles

Reverend Dan Washington

Reverend Louis Augustine

Reverend Curtis Johnson

Reverend William Jones

Former Assistant Pastors:

Reverend Isom Sanders

Reverend Albert Holland

Reverend Charles Wilson

Lay Leaders: Lena Stephens (current)

Lionel Lewis, Sr. (current)

Donald Coco

Herbert Mulberry