Rev. Michael D. (Mike) McLaurin

3/17/2022

Rev. Michael Dean McLaurin was born in New Orleans, LA to Robert and Virginia McLaurin on March 10, 1950.  Mike grew up in Amite, LA, graduated from Moss Point High School in Moss Point, MS in 1968, attended Emory & Henry College in VA, and graduated from Huntingdon College, Montgomery, AL in 1972 with a degree in Philosophy & Religion.  Mike decided to answer God’s calling on his life and headed to Duke University Divinity School where he graduated in 1975 with a Master’s degree in Bible and Theology.  Mike returned to Louisiana, and received his Deacon Orders in the Louisiana Annual Conference in 1975.  He was later ordained as an Elder in Full Connection, and received his first appointment as Associate Minister at Ingleside UMC in Baton Rouge. 

Mike met his wife, LuAnn, during this time while on a mission trip to Ft. Smith, AR, and after a year of “long distance” courtship, they married on Aug. 7, 1976.  In 1981, they were blessed with a son, Michael Andrew “Andy”, and a few years later with a daughter, Megan Amelia.

After pastoring 14 churches in Louisiana over the course of 42 years, Mike retired in 2017, and he and LuAnn moved to Granbury, TX to be near their grandchildren, AJ and Arilyn.  But as we all know, ministers never REALLY retire, and Mike was delighted when he was asked to serve Tolar UMC for two and a half years before “re-retiring”.

Mike will be remembered for his pastoring ministry, his dry wit & corny sense of humor, his love of family as well as friends, his years as “Tabasco Rev.” and his loyalty to the Duke Blue Devil basketball teams under Coach K, finding the spirit of God’s grace in Disney’s character, Goofy, and loving opportunities to share the Good News.