35 Church Street, Barre, VT 05641, US
About Us
Who We Are and What We Believe
Founded in 1799, the Barre Congregational Church has a long history of grappling with Jesus’ vision, message, and mission. In recent years, we have been identifying ourselves as “the church with the red doors.” The three sets of double red doors that grace the front of our meetinghouse are a constant reminder of our intention to practice our faith both internally and externally. Crossing the threshold of these doors reminds us that as Christians we attend to an inner journey and an outer journey. We believe both journeys are crucial to God’s vision of salvation, justice, and transformation for all creation. The prophet Micah writes, “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
As a member of the United Church of Christ, we are committed to discerning what is just and fair and to speaking words of justice to the wider community and ourselves. As a local church in a specific geographic location, regardless of which side of the red doors we find ourselves on, we extend kindness to all people believing they are created in God’s image, and are therefore deserving of God’s love, compassion, and acceptance.
We hold our doors and our hearts open to all people who seek deeper faith and a closer walk with Jesus Christ. We celebrate and affirm the sacred worth of all persons as unique individuals made in the image of God. Whatever your age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, or physical, cognitive, or emotional ability, we invite you to find a safe and nurturing spiritual home with us.
Our Story
On November 14, 1799, the Barre Congregational Church was organized. There were twelve original members. Six men and six women. For seven years, Rev. James Hobart of the Berlin Congregational Church served both congregations.
In February of 1807, Rev. Palmer was ordained as the first resident minister. By the time Rev. Palmer arrived, the congregation had already outgrown the original log cabin as well as a larger log barn that was built to replace the cabin. In 1804, a permanent house of worship had been erected on Hill Street next to the Elmwood Cemetery in an area called Gospel Village.
Over the years the lower village (downtown Barre) became more populated and prosperous, thus prompting several members of the congregation to suggest moving away from the more rural area of Gospel Village. After much-heated discussion, the decision was made to move. In 1840, a new church was erected on the land where our present day church stands. The first worship service at this new location was held on November 11, 1840. Once again more space was needed and in 1887, after more heated discussions, it was decided to expand the building. Because the lot was small, the decision was made to elevate the existing building. However, somehow the construction project snowballed into a completely altered building with a huge bell tower and stained glass windows. Some members were so upset that they threatened to box up their pews in protest. Cooler heads prevailed and the end result is the building we now worship in. Two more additions were added over the years. In 1896, an addition was built on the rear of the building to accommodate the new Hook & Hastings organ. There seems to have been much less contentious discussions about this addition. In the late 1990’s, the membership growth again spurred a need for further expansion. Some members suggested yet another move. This time out of the city and into the town where there was more room to grow. But the majority of the congregation was determined to remain where they were and thus the last expansion was done in 1999 along the side facing the Universalist Church. Obviously, with all these external changes, the interior changed as well. And like the external changes, the interior ones were sometimes met with opposition. Prior to 1896, the organ was moved from the balcony in the rear of the sanctuary to the front of the sanctuary near the chancel. Later, the organ was again moved from the front of the sanctuary to behind the alter. The chancel itself underwent many changes as well. From relatively plain to very ornate with a sweeping stairway and a curved front and then back again to a simpler design. Stain glass windows were installed in 1887, removed at some point in the 20th century and reinstalled several years later. Many more changes occurred over the years to the interior. Some of these changes were accompanied by more heated discussions than others. In the end, this is not just a story of a building. It is a testament to a congregation that grew from 12 people in a log cabin to a church that today remains committed to its parishioners and the community it has served for 225 years.
Linda West
Church Historian
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