Reverend Patricia R. Barrett, Rector
The Rev. Patricia R. Barrett
First, please call me Patti. I feel blessed to be serving here at St. Barnabas where people not only love to worship on Sundays but are excited about being disciples of Christ in the world. We share our baptismal ministries here and hold prayer and worship as central to our life together.
Being a priest is a vocation and takes up most of my time, but I also like to experience life on the Cape. Hiking and walking or riding bikes is a favored activity as is walking our dogs – Ruby, our Border terrier, and Lulu, our Westie – in Beebe Woods. My husband likes to run and is also involved now in real estate – an exciting new venture for him. I like to garden and paint – and take classes at the Artist’s Guild. Now I am loving pastels and my favorite afternoon off is to set up an easel by our beautiful marshes and try to capture the color on a canvas.
One of my joys of being a priest is that I get to share in people’s spiritual journeys and to hear their faith stories and how God has acted in their lives. Being present with people in this way, in their joys and in their difficult times, is a gift. I am honored to take part in this ministry. I am also a strong believer that we are all called to ministry through our baptisms. Of course, that can be found in anything you are currently doing but can also be found in ministry in the church. I hope to help those who worship here find their own spiritual gifts and to share those with others. I long for a church where God’s spirit truly lives and is seen in the people who are part of the body of Christ. I sense that has been true here for years and now I am the shepherd, who gets to pray and discern with this congregation just what God is calling us to do in the world.
Maybe you would like to join us in this adventure? I would welcome your participation. Please email me any questions you might have and may you know God’s love today and always.
The Rev. Matthew Potts
Reverend Matthew Potts, Curate
Our Curate, the Reverend Matthew Potts hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan, though the last dozen years have carried far from the lovely shorelines of his home state. Matt attended the University of Notre Dame as a member of its undergraduate Arts and Letters Honors Program and received his bachelor’s degree in English in 1999. Upon graduation, Matt entered military service as the Main Propulsion Division Officer onboard the forward deployed guided missile cruiser, USS Vincennes, in Yokosuka, Japan.
Finding himself more a lover than a fighter, Matt returned to Notre Dame to work as an admissions officer for three years while rekindling a love for theology. After flirting briefly with a Ph.D. in English, he answered a call to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts to undertake seminary studies at Harvard. He took his Masters degree at Harvard’s Divinity School and was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Western Michigan in December of 2008.
In 2009, Matt moved from Harvard’s Divinity School to its Graduate School in pursuit of a Ph.D. He is hoping to investigate the potential intersection of sacramental theology, formational ethics, and contemporary literature, but who knows where his studies will end – if they ever do. Matt has also helped to establish a non-profit named The Touching Tiny Lives Foundation which supports anti-AIDS work in southern Africa (www.touchingtinylives.org).
Matt is married to Colette, with whom he has two children: Millie and Sam. He loves cooking and theology, short stories and philosophy, Detroit Tigers baseball and Fighting Irish football, pickling produce from Colette’s growing garden, and big, happy, slobbery German dogs.
Todd Beckham, Interim Music Director
David Reid, Financial Assistant
Dave Reid
Linda Keedwell, Parish Administrator
Linda Keedwell & Bandit
Stephen Paltz, Sexton
Paul Wimer, Sexton
Paul & Steve
