Our History
The company of proprietors from Hanover, N.H. which was organized in 1777 to settle Bethel, encouraged only Congregationalists to come to their new town. Settlement began in 1780 and the town was organized in 1782. One of the largest landowners was Dudley Chase of Cornish, N.H., who had a son and two daughters living in Bethel. Dudley Chase was reared as a Congregationalist, but in about 1780, he became a zealous Episcopalian convert. When the Congregational church in Cornish broke up, he succeeded in organizing an Episcopal church out of its remains. His influence in Bethel, and that of his children living there, was instrumental in the formation of the Episcopal Society of Bethel, the precursor to Christ Church.
The society worshiped in several sites in central Bethel, including a schoolhouse located by Gilead Brook where Old Christ Church now stands. Various visiting ministers and lay readers led the services. In about 1820, the congregation became invigorated, reorganized itself, and made plans for a permanent building. Old Christ Church was built in the summer and fall of 1823 at a cost of $1,890. The building was dedicated by Bishop Griswold in 1824.
Old Christ Church is an outstanding example of high Federal style church building. Neither the interior not the exterior of the building has been substantially altered from the time of construction in 1823. Old Christ Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Behind Old Christ Church is a small burial ground containing approximately 100 grave sites, the earliest of which dates to 1822.
In about 1840, it became apparent that for the good of the Parish, it must follow the tide of the population. The first movement toward building the new church in Bethel Village was at a meeting of the Parish on October 28, 1845. Building Committee members were Paul Glynn, Horatio N. Smith and Asa Davis. The new “Village Church” on North Main Street was built in the summer of 1846 at the cost, including ground, of $2,090 and consecrated by the Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, D.D. on August 31, 1847.
The style of the Village Church was influenced by the Gothic revival in church architecture. The parish voted on April 2, 1848 to build a Parsonage and the Reverend Josiah Swett and family moved into the parsonage on July 8 1847.
Our Buildings and Location
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, we worship at Old Christ Church in Bethel Gilead, located on Route 12 about half way between the towns of Bethel and Randolph about five miles from Exit 4 from I-89.
An 80 grave cemetery dating back to the 19th century and still in use takes up some of the rest of the ground. The church, built in 1822, is a beautiful example of Federal Style New England architecture, characterized by clean and simple lines, balanced proportions, sparing but tasteful decorations and large clear windows that flood the inside with light.
The church still retains most of its original appearance, including the original pews and is located on both the Vermont and the national Registers of Historic Places. From September to Memorial Day we worship at the Village Church in the heart of Bethel (13 North Main Street) or in the adjacent Parish House in the coldest weather.
Leadership
In 1994 Christ Church embarked on a journey from being a “community gathered around a minister” to a “ministering community”. This has been a successful experiment which has served as a model for other churches and has been written about in the national press. https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2017/0206/America-s-new-ministers
We rely on visiting clergy to perform the sacraments and to serve as part of a rota of preachers that includes both visitors and members of the congregation. We feel this model of ministry leads us to have a more engaged congregation and a wider variety of voices heard in worship. We have also freed up substantial resources for community outreach and other functions. In other respects Christ Church is governed like any other Episcopal parish, with a vestry in charge of managerial and financial matters and an annual meeting to assess the state of the parish and elect the vestry.
Our Sunday Services at 10 A.M. followed by refreshment and visiting at:
Old Christ Church, Route 12-Bethel Gilead From Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend
Village Church on Main Street in Bethel for the remainder of the year.
Contact Us
We would be delighted to provide further information, either in response to e-mail inquiries to christchurchbethel@gmail.com, to telephone inquiries to 802-234-5680 (though the extension is not always staffed), or by a mail inquiry to:
Christ Church
P.O. Box 383
Bethel, Vermont 05032