Greetings!
My name is Bradford Hunt, and I have been the pastor at West Barre United Methodist Church since July 1, 2018. It has been a real treat and joy to serve God through this congregation. I have enjoyed getting to know the history and the faith of the people of the congregation. I have enjoyed the personal commitments to serving God, and their collective ministry together, as well as their sense of humor.
Marty and I are enjoying living in the parsonage in downtown West Barre.
As I like to say, I have served the United Methodist Church for 46 years. I retired in June of 2018, and now serve West Barre UMC half time. We asked to come to this area because of our daughter, Joanna Davis, her husband Chuck, and our wonderful granddaughter Ruthie who live in Holley. Ruthie goes to kindergarten, and it has already been a joy watching her grow.
Our oldest, Peter, lives in Cleveland. He, his wife Ashwini, and son Aiden, are much closer to us than our previous appointment in North Syracuse and Clay. Aiden is 2 ½. He loves to visit us and watch the tractors, and trucks, and to visit the chickens next door.
Our youngest, Benjamin, lives in Manhattan with Ashley. Ben and Ashley are the biggest challenge to visit. Ashley is from Buffalo, which makes the holidays easier.
Marty and I have been married almost 37 years. She is originally from LaFargeville (near Alexandria Bay). We actually attended four years of college together, though we did not date. Marty’s mother is retired from Conference staff and from being a local pastor.
I grew up in Vernon Center, NY. My family has been living in the area for more than 200 years. I left there in 1972, and go back to visit often.
I graduated from Jefferson Community College, AA,(Watertown, NY), Potsdam State University,BA, and Duke Divinity School, M Div.(Durham, NC).
My calling had me start serving God with the Legislative Affairs Project, with the United Methodist Council on Youth Ministries in Washington, D.C., back in 1972. From there, I worked with the Northern New York Annual Conference in Watertown.
From those four years, I began serving congregations. It is a long list. Some of the churches were part time, some from multi-point charges. Here they are:
Fineview UMC (Wellesley Island)
Densmore UMC(Wellesley Island)
Rensselaer Falls UMC
Rensselaer Falls Congregational Church
DePeyster UMC
Heuvelton UMC
Flackville UMC
Flackville Congregational Church
Waddington UMC
Mt. Pleasant UMC, McLeansville, NC
Beaver Falls UMC
Beaver Valley UMC
And then full time:
Brasher Falls UMC
North Lawrence UMC
Buckton UMC
Lowville UMC
Martinsburg UMC
Penn Yan UMC
Utica Central UMC
Trinity UMC (Of the Mohawk Valley)
Andrews Memorial UMC (North Syracuse)
Trinity UMC (Clay)
Faith Journey UMC (North Syracuse, Clay)
West Barre UMC
It’s a long list, too long to read, I would guess.
I enjoy leading worship, and Bible studies, and being in mission. I have been able to lead the Southern Sudan Health Project, a small project with 8 Home Health Promoters working and serving about a thousand people every month in South Sudan. I have enjoyed leading many flood recovery mission trips. Over the years I have led a number of trips to Ciudad Quesada, Cost Rica, to work with the Methodist Church there.
I am happy to have things slowed down for me, and am just as happy continuing to serve God. I look forward to the years here at West Barre.