St. Barnabas Poteau to Close
On June 28th, Bishop Poulson Reed will hold a deconsecration service for St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Poteau. The service will be held at 11 a.m. outside the building due to mold.
The decision to close the congregation was made collectively by the sole remaining member of the congregation and the Diocese, and ratified by the Diocesan Council in accordance with the canons.
Bishop Poulson shared, “ It is always a deep and painful sadness when a congregation closes. As bishop, it has been my practice that I don’t close a church unless the congregation itself decides to close, because it can no longer sustain its ministry. It is always their choice. I am proud that our diocese has only closed two churches in the past six years. On June 28, St. Barnabas, Poteau, will be closed and deconsecrated, having shrunk to just one active member. I will be there for prayers of holy ending, to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, and to give thanks to God for the many lives touched through that faithful congregation over the years.”
The current building was once a World War II Quonset hut. This was its third home, previously serving as an auto repair shop before becoming an Episcopal house of worship.
St. Barnabas started a long-standing ministry in the Diocese: The Guild of the Christ Child. It began simply from a suggestion by a vestry member in 1990 to help mothers who lacked basic clothing for their newborns. With seed money from the Diocese and the Episcopal Church Women (ECW), the guild was able to pledge a monthly quota of layettes to several area hospitals. A layette included a quilt or afghan, a receiving blanket, a towel, a washcloth, an undershirt, garments, a pair of socks, a pair of booties, a cap, and a dozen diapers. Many items were handcrafted and sewn by members. They delivered these items throughout the state, including Poteau, Hugo, Antlers, Idabel, and McAlester.
St. Barnabas was also served by a long-time deacon, the Rev. Tom Harrington, who served from the 1980s until recently in 2021.
