Welcome
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Welcome ♰
Welcome to the Parish of Saint Barnabas, or as we affectionately call ourselves, StB’s. We are delighted that you are taking the time to learn about our parish and to discern whether God may be calling you to join us in ministry. We hope these pages offer an honest glimpse into who we are, what we value, and where we hope to go next.
Explore the Parish Profile:
For more than 135 years, St. Barnabas has been a presence in the life of Falmouth. Our campus in the heart of town reflects that long history and gives us a unique setting in which to gather, worship, learn, serve, and build relationships. It is one of the great gifts we have inherited and one of the responsibilities we carry into the future.
Hospitality is also part of who we are. We welcome people of every age and size, color and culture, sexual orientation and gender identity, socio-economic status, marital status, ability and challenge. We welcome believers and questioners and questioning believers. We welcome all who seek Christ’s love and grace.
Again and again, parishioners have told us that the warmth they experienced when they first came to StB’s was one of the reasons they have stayed. We want to extend that same welcome to newcomers, neighbors, anyone in search of a spiritual home, and to the Rector who will join us in this next chapter.
Like many congregations, we recognize that we are living through a time of significant change. Our congregation reflects the changing demographics of Cape Cod. As the needs of our community continue to evolve, the church is being called to imagine new ways of living out its mission. We believe these realities present opportunities to grow, deepen our ministry, and discover new ways to serve and connect with our community.
As we seek our next Rector, we hope to find a faithful pastor, thoughtful preacher, collaborative leader, and compassionate guide who will help us build on St. Barnabas’s strengths while looking honestly and creatively toward the future.
Together, we look forward to writing the next chapter in the life of this parish.
Search Committee Members
(Left to right) Rudy Hunter, Kathy Mulligan, Monica Quinn, Anne Wood, David Forsberg, Beth Bullock-McGrail, Mary Beth Gale, Cynthia Pina
St. Barnabas has been part of Falmouth since 1888, when the Beebe family established the parish in memory of their parents. What began with one church building has grown into a parish campus whose history is closely connected to Falmouth’s.
The Parish Church was designed by Henry Vaughan, the English-born architect who later worked on the Washington National Cathedral. Built of local granite in the tradition of an English country parish church, it remains the center of our worship and one of Falmouth’s recognizable landmarks.
Our Story
But the history of St. Barnabas is not simply the history of one building. As the parish grew, so did the campus:
The Parish House, originally built as a public reading room, became a place for meetings, education, and fellowship.
The historic Bodfish House was purchased and relocated to the campus to serve as the Rectory.
A former carriage house was transformed into All Saints Chapel.
The Parish Center with Great Hall created space for administrative offices, parish gatherings, music, and community programs.
Creighton House, was built in 1965 and is currently being leased to the Belonging to Each Other program.
The Chapel Garden, Memorial Garden, Labyrinth, Summer Tent, lawns, and gathering spaces developed around them.
Each generation has adapted these spaces to meet the needs of its time.
And that continues today.
Our buildings matter because of what happens within them: baptisms and weddings, funerals and Sunday worship, meals shared with neighbors, conversations among friends, classes and community meetings, music, prayer, and quiet moments beside Siders Pond.
When parishioners were asked to describe the places at St. Barnabas that mean the most to them, they rarely focused on architecture. They spoke about the peace they find in All Saints Chapel, memories of family members in the Memorial Garden, walks on the Labyrinth, conversations in the Parish House, or summer evenings beneath the Tent.
These stories remind us that the value of our campus lies not simply in what earlier generations built, but in the life that continues to unfold here.
Our history matters to us,
but we do not want St. Barnabas to become a museum.
The people who came before us built, changed, expanded, and adapted the parish to meet the needs of their time. We have inherited their work and the responsibility that comes with it.
Now it is our turn.
We want to preserve what is worth preserving, change what needs changing, and continue finding new ways for this remarkable place to serve both the parish and the wider community.
Worship
“We’re ‘informal formal’ and ‘high casual’”
Worship is at the heart of life at St. Barnabas. It is where we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, pray for one another and the world, and renew our calling to serve our neighbors. The rhythms of worship shape the life of our parish, drawing us together each week and sending us back into the community strengthened by Word and Sacrament.
Our worship is rooted in the Book of Common Prayer, the Hymnal 1982, and Lift Every Voice and Sing. We regularly draw on other liturgical resources including Enriching Our Worship, the St. Helena’s Psalter, and a wide variety of musical resources.
We value the beauty, reverence, and continuity of the Episcopal tradition while striving to create an atmosphere that is welcoming and accessible. Throughout the year, we also embrace a variety of liturgical expressions, including Celtic Vespers and Choral Evensong, often in collaboration with neighboring parishes.
One parishioner wryly described our liturgical style as “high casual,” while another called it “informal formal.” Together, those descriptions capture a balance that feels comfortable to lifelong Episcopalians while remaining approachable for newcomers and visitors from all faith backgrounds.
September - June Services:
8 A.M.
Spoken Service
10 A.M.
Music and Choir
July/August Summer Services
9 A.M.
One combined service
Social Hour follows worship most of the year. In summer, we gather for Lemonade on the Lawn.
Music is central to our worship and enriches every season of the Church year. We are fortunate to have a gifted and dedicated Director of Music who leads a talented and committed choir. Our music ministry is well-served by a historic pipe organ and Steinway piano in the sanctuary.
The rhythm of the Church year shapes our worship at St. Barnabas, from the anticipation of Advent and celebration of Christmas through the journey of Lent and Holy Week to the joy of Easter, and Pentecost. At major feast days, including Christmas and Easter, additional singers and instrumentalists enhance our celebrations.
Our Director of Music is creative, willing to go beyond the traditional hymnal. From preludes that prepare us for worship to anthems that deepen our prayer to postludes that regularly garner applause, music is an integral part of our life together.
Preaching matters deeply to us. We value sermons that begin in Scripture but do not stay safely there. The best preaching helps us connect the Gospel to the questions, tensions, responsibilities, and joys of contemporary life.
We appreciate sermons that are thoughtful, challenging, and hopeful. Storytelling, reflection, and humor are always welcome.
Parishioners participate in worship as lectors, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, acolytes, ushers, Altar Guild members, Flower Guild members, and livestream volunteers. Their participation reflects our understanding that worship is the work of the whole congregation.
In addition to Sunday worship, a weekly Contemplative Prayer service offers a quieter opportunity for prayer and reflection. Together, these forms of worship allow us to honor the traditions of the Episcopal Church while offering different ways for people to participate in the parish's spiritual life.
Education and Faith Formation
At St. Barnabas, we believe that Christian formation is a lifelong journey, and we see education as one of the parish’s greatest areas for growth.
A Strong Foundation
While we do not currently have a children’s Christian education program, we have had one in the past and hope to have one in the future. For the near term, we are focusing on expanding adult educational offerings. Rather than viewing this as a limitation, we see an opportunity to deepen and expand the ways adults engage with Scripture, theology, history, and the questions of faith that shape everyday life.
We already have a strong foundation:
Weekly Discussion Group
Gathers parishioners for Bible study and conversations about faith and contemporary issues
Sunday Morning Forum
Explores a wide range of topics
These programs reflect the intellectual curiosity that has long been part of our parish culture.
A Center for Lifelong Learning
Looking ahead, we envision St. Barnabas becoming a center for lifelong learning, not only for our parish but for the wider Falmouth community and, eventually, the region. We hope to create opportunities where parishioners, neighbors, and civic leaders gather to learn, build relationships, wrestle with important issues, and consider constructive responses to the challenges facing our community.
Resources
People
Our congregation includes retired teachers, professors, school leaders, clergy, and other educators whose experience and enthusiasm provide a strong foundation for future programs
Place
Our campus offers spaces suitable for everything from small discussion groups to larger lectures, workshops, and community forums.
Partnerships
Our connections within Falmouth create opportunities to partner with local organizations, schools, and civic groups.
Pastoral Care
At St. Barnabas, pastoral care is rooted in a simple idea. We take care of one another. Our Pastoral Care Ministry works alongside clergy to support parishioners who are ill, hospitalized, homebound, grieving, or going through a difficult time. Its purpose is not only to respond when someone needs help, but also to ensure that people remain connected to the life of the parish.
This is a shared ministry. Pastoral Care Ministers meet monthly with clergy and remain in contact between meetings as needs arise. Their work includes:
Visits and Telephone Calls to parishioners who are ill, home-bound, hospitalized, grieving, or facing other challenges.
Lay Eucharistic Visitors who bring Communion to parishioners unable to attend worship.
Meal Train support for parishioners recovering from surgery, illness, or other difficult circumstances.
Prayer Shawls, Altar Flowers, and Seasonal Plants delivered to those in need of comfort or connection.
Sunshine Notes marking birthdays, anniversaries, new babies, illness, grief, and other significant moments.
The Prayer Chain, which remembers parishioners, family members, friends, and others who have requested prayer.
Online Worship, helping those who cannot attend in person remain connected to the Sunday congregation.
We know these ministries matter because our parishioners tell us they do.
“When I had surgery, parishioners stepped in and helped. They felt like family since we don’t have family nearby.”
“The flowers brightened my day.”
“Thanks for checking in with me following my chemotherapy session. That meant a lot to me.”
Pastoral care works both ways. Those who visit, call, cook, pray, knit, write notes, or bring Communion often find that they receive as much as they give.
Our next Rector will join an established network of lay people who understand pastoral care as a shared responsibility and are ready to work alongside clergy.
Community Outreach
Our ministry extends far beyond Sunday morning. Through meals, financial assistance, advocacy, environmental stewardship, and partnerships with local organizations, we seek to be an active presence in the life of Falmouth.
“We are a congregation that plays well together”
A Place at the Table
Twice each week, volunteers from St. Barnabas and other faith communities prepare and serve a free lunch in our Great Hall. Partnerships with the Duffy Health Center and local social-service organizations connect guests with additional services.
The Behrens Fund
Saint Barnabas provides financial support to non-profit organizations addressing needs in Falmouth and beyond. The Fund reflects a long-standing commitment to using parish resources in service to the wider community. Recent recipients include Falmouth Farming, providing food for those in need, the Brazilian Resource Center “street ministry,” and Bridge Cove Clinic, offering healthcare to the immigrant community and the Upper Cape Chaplaincy, which received our largest grant in 2026.
Belonging to Each Other
A recipient of Behrens Fund support, BTEO provides guidance and practical assistance to individuals transitioning into permanent housing and operates from a parish-owned home on our campus.
Social Justice Ministry
This ministry encourages education, advocacy, and community partnerships, which promote racial equity, LGBT+ rights, and support for immigrants. Parishioners have established a Drum Majors for Justice speakers program and a Social Justice Lending Library, sponsored a Juneteenth observance, and participated in the Episcopal Church’s Sacred Ground dialogue and film series on race and faith.
Traditional Celebrations
The Strawberry Festival, Lobster on the Lawn, the Christmas Fair, and Blessing of the Animals bring thousands of people to St. Barnabas each year. These events support the parish financially while creating opportunities for parishioners, neighbors, seasonal residents, and visitors to spend time together.
Parish Archiving Project
Since 2020, parish volunteers have worked to digitize historical records and photographs and share the history of St. Barnabas through exhibitions in the wider community.
Creation Care Ministry
Our permaculture garden, created by more than sixty volunteers, celebrates biodiversity and provides another way for parishioners to care for the land entrusted to us.
Community Use of Our Campus
Sunflower Academy Preschool, the Upper Cape Chaplaincy, Yoga, Al-Anon, AA, and other community organizations regularly use our buildings.
These ministries vary widely, but together they reflect something central to St. Barnabas: we do not see ourselves as separate from the community around us. We take ministry seriously, but we have fun doing it. There is strong consensus that, “We are a congregation that plays well together.”
A Tuesday at St. Barnabas
There is no such thing as a “typical” day at StB’s. Every day brings its own rhythm. Yet if you want to understand the breadth of activity on our campus, spend a Tuesday with us.
The day starts early.
Community members gather in the Parish House for Al-Anon. Families and friends whose lives have been touched by alcoholism find support and encouragement. Long before the church office opens, the campus is already in use.
9:00 A.M.
A few hours later, the atmosphere shifts.
All Saints Chapel fills for yoga, bringing another group of people to the campus for movement, meditation, and reflection.
7:30 A.M.
By late morning, the campus comes alive.
In the Great Hall, volunteers set tables, prepare food, and greet familiar and new faces. From 11:30 am until 1:00 pm, A Place at the Table welcomes fifty to seventy guests for lunch. Some come because they are hungry, others because they are lonely, and still others because they need support.
It can be a challenging and at times difficult gathering. But our volunteers are resilient, ministering in the spirit of Jesus’s words, “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.”
All find both a hot meal and warm conversation. Live music from local musicians often fills the hall. Guests leave not only with food for today, but often with groceries for tomorrow.
11:30 A.M.
Outside, a mobile outreach van, operating in partnership with local healthcare and social service organizations, offers showers, healthcare, counseling, and other services for people experiencing homelessness or other insecurities.
At the same time, other corners of the campus tell different stories. Children attend a local pre-school in classrooms on the lower level of the Parish Center. Their laughter from the campus playground brightens the day.
Nearby, individuals living in Creighton House receive support and guidance from Belonging Together to Each Other as they transition to more stable housing.
As afternoon arrives, the pace slows.
People gather again in All Saints Chapel, this time for Contemplative Prayer. After a day filled with activity, the chapel offers space for silence and reflection.
4:00 P.M.
Evening
The evening brings another kind of work. On various Tuesdays, the Finance Ministry, Property Ministry, Vestry, and other groups meet to make the decisions necessary to sustain the parish and its ministries
By the time Tuesday comes to a close, hundreds of people may have crossed our campus. Some came seeking food. Others came for healing, friendship, prayer, education, support, or simply a place to belong.
St. Barnabas is more than a place where people attend church on Sunday.
Tuesday gives a glimpse of what that means.
A Time of Transition and Renewal
“The interim is nothing short of a miracle”
That comment from a parishioner at one of our Listening Sessions captures something important about the past year at St. Barnabas. This transition has not been a time of simply waiting for our next Rector. It has allowed us to take stock, listen to one another, address long-standing needs, and think seriously about where St. Barnabas goes next.
Our Interim Priest in Charge, the Reverend David Rider, has helped guide that process with patience, energy, and a willingness to listen. Just as importantly, the work has been shared. The Vestry, parish ministries, staff, and individual parishioners have taken active roles in moving St. Barnabas forward.
Listening has been an important part of the process. The Vestry appointed a Rector Search Committee representing a broad cross-section of the congregation, and the committee made an early commitment to an open and inclusive search. Three Listening Sessions invited parishioners to talk candidly about what they value at St. Barnabas, what concerns them, and what they hope for in our next Rector and the future of the parish.
Not everyone agrees on every priority. But the sessions revealed considerable agreement about what matters most: meaningful worship, strong relationships, service to the wider community, eagerness to grow our parish, and a desire to move forward while respecting the history and traditions of St. Barnabas.
What matters most:
Meaningful worship · Strong relationships · Service to the wider community · Growth · Respect for history and tradition
In addition to their ongoing stewardship of StB’s campus, our hardworking staff and supportive Property Ministry have made significant campus upgrades utilizing early donations from the “leadership phase” of a Capital Campaign to restore, improve, and rethink our campus.
Our Facilities
All Saints Chapel has received exterior restoration and interior improvements, including new lighting and audio systems. Pews have been removed to create flexible worship space. The Chapel Garden has been redesigned to create a functional and meditative space with plantings, benches, and a “gathering table.” Additional work across the campus includes landscaping, walkway replacement, and improved accessibility.
Our Buildings
Buildings have been power washed. The Parish House has received interior improvements, including painting, refinished flooring, and a new kitchen. The Great Hall has a new roof, planning is underway for a major kitchen renovation, and the Rector’s Office has been refurbished. Some of this work is practical and overdue. Some will prepare our buildings for new uses.
Our Programs
Sunday Forums and the weekly Wednesday Discussion Group have expanded opportunities for education and conversation, and parishioners are considering additional offerings throughout the year.
So, the priest who comes to St. Barnabas will not arrive at a parish waiting to be restarted after an interim. They will find an engaged congregation, an active Vestry, committed lay leadership, and parishioners who have been listening, working, investing, and planning.
St. Barnabas enters the search for our next rector from a position of financial strength. We have a healthy endowment, several sources of operating income, strong congregational giving, and a Finance Ministry, Stewardship Ministry, and Vestry that take their responsibility for the parish’s long-term financial health seriously.
At the same time, we must address the challenge of caring for a five-acre campus with aging buildings and infrastructure while our membership and pledge base are shrinking and aging.
Finance and Stewardship
Sustainable Operating Income
Midway through 2026, our sustainable operating income is approximately $700,000. About $300,000 comes from congregational giving, $250,000 from investment income, and $100,000 from use of our facilities, with the balance coming from fundraising and other income.
Congregational giving has remained strong during this transitional period. For 2026, we have 104 confirmed pledges totaling about $255,000. The dollar amount has remained relatively steady over the past five years even as the number of pledging households has declined.
The most significant source of income growth has come from use of our facilities. Rental income has tripled in five years, supported by three stable annual leases and numerous short-term rentals. Fundraising traditions such as the Strawberry Festival and Lobster on the Lawn provide additional income.
Operating expenses for 2026 are expected to be approximately $600,000, about $100,000 lower than in 2025, primarily due to the lower cost of an interim Rector. Looking ahead to 2027, operating expenses are projected to be approximately $750,000 with a new Rector. In addition to operating expenses, St. Barnabas maintains an annual capital maintenance budget, generally between $25,000 and $40,000, funded by our investments.
St. Barnabas has a $6.8 million investment portfolio, which is expected to provide approximately $250,000 toward the operating budget in 2026 and an additional $50,000 for community outreach through the Behrens Fund.
Operating Outlook
The return to a full-time Rector will create a financial challenge. Based on current projections, a full year with a new Rector will result in an annual operating deficit of approximately $50,000 unless additional revenue is identified.
We see this as a challenge to address, not a crisis to manage. The likely timing of the search should allow us to operate close to a balanced budget in 2027 while giving the parish additional time to develop revenue for 2028 and beyond. Increasing pledge participation, expanding the use of our campus, developing new programs and partnerships, and identifying other sources of sustainable income will all be part of that work.
Financial stewardship at St.Barnabas is about more than balancing an annual budget. We have inherited significant resources from generations who believed in the future of this parish. Our responsibility is to use those resources wisely while building a financial model that can sustain St. Barnabas for generations to come.
Falmouth & Cape Cod
St. Barnabas sits in the heart of Falmouth, a historic coastal town on the southwestern tip of Cape Cod. Home to approximately 33,000 year-round residents, Falmouth comprises eight distinct villages, each with its own character and sense of community. In summer, the population swells as seasonal residents and visitors return to enjoy the beaches, harbors, villages, and traditions that have made Falmouth one of New England’s best-known coastal communities.
There is Plenty to Do
Living in Falmouth means having the natural beauty of Cape Cod just outside your door. The town has 68 miles of shoreline along Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, with beaches, harbors, ponds, conservation lands, and walking trails throughout the community. The 10.7-mile Shining Sea Bikeway runs from North Falmouth to Woods Hole, passing beaches, marshes, cranberry bogs, and some of the most beautiful stretches of the Upper Cape.
There is plenty to do. Summer brings the Falmouth Road Race, Cape Cod Baseball League games with the Falmouth Commodores, Highfield Hall and Theater, the College Light Opera Company, the Woods Hole Film Festival, and numerous Farmers Markets and Craft Shows. Restaurants, shops, galleries, and museums keep the villages active throughout the year. From Woods Hole, year-round ferries connect Falmouth with Martha’s Vineyard.
But Falmouth is much more than a vacation destination.
An international center for science
The village of Woods Hole is home to one of the world’s leading concentrations of marine and environmental science. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Marine Biological Laboratory, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, and other research and educational organizations bring scientists, students, and researchers from around the world to Falmouth. Their presence gives the town an intellectual and international dimension unusual for a community of its size.
A strong year-round community
Falmouth also has a strong network of public and community institutions. Five Public Library locations serve the town, and Falmouth Public Schools operates seven schools serving students from the elementary grades through high school. The community is also served by Falmouth Hospital, the Gus Canty Community Center, the Falmouth Senior Center, a soon to be completed YMCA’,, and an active network of nonprofit, cultural, environmental, and human-service organizations.
Like many Cape Cod communities, Falmouth also faces real challenges. Housing costs make it difficult for many young families and workers to remain in town. The year-round population is older than the state as a whole, and school enrollment has declined. Coastal communities must also plan for rising seas, erosion, and increasingly serious storms.
StB’s location puts us within walking distance of Main Street and the Village Green while our campus overlooks the quiet beauty of Siders Pond. On summer weekends, the town can be bustling and on a winter morning, it can feel like a small New England village again. Both are Falmouth.
For a Rector and family considering a move to Cape Cod, Falmouth offers something distinctive:
the beauty and recreation of a coastal community, the intellectual energy of an international scientific center, strong civic and cultural institutions, and the relationships of a town where community still matters.
St. Barnabas is fortunate to be right in the midst of it.
Our Rectory
Our historic Rectory is one of seven structures on our campus. It is located on Main Street, adjacent to the Village Green, and a short walk to the shops and restaurants of Falmouth’s vibrant downtown. The Post Office, Public Library, and Bus Depot to Boston are nearby. A quick bike ride takes you to beautiful Surf Drive Beach.
Inside our Rectory, the main floor provides a spacious gathering area around the kitchen, a study, sitting room, half-bath with washer and dryer, and a side porch. The second floor includes four bedrooms and two refurbished bathrooms. A smaller third floor includes storage space and two rooms that could be a teenager’s dream come true.
Beautiful wood floors adorn every room, and our Rector-elect will select interior paint colors before arriving in Falmouth.
All outside lawn mowing and snow removal are included as part of the campus’s maintenance master plan, as are utilities and internet access.
Our next Rector will encounter variety. While our campus is picturesque, our community oriented ministries give it an urban feel as well. Some of our parishioners are lifelong Cape Codders and others are newcomers, or as locals good-naturedly say “Washashores.” Some are lifelong Episcopalians, and some have come to StB’s from other faith traditions. For the most part, we are retired, but have a broad range of leadership experience. And we all share a love for Cape Cod, especially Falmouth. And we all have found a spiritual home at StB’s.
Our Next Rector
The parish has spent this interim period thinking carefully about where we are headed, and what kind of leadership will help us get there. The Listening Sessions allowed parishioners to speak openly about what they hope to find in our next Rector. Although people expressed those hopes in different ways, several themes came through clearly:
A rector who leads by listening
We value collaboration, shared discernment, and leadership that invites participation. We want a Rector who takes the time to know the parish before deciding what needs to change, communicates openly, and recognizes the considerable gifts within the congregation. Parishioners do not expect to agree on every issue, but they do expect to be heard and treated with respect.
A strong pastoral presence
We hope for a Rector who knows the people of the parish, is present during important moments in their lives, and is visible beyond Sunday worship.
A partner in the wider community
St. Barnabas has long been connected with Falmouth through outreach, education, events, partnerships, and use of our campus. We want that relationship to continue growing.
A thoughtful leader through change
St. Barnabas faces real questions about demographics, finances, volunteer participation, and the future use of our campus. We want someone who can approach those questions creatively while respecting the parish’s history and traditions.
A preacher who can help us think and grow
We are not looking simply for polished sermons. We hope for a Rector who can open Scripture in ways that deepen understanding, spark reflection, and help us see more clearly how faith speaks to the world we are living in. We value preaching that has substance, imagination, and a clear sense of purpose.
An able administrator
Our Rector must work effectively with the Vestry, staff, and ministries, communicate clearly, understand the financial realities of parish life, and have demonstrated stewardship leadership skills. We need to reimagine our campus and seek a Rector with an entrepreneurial spirit who can help us turn good ideas into sustainable programs.
Above all, we hope to welcome someone who enjoys being a parish priest:
approachable · thoughtful · compassionate · curious · comfortable working alongside others
The next chapter of St. Barnabas will not be written by one person. Our Listening Sessions made that clear. Clergy and laity will need to write it together.
We are ready to begin.
comeHow To Apply
To apply for the rector position at St. Barnabas, please send the following materials to search@diomass.org:
Cover letter
Resume or CV
Vocation Hub Community Profile
Links to Sermons
