Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1919-03-19
TO CLOSE 16-YEAR PASTORATE
Remarkable Record of Rev. W. A.
Warner in Barton Church.

The decision of Rev w. A. Warner
not to continue his labOrs as pastor
of the Barton Congregational church
after his pastoral year ends with the
last Sunday in April, is an event of
more than usual interest to Barton,
the surrounding towns, and a much
wider circle, because for more than
16 years he has lived among US, be-
ing loved with remarkable unanim-
ity of love, going hither and yon
through the years to start people on
life's journey in marriage, and to
speak words of comfort over hun
dreds of open graves-and during
those years his church and himself
have passed through many epochal
events. Mr.. Warmers decision viii
be deeply regretted by a very large
majority of his parish and the peo-
pie of the community.
Mr.. Warner came to Barton from
Bethel and began his pastOrate on
January 1, 1903. Since that time
the membership of the church has al
most entirely changed, death and re
movals being made good by new
members from the young people of
the church and community and addl-
tions by letter. In 1906 the people of
Barton gave Mr.. Warner a four
months vacation and a substantial
purse of money for a trip abroad. He
visited England, France, Italy, the
Holy Land and Egypt. Since his COM
ing the church has been extensively
repaired, the parsonage remodeled
and a S2500 pipe organ installed. Ia
1908 Barton was one of the few plac-
es in the state to have the j. Wilbur
Chapman meetings, the one in Barton
1 iY7o oIa- of Pow 7 n R1GyUQn
as a result of which a good number
of additional members were received
in both the Methodist and Congrega-
tional churches.
No pastor of any denomination in
the county is now in the county who
was here when Mr.. Warner came, and
his record of 16 years is by far the
longest pastorate the Barton Congre-
gational church has ever had. In the
Is years Mr.. Warner has attended
nearly 700 funerals, record probab-
iy not approached by any other man
in Vermont.
During Mr.. Warmers pastorate
here, his two children, Ida and Clay
ton, graduated from Barton academy,
came to wears of maturity and have
gone to fields of their own, both now
being employed in Washington, d. c.,
WIN nome III Arlington, va. III
| March, 1912, Mrs. Warner, after
weeks of suffering, died and the or
deal was a very great trial, for she
4 had indeed been a wife, a mother, a
companion and withal woman. In
| November, 1918, he married Miss Ell
ma May of Barton, who has since
been an able helpmate.
| Mr.. Warner was born in st. AL
/ bans 50 years ago, but spent many
| of his younger years in Lowell, West
! field, Eden, Greensboro and Johnson.
He prepared for the ministry in
! Oberlin college at Oberlin, Ohio. In
/ 1900 Mr.. Warner was chaplain of the
| Vermont house of representatives
and in 1896 was chaplain of the Yer
mont senate. At the special session
of the legislature, called at the time
of the Spanish War in 1898, he was
also chaplain.
! AS a preacher, Mr. Warner has no
equal in this part of Vermont, his
eloquence being the envy of other
ministers and the pride of his church
folk and town. He has from year to
/ year received attractive offers to go
to larger churches but has refused
them all. He now has alluring offers
but has made no definite plans for the
future.