Bethel of Woods Hole

Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 USA

Bethel of Woods Hole (Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA) began in the fall of 1990 as an independent, ecumenical prayer group, sharing faith in God's unconditional love and dedicated to active spiritual witness on behalf of equality, dignity and respect for all. The Bethel was formalized as a religious association in March, 1991. It is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Our special local missions have been to the homeless and to those suffering mental disabilities. Details of these missions may be found at the relevant pages on this site. Our outreach mission GlobalBird.Net is dedicated to animals, the environment and the global human community.

Support of mental health rehabilitation facilities in the Falmouth area has continued. Each year we enjoy an outing with the residents of a transition home in Falmouth to clean up a section of beach and public walkways. The Task Force on Gender and Cultural Change (formerly Task Force on Gender Violence), formed after September 11, 200l, collaborates with the Center for Women's Global Leadership (Rutgers University) in gathering resources on issues of equality and autonomy for women throughout the world and the continuing problem of gender violence and other human violence. The Task Force sponsored a week-long Spirituality of India Festival on Cape Cod, including an East-West ecumenical service at the Salvation Army Chapel, in 2003.

In 2004-2005 members and friends participated in an 8-month course taught by Rev. Mary Korte at the Church of the Messiah (Episcopal) in Woods Hole entitled The Lost Religion of Jesus. A regularly updated bibliography may be found at the Essene Studies page on this site.

Since our pastor Rev. Bob Huff's retirement in 2005 our members have continued to be active individually in many areas, including local church groups in Eastern and Western Massachusetts, and meeting in private homes. Our officers are: Auguste G. Clough, president; Jon Carlson, vice-president; Audrey Haschemeyer, secretary-treasurer; Lois Berggren, auditor.