BARKHAMSTED – Not long after the Rev. Barbara Schaffer became pastor at Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church in 2021, she met with the Rev. Adeline Hazzard, who ministered at Winsted United Methodist Church. They wondered what could be done to strengthen both church communities.
“The Methodist Church is very connectional, which means that we do ministry together,” Schaffer said during an interview joined by several of her parishioners. “I was very aware of Winsted’s financial concerns. They were in an old building; it was very difficult to keep up, to heat, and they had very little parking there.”
The Winsted building, dedicated in 1904, no longer was sustainable, said Barbara Hawley, a former parishioner there.
“We went to the Mason Hall for six months before we merged with Pleasant Valley,” she said. Hawley is one of about a dozen former Winsted members who now help fill the pews at PVUMC, located at 93 River Road.
The merger became official Oct. 2, with the approval of New York Bishop Thomas Bickerton, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. During the celebratory service at PVUMC that day, children brought flowers to the new members from the Winsted community, Schaffer said. A coffee hour with cake followed that service.
Hawley said, “I’d like to say, as being one of the newcomers to the church, that the service was beautiful. It really touched my heart.”
“Ditto,” said Pat Stark, also a transplant from Winsted. “I mean, I just had a comfortable feeling, very comfortable. It was very nice. I think the trustees on both sides did a great job in combining and making the decisions.”
Schaffer said, “Prior to their coming here, I spent two or three Sundays at their church … talking to them and asking them what their concerns were, what their worries were, how it is that we could serve them. For instance, they had a Bible study that had been ongoing, and so we picked it up and continued it and tried to make certain that we maintained as many traditions that they had so that they felt that this was their church, as well.”
That’s what she means by being “connectional,” she said. “For instance, the Avon church (brought) a meatloaf dinner to the Winsted church to distribute to Winsted people. We continued that.”
In past years, PVUMC brought Thanksgiving baskets to Winsted UMC. “The bishop tells us we’re not assigned to a church; we’re assigned to a community,” she said.
“I think it’s family,” said Catherine Baum, a longtime PVUMC parishioner. “You know, you come and you find your place here, and you feel comfortable, and people nurture you to take on, you know, different responsibilities when you’re comfortable about doing it. We sit together and we talk about family.”
And, “We take care of each other,” said John Baum, her husband.
Betty Vignali belonged to a large church community in Florida before joining PVUMC.
“The moment I walked in it was like, I’m home,” she said.
Hawley said the church community is supportive.
“If we have issues that we want to discuss with either the pastor or one of the parishioners, we know that we can discuss it in confidence if it needs to be confidential. And we know that we’re getting the prayer support that we need,” she said.
Barkhamsted resident Ticia Tubman said, “We’re an emergency place for the school kids to come. They can just come right across the playground.”
Winsted resident Pat Allen attends Bible study at PVUMC and invites preschoolers to come to the church for “pumpkins and a story” around Halloween time, she said.
“We are growing, and that is fabulous,” said Schaffer. “We want to reach out to all the communities, including Winsted and the surrounding communities. We want to open our doors to anybody who is searching.”
Vignali said, “What Barbara is very good at is sharing the Word of the Lord.” She said when she hears Schaffer speak, she thinks, “You’re talking to me, aren’t you, Jesus?”
Schaffer said she was looking forward to a Christmas pageant that children were to perform Sunday morning, and Christmas Eve services will begin at 5 p.m.; Christmas services will be at 10 a.m.
Schaffer appears to be well loved. Allen said, “When I heard Barbara was coming here, I told everybody here how lucky they were.”
Stark said a friend who learned of the merger said, “I have nothing but good things to say about that church. I heard it’s wonderful there.”
Schaffer said that when the churches merged, PVUMC agreed to take on Winsted UMC’s assets and liabilities and have paid down a lot of bills. “But we understood that we were getting the best asset of all. We were getting the people and their talents and their abilities and their love.”
“And we went forth in faith,” Catherine Baum said. “Yes, faith that God provides, and God will take care of it all.”
For more information, go to https://pleasantvalleyumc.com or call 860-379-2157.
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