On a leafy stretch of St. Charles Avenue in uptown New Orleans, the Gothic-revival facade of Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church has stood since 1875, anchoring worship on the same block for 151 years. Inside the tall sanctuary, two Sunday services fill the room with congregational singing and a chancel choir, while in classrooms and pantries around the building, a full slate of children, youth, music, and outreach programs unfolds each week. The church opens with a sweeping welcome: "a community of faith and love representing, celebrating, and embracing all God's children as persons of sacred worth regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, culture, tradition, sexual orientation or gender identity, personal and family history, or station in life." All are invited, the doors remind visitors, with "open hearts, open minds, and open doors."
Sunday Worship in the Sanctuary
Worship is held at 8:45 and 11:00 a.m. in the sanctuary every Sunday morning, and both services are also broadcast on Facebook Live for those who prefer to participate from home. Senior Pastor Rev. Marissa Horvath preaches and presides; she was ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church in 2016 and previously served on the pastoral staff at Rayne Memorial before returning as senior pastor. Toward the beginning of each service, children are invited forward to the altar for a children's message with the pastor, after which those in age 3 through Grade 3 may leave for Children's Church while the rest of the congregation continues the liturgy. Ushers and greeters welcome visitors at the doors, and an altar guild prepares the space each week.
A Choir Program Built Around the Building
Music is one of the most visible parts of Rayne's identity. The Chancel Choir, led by Director of Music C. Leonard Raybon and Organist Dr. J. Thomas Mitts, rehearses on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. in the choir room and sings each Sunday from the loft. A Children's Choir for ages 3 through Grade 5, led by Allison Way Bunnell, meets on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in the fellowship hall (following the 5:30 family dinner) and performs throughout the year, including an annual Christmas pageant. Two hand bell choirs add another voice to worship: children in grades 2 through 5 meet Wednesdays at 6 p.m., while the adult hand bell choir gathers Thursdays at 5:00 p.m. All choirs are open to newcomers, and the music staff welcomes new voices at any point in the year.
Children's Ministry from Nursery Through Confirmation
Rayne's children's ministry, directed by Elizabeth Cheezem, serves the youngest members of the congregation from infancy through the end of elementary school and into confirmation. Sunday School runs from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. for ages 3 through Grade 5; children age 3 through Grade 3 use the Godly Play curriculum, a Montessori-based approach that introduces Bible stories through storytelling, wondering, and play, while grades 4 and 5 use Sparkhouse's Colaborate curriculum to engage in conversation about scripture and what it means to follow Jesus. A staffed nursery for infants and toddlers (using the Deep Blue for Toddlers and Twos curriculum) is open during both worship services and Sunday School, and can be reserved by request for other on-site meetings. Children's Church, which also uses Godly Play, meets during the second half of the 8:45 and 11:00 services for ages 3 through Grade 3.
Older children participate as acolytes, carrying the light and assisting at the altar during candle lighting, the offering, and Holy Communion, with annual training provided. Each summer, Vacation Bible School is one of the highlights of the church calendar. In the spring, fifth and sixth graders take part in Confirmation using Sparkhouse curriculum, with several additional events and activities leading up to Pentecost Sunday, when those who are ready are received as full members of the church.
The Rayne Early Childhood Program (RECP), directed by Teresa Magee, is a NAEYC-accredited preschool housed in the Bynum Building on the same campus. RECP strives for quality child care in a loving Christian environment and shares the grounds with the church's other ministries.
Youth Group at Every Grade
Director of Youth Ministry Katie Payne oversees a program designed to give every middle and high school student at Rayne a place to belong. Students gather for Sunday School from 9:50 to 10:50 a.m. on Sunday mornings. During the school year, middle school youth group meets on Wednesday evenings and high school youth group meets on Sunday evenings for games, conversation, Bible study, and friendship. Each summer, the group heads out for a week-long camp described as a time filled with connecting with God and unforgettable memories. Once a year, the youth take over the Sunday services for Youth Sunday, leading the congregation in worship through music, stories, and reflections from camp.
Adult Classes, Small Groups, and Wednesday Family Night
Rayne offers several adult Sunday School classes from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. The Parenting Class meets in the Rayne Chapel and welcomes parents navigating the challenges of guiding their children. The FaithWorks Class gathers in the Parlor for Bible study and mutual care, working through various books of scripture and other literature and exploring historical context. The Faith in Action Social Justice Class meets in Epiphany House and focuses on creation care, immigration, gun control, and systemic racism, organized around the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church and emphasizing policy over politics. The Pastor's Methodism 101 Class, which meets in the Parsonage (the green house at the corner of Constantinople and Pitt Streets), invites newcomers and long-timers alike to explore Wesleyan history and heritage. The Mom's Class meets on Sundays from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. on Zoom.
Beyond Sunday morning, weekly small groups meet throughout the week. Ladies Tuesdays at Noon is a time of personal sharing and book studies. Men gather Thursday mornings at 6:30 a.m. for a Lectionary Study, with a separate United Methodist Men's Bible Study at 9:00 a.m. (contact Rev. Marissa for details). The Prime Timer's Senior Group gathers monthly for food, fellowship, and special outings. The biggest midweek gathering is Wednesday Family Night, which begins at 5:30 p.m. with a light meal in the fellowship hall; at 6:00 p.m. children move to choir, handbells, and other programs while adults gather for spiritual formation, and at 7:00 p.m. the adult Chancel Choir rehearses. Audubon Yoga classes are also offered on Monday evenings, Tuesday mornings and evenings, Wednesday mornings and evenings, and Saturday mornings.
Serving the Neighborhood Beyond the Church
A sizable portion of Rayne's identity is given over to direct service in uptown New Orleans. The church operates a food pantry that distributes supplemental groceries on Tuesday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to noon and Thursday afternoons from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., located at the corner of Pitt and Constantinople Streets. In partnership with Mount Zion United Methodist Church, the Good Samaritan Meals and Vouchers program distributes lunch and shelter vouchers to the unhoused community. Twice a month, Rayne hosts free breakfasts through the Crescent City Cafe, which serves poor and marginalized members of the community with dignity and builds relationship through shared meals. Rayne is also a partner with Luke's House Clinic, a place of medical and spiritual hope, health, and healing for people in Greater New Orleans.
For newly arrived immigrants, Rayne partners with the community-based non-profit HOME IS HERE to cultivate systems of support. The FIX IT Team provides minor house repairs for neighbors who need them. The Intercessory Prayer Team and the Prayer Shawl Team form the Healing and Wholeness ministry, praying for those with special needs; the Prayer Shawl Team also knits and crochets shawls as tangible expressions of that prayer. Rayne's Caring for Creation Team focuses on environmental stewardship and the ways ecological harm falls disproportionately on the poor and marginalized. Within the building, the Food and Fellowship team coordinates snacks for Sunday fellowship time, lunch for homeless friends, and meals for the bereaved. The church's outreach is supported in part through United Methodist Global Ministries, the worldwide mission, relief, and development agency of the United Methodist Church.
Volunteers are invited to sign up for any of these opportunities through the church's online forms, or by contacting the church office. Ushers, greeters, communion servers, scripture readers, acolytes, and the altar guild all serve inside the church as well, and the church encourages members to sign up for recurring roles.
Weddings and a Campus in Renewal
Rayne's historic sanctuary and chapel are available for weddings, with a detailed wedding packet provided for couples beginning to plan their ceremony. The sanctuary, with its Gothic-revival architecture, has hosted worship and other sacred occasions since 1875.
A multi-phase Restoration and Renewal capital project is currently underway across the campus. Work includes new carpet and restored windows in the fellowship hall, new ADA-compliant bathrooms, kitchen upgrades with new mechanical equipment and ceiling, a reworked Pitt Street sidewalk and entrance so visitors of all abilities can enter without stairs, exterior repairs to the Westerfield Building (including brickwork, cast stone details, and window restoration around the large playground), and a refreshed Chapel with new carpet featuring a labyrinth, fresh paint, and flexible seating in place of fixed pews. The Pitt Street door is closed on weekdays during sidewalk work; on Sundays it remains open with caution. Visitors who prefer a ramped entrance can use the RECP entry just down Pitt Street.
Roots on Bulbancha and an Open Door
The church acknowledges that its St. Charles Avenue home sits on land long known as Bulbancha, a continuation of an indigenous trade hub on the Mississippi River where Native peoples have lived since time immemorial, and honors the resilient voices of Native Americans as an inseparable part of local culture. In keeping with that awareness, the congregation's welcome is explicit: all are invited to participate fully in the life of this community of faith and love regardless of race, class, gender, or sexual orientation.
Two newsletters help members and visitors keep up with the rhythm of the church: a weekly e-newsletter with current announcements, and the monthly print newsletter The Open Door, available on the wooden table at the rear of the sanctuary, which highlights the work of members and missions. Weekly worship guides are posted online each Sunday. Online giving and 2026 pledges are available through Realm, and text-to-give is available by texting giverayne to 73256.