An Abridged History of St. Barnabas

In 1947, the Diocese of Ohio recognized the need for an Episcopal church to serve the people of Cleveland’s growing western suburbs. It was decided to place the church between St. Peter’s in Lakewood and the Church of the Redeemer in Lorain, thus Bay Village was selected for the new mission. The first service, attended by 73 persons, was celebrated by the Rev. William S. Brown on February 2, 1947 in Bay Middle School. St. Barnabas spent three years sharing the school auditorium with St. Rafael Roman Catholic Church and Bethesda on the Bay Lutheran Church before moving to its present location.

•  On January 1, 1948, the Diocese of Ohio purchased 4.5 acres on the southwest corner of Wolf and Bradley Roads.

• On September 18, 1950, a ceremony was held as the cornerstone was placed at the base of the present tower.

• In 1951, St. Barnabas Mission was granted full parish status by the Convention of the Diocese of Ohio.

• In 1954, the Sunday School wing of the building was constructed in testament to the congregation’s ongoing commitment to nurture the Christian faith in children.

• In 1960, the front interior of the church, which originally stopped around the present front pew, was extended 56 feet and the free-standing altar, sacristy, and organ chamber were added.

• In 1978, St. Barnabas acquired a pipe organ from St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. Thirteen members of the congregation traveled to Charleston to haul the 25 rank Austin organ back to Bay Village for installation.

• In 2003, the Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr. was elected Eleventh Bishop of Ohio amidst broad disagreements throughout the church around scriptural authority and LGBTQ inclusion. Three days before Bishop Hollingsworth’s consecration, the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a headline that read “5 Episcopal churches tell bishop to stay out.”

• On November 6, 2005, the congregation voted to try to leave the Episcopal Church and place themselves under the authority of the Bishop of Bolivia. A long legal battle over the congregation’s property and assets ensued.

• On November 20, 2011, Christ the King Sunday, the Diocese of Ohio reopened St. Barnabas and the faithful remnant began the process of rebuilding the congregation with the aim to reflect God’s inclusive love for all people.

• On November 21, 2021, Christ the King Sunday, Bishop Hollingsworth visited St. Barnabas to celebrate ten years of renewed ministry, offer confirmations, bless the new pipe organ, dedicate the renovated Parkside Hall, and institute the Fifth Rector of St. Barnabas.

While our past has shaped us, it is the Holy Spirit to whom we look for guidance into the future as we strive to “proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ.”  

Rectors of St. Barnabas

The Rev. William S. Brown, 1947-1959

The Rev. Arthur R. Lynch, 1960-1988

The Rev. R. James Tasker, 1989-2005

The Rev. Sarah J. Shofstall, 2012-2018

The Rev. Alexander D. Martin, 2018-Present