 |
| St. Paul's, Vergennes St. Stephen's, Middlebury |
Vermont’s is a peculiar diocese because of the juxtaposition
of rural and urban settings for its churches.
It is not unusual to find an Episcopal church tucked away in the hills,
miles from the nearest settlement. Yet,
not too many miles further will be a handsome and elegant church gracing the
center of town in one of Vermont’s small cities. Two such downtown churches include St. Paul’s
Church in Vergennes and St. Stephen’s Church in Middlebury. There is a fascination to be found in
observing the characters of different churches in different cities. The buildings themselves reflect the people
who love them, yet it is the dynamic of how those people interact with the rest
of the community that develops the character and dynamic of the church. A church community will necessarily be a
microcosm of the greater community in which is resides.
 |
| St. Paul's Church in Vergennes, VT |
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church stands in stately elegance on
Main Street in Vergennes, presiding over the activities of the small city with an
air of accepted presence. The brick and clapboard building stands next to the village
green and overlooks travelers on Main Street. Yet for all of its potentially
imposing edifice, it is not a presumptuous building. It stands ready to welcome visitors and
beloved members alike. It stands a
visible reminder that this church is an integral part of the community and
alternately, that the community is an integral part of the church. The city and the church are somewhat unusual
because they draw a demographic from a large area including both nearby rural
homes and the distant adjacent cities. Yet
because of this very fact, that many members travel large distances to come to
church, attending worship is the extent of their involvement in parish
activities. Many of the people who make
their homes in Vergennes are professionals who work in the universities and
technology industries of Burlington and Middlebury. So the congregation at St. Paul’s is
reflective of that. These young
professionals bring their families to church, so St. Paul’s is blessed with
quite a number of small children under the age of twelve. One can imagine the joy on Sundays at this
church!
 |
| images from St. Paul's, Vergennes |
The Episcopal community in Vergennes was founded in 1811 and
the church was built from a Bishop Hopkins architectural plan in 1835. The building is of a brick body with a
whitewashed clapboard steeple. Work was
done to add a handicap access, but it is not ideal and will need further
rebuilding. The interior of the church
is furnished with spare Shaker-like pews and delicately carved rood arch and
communion rail. The pulpit also is of delicate filigree metalwork. These and the starkness of the white walls
might imply an air of coldness to the interior.
Except that is not at all the case.
Instead, the rich color of the carpeting and pew cushions adds color and
warmth to the space. The rich brown of
the wood and the golden cast of the lighting all serve to give the space a
serene and reverent quality. There is a
sweet parish house attached to the church that has a warm, inviting New England
charm to its appearance. The parish
house has a large, open interior and is home for the Sunday School as well as
any parish events. Very recently, the
hall received a new coat of paint and some general “sprucing up” to give the
interior as warm and welcoming an atmosphere as the exterior suggests.
 |
| St. Paul's parish house in Vergennes |
Altogether, St. Paul’s evokes recollections of early
Victorian New England by its appearance.
But its congregation is assuredly of this age. Their concerns are for the community’s
here-and-now needs. St. Paul’s has a
community garden that helps support the area food shelf with fresh, local
produce during the fruitful months. During the fallow months of winter, the
hungry are not forgotten as the parish also shares in producing an ecumenical
community meal as well as continuing year-round to support the food shelf. In these modern ages, communications is a
major concern of society. To serve in
that end, St. Paul’s has agreed to rent tower space to VTel for a wi-fi
tower. This is a beneficial agreement
for everyone! The community receives
better communications opportunities, VTel provides better choices for its
customers, and St. Paul’s gets a reliable space tenant. The parish is also vitally aware of emerging
church issues and the changing face of Christian religious practices. Their Tuesday adult Christian education
sessions periodically examine the changing face of Christianity and what it
means to the people of St. Paul’s and the Diocese of Vermont. So, even though the congregation is scattered
throughout a large area, and even though changes in our modern world bring with
it challenges for church life, the congregation of St. Paul’s has vitality and
a deeply spiritual connection with the Holy Spirit. It is not panicked or
frantic with worry for the future and how they will survive the imminent
changes. Rather, the people have a
serene approach with curiosity and maybe even a touch of anticipation for
things to come. They are preparing.
 |
| St. Stephen's Church in Middlebury, VT |
St. Stephen’s Church in Middlebury is also preparing. They are preparing for major physical changes
that will heavily impact their immediate future. And they are preparing for long-term ministry
that will even further solidify the church’s standing in the community. They are preparing ways to celebrate and
benefit from the disruptions and disturbances that are bound to come over the
next few years! For majors changes will
be happening in Middlebury and at St. Stephen’s! Like St. Paul’s, Vergennes, St. Stephen's is
located smack in the middle of downtown, right on the village green. Because of its location, the church has the
potential for many visitors throughout the day.
Recently, a new sign was created to tell of chapel hours and weekday
worship. This new sign is attractive,
and as an accessary to the front door has encouraged passersby to drop in for a
visit. But while St. Paul’s has a spirit of serene curiosity, St. Stephen’s is
characterized by a progressive, assertive tempo—not quite “Damn the torpedoes,
full speed ahead!”, but certainly adamant.
 |
| images from inside St. Stephen's, Middlebury |
One of the very special things that marks St. Stephen’s
uniqueness is their annual Peasant Market.
The Peasant Market gives “church bazaar” a whole new level of meaning
and glory! This isn’t a typical bazaar
or rummage sale; this is an endeavor of mythic proportions! It is one day only of crafts sales, antique
sales, food and concession sales, flea market and so much more. In one day, the church raises funds in the
area of $20-$25 thousand, all to support its outreach missions and
ministry. Long ago, it was stipulated
and agreed on that no funds raised at the Peasant Market would be apportioned
away from outreach to pay bills or reinforce operations, so their outreach ministry
has become a defining trait of St. Stephen’s Church. As part of their current stewardship
campaign, the rector and committee drew up a graphic design to illustrate the
ministries at St. Stephen’s and broke it down by involvement of people, the
physical plant and money. The
illustration shows a very thick path from the church to the Peasant Market,
indicating the abundance of people who participate in the fundraiser. From the picture of the market extend more
than thirty lines to outreach missions that they support. Yet, the congregation feels their ministry
may be too widespread or unfocused. So
they’ve embarked on a new kind of discernment process to determine how best to
focus their outreach ministry.
 |
| the parish hall at St. Stephen's, Middlebury |
They’re calling this process “Reaching Out Beyond Our Doors”
and have set a few outreach goals for 2014.
They want to determine what community need is not being met and whether
it is a need that St. Stephen’s can address with a new, focused outreach
mission. They want to find a way to
serve families, especially by offering alternative worship options. And they want to find ways for St. Stephen’s
to be more active participants in community happenings. Currently, they are in the researching stage. In the past, St. Stephen’s was instrumental
in establishing what today is known in Addison County as the Charter House
Coalition. The coalition has grown into its own entity and now serves as social
service in its own right, helping homeless families transition into permanent
housing, offering community meals, etc. Since the program has grown out of the need
for St. Stephen’s outreach, the parish is now looking for a new mission. The congregation also recognizes that there
are a number of folks who just can’t make it to the Sunday worship
services. So they are researching
options for other time slots for worship as well as exploring other
presentations of the liturgy. With the
third goal, St. Stephen’s realized their location in the heart of downtown
offers them an opportunity that they neglected.
Often, the community holds special events and occasions. All organizations are encouraged to
participate, but the parish really hasn’t taken the opportunity up until
recently. Now the discernment group is
exploring ways in which the parish might take a more active and participatory role
in community events. Even though they
are still in the learning stage, the energy and sense of vibrant anticipation
is practically palpable at St. Stephen's!
While the temperament of the Spirit stirring at both of
these churches is quite different in tone—St. Paul’s being more like a steady, even
hum while St. Stephen’s feels more like a forward surging crescendo, it is
undeniable that God is working His purpose out in these two communities. Keep them in your prayers and in your
thoughts so that the next time you are in the vicinity, you might stop by and offer
your support.
