Remembering a gifted storyteller who loved the church and its servants

The Rev. Dr. Charles P. Barnes loved to tell stories. And not just stories about “unseen things above,” as the cherished hymn goes.

The United Church of Christ pastor, who passionately and faithfully served two UCC conferences, would captivate many with memories of his childhood days sailing on many glistening and breezy New England lakes. People would lean in closely to hear Charles’ accounts as a young adult resisting the Vietnam War. He would have smiles emerging, tears falling and laughter booming by the telling of the Spirit-filled moments that marked his ministry in both the local church and Conference ministry settings.

After battling a prolonged illness, Barnes’ own story came to an end on Feb. 25. He was 77 years old. A memorial service was held on March 28 at the Congregational Church of North Barnstead UCC in New Hampshire.

“He was intelligent. He had a great sense of humor, and he was not afraid to be progressive in his preaching,” said the now retired Rev. James Dewey of Kentucky.

A strong supporter of the local church

Dewey worked alongside Charles in the Indiana-Kentucky Conference UCC where the storytelling pastor served as the Associate Conference Minister for the southeast area from 1996 to 2005. It was there Dewey witnessed Charles’ passion for serving God’s children with a love that inspired and a compassion that encouraged.

“He was a strong supporter of local pastors and of their ministries and missions,” said Dewey.

The Rev. Stephen Gray, now retired and living in Brunswick, Maine, was also part of the Indiana-Kentucky Conference during Charles’ tenure. He remembers his colleague as a “faithful and hard working member of the staff” with a “particular expertise and interest” in church policy and procedure.

Gray muses, too, how Charles’ many miles logged on I-65 en route to assignments in Louisville and Indianapolis led to Charles saying how he had “become acquainted” with several state policemen. The jury is still out whether Charles had a lead foot on the gas pedal or not.

The two colleagues also recall how Charles was the original computer geek, always on the cutting edge of — and enthralled by — technology.

“He loved all things electronic — computers and iPhones,” said Gray. “He guided the conference as it expanded its computer capabilities.”

Dewey admits that a fun day for Charles would be one spent removing the operating systems from his computer and then reinstalling them.

“If I had a CD to burn, I knew who to turn to. Charles had all the gadgets,” Dewey added.

Returning to New England

In 2005, Charles returned to his New England roots, becoming Conference Minister for the Rhode Island Conference, retiring after the historic 2020 merging of the Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut churches into the newly created Southern New England Conference. It was during this time Charles became ill.

Friends say that Charles loved that his New Hampshire retirement home that he shared with his wife of 46 years, Celia, was on a lake. From the windows, Charles could gaze out at the water, letting precious boyhood memories of bobbing on the waves flood his mind. The home was for Charles a place of grace where he would also be found taking joy with yet another one of his many passions — woodworking. There among shavings and sawdust emerged much of the furniture that filled the Barnes home.

Carpentry, sailing, servanthood — Charles emulated a life richly lived in Christ’s love. And friends and colleagues agree that it is no wonder that he never passed up an opportunity to tell a story “of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.” For it was a story Charles knew well.

Click here for the full obituary.

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