Welcome to the Beloved Community!

Welcome to the Beloved Community!

Deepening Spirituality

Inclusive Hospitality

Compassionate Justice

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We Welcome All People to Share in the Love of God


This Beloved Community is located in the area of Brattleboro, VT. We welcome all people to share in the love of God, through deepening spiritual life, the practices of radical hospitality and compassionate justice, as we seek to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that embody the love of God in community where all people are welcome, valued and nurtured without bigotry, hatreds and judgment

 

We worship at 10:30 am on Sundays 18 Town Crier Drive, Brattleboro VT. Come as you are and engage as you choose. We share two traditions: American Baptist and United Methodist. We are LGBTQ friendly.


Please check out the pages for First Baptist Church of Brattleboro and First United Methodist Church of Brattleboro, as well as our page: Center for Story, Spirit and Justice, to see what we offer.


May you know the love of God, the blessing of community and the grace to live a full authentic life of blessing to yourself and others!

How to Contact Us 

We can be reached by calling: 

802-254-1234

  • Extension 1 is for First Baptist
  • Extension 2 in for First Methodist
  • Extension 3 is for the Center


Our pastors can be reached at the following:

Rev. Suzanne L. Andrews

603-803-1493

pastorsue312@gmail.com

The Beloved Community—Who We Are

The Beloved Community was vividly described by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. many decades ago. You can hear his words on this YouTube selection:    https://youtu.be/ZmtOGXreTOU 


We believe that his vision embodies the goal of our community and our churches. The Beloved Community is not exclusive, but inclusive of all. Its boundaries are porous, ready to receive all people in their uniqueness and differences. But it is a community in which the practice of active love challenges evils of all kinds that destroy the dignity of human beings, healthy relationships, and the sustainability of the communities of the world and the life of the planet. And yet, as evil is challenged, the community offers genuine love to all, even those caught holding the levers of evil systems.


To these ends, the First Baptist and First United Methodist Churches of Brattleboro, and our partners seek to embody the Beloved Community through this joint undertaking, by joining hands, hearts and minds to advance three core values: deepening spirituality, inclusive hospitality, and compassionate justice.

About Our Three Core Values:

  • ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ Deepening Spirituality

    We believe that every person is blessed with body and spirit intended to be engaged in promoting the life of the Beloved Community, even as every person has needs for spiritual and material assistance from that Community. 


    Our gifts for service and our needs vary from person to person and over time.  But no one is without the spark of spiritual life.


    As one of our core values, deepening spirituality is our commitment to reach out and serve one another and all whom we encounter with opportunities, guidance and support in pursuing a vital, healthy and renewing inner life that overflows in beloved life for the community.  All persons, in their unique ways yearn for a deepening inner life, and we are committed to walking along side their journeys into that deeper life.


    We do this through common worship, spiritual friendship and guidance, small groups, study groups, and programs that bring content and practice geared to aid persons in flowering as beloved humans.   While our traditions are Baptist and Methodist Christianity, we welcome and embrace those of other traditions and no religious tradition at all. In the Beloved Community, we are able to be fully who we are called by our traditions to be, while allowing and celebrating others as they find fulfillment in their own ways.  We join hearts in love.


    Please see our pages on FBC and FMC as well as the Center for Story, Spirit and Justice.

  • ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Inclusive Hospitality

    A value for our Community is Inclusive Hospitality.  We actively seek to welcome one another and all people with generous hospitality that does not work compulsively to conform folks to our perspectives.


    We welcome folks who are unreligious and those who adhere to other religions.  We welcome those who are of any race or ethnicity, cultural background and nationality.  We welcome those who have diverse gender expression, sexual orientation and familial relationships.  We welcome those who have resources and those with none; those who have employment, and those who do not; those who have homes, and those who do not; those who are documented and those who are not; those with many abilities and those with other or different abilities.  


    Our mission is to embrace persons in their uniqueness and their relationships, providing generous hospitality as we are able, while acting to provide a safe space for everyone.  We do this through ministries of presence, deep listening, provision of food and other goods, and engaging with persons to grow, to experience and practice love, and to serve others.

  • ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ Compassionate Justice

    We are committed to practicing justice and advocating for just systems in our community, area and the world.  Just systems recognize the integrity of persons, families and relationships, the needs of all persons to basic resources and cultural benefits and provide inclusive ways for all people to participate meaningfully in their own life choices, families, communities and spiritual life.


    But justice also means that persons have access to resources for meaningful, healthy and productive life, such as food, housing, clothing, medical and mental health care, transportation, education and training, and personal/familial security, free from the damages of violence, poverty, racism, classism, colonialism and other biases and disempowering discrimination.


    Our work includes fighting with love and non-violence to promote justice for all and life in civil society that honors diverse peoples with the blessings of a good life—adequate material resources and a society of compassionate justice.

Our Traditions

First Baptist Church (FBC) has served the Brattleboro Community for over 200 years. FBC is a member of the Vermont-New Hampshire American Baptist Association. FBC is proudly part of the American Baptist Convention and tradition.


First United Methodist Church (FMC) has been in Brattleboro for over 200 years also. It is part of the Green Mountain District of the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. FMC draws on the work of 18th Century founders of the Methodist movement, John, Charles and Suzanna Wesley, who believed in the importance of growing in relationship to God, through Jesus Christ, using the means of grace God has given us to grow in holiness, and sharing the love of God to all people in material and spiritual ways.

Our Location

Both FBC and FMC previously had brick church buildings in downtown Brattleboro where they offered worship and service to the community. They now share a newer facility located on Town Crier Drive, off Route 5, Putney Road, just north of and overlooking the intersection of the West and Connecticut Rivers. The building is accessible and there is ample parking. 


This is located on unceded land of the indigenous peoples of the area, the Abenaki, whom we welcome and thank for their sacred stewardship of the land, water and wildlife.

Our Mission

The mission of the Beloved Community is to live into the Kingdom of God, by fully embracing the calling of God to grow in Christian discipleship, which leads us to actively practice an ever deepening spirituality, radical hospitality to all and compassionate justice, especially with those who are most marginalized by society.


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