The 1884 pipe organ
A Johnson & Son opus 629 from Westfield, Massachusetts — hand-pumped until the late 1920s, and still almost entirely original. The names of the boys who pumped the bellows are pencilled inside the door.
Read the organ’s storyLove. No exceptions.
Sunday worship in Rupert, Vermont — come exactly as you are.
Rupert United Methodist Church is a small country congregation at the corner of Routes 315 and 153. We gather at 8:45 AM every Sunday, in our 1884 sanctuary and on Zoom. Bring your burdens, hopes, struggles and energy — there is a seat here for you.
- Worshipping here since 1884
- A congregation of The United Methodist Church
- In the sanctuary and on Zoom
A letter from our pastor
Welcome to Rupert United Methodist Church
Nestled in the heart of Southern Vermont, Rupert United Methodist Church offers a sanctuary from life’s struggles. Here, we worship, study, fellowship, serve, care for each other and seek to find our way as disciples of a living Christ.
Every church, from the largest metropolitan megachurch to a small rural faith community like Rupert United Methodist, has the same mission and the same challenge: how, in an increasingly secular world, do we spread God’s love and bring people into a closer relationship with God?
We believe the secret is not a secret at all. We do it by striving to live Jesus’ own summary of the entire scripture, as described in Matthew 22:37–40 — “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We strive to do this as a church family that is always open, loving and kind. Our motto is “Love. No exceptions.”
We invite you to join us. Come as you are. We don’t care what color, sexual orientation, job you do or don’t have, where you are from, or where you have been; whether you have been part of church forever, or a newbie, or a seeker, or a person hurting because of another church experience in your past. Bring your burdens, hopes, struggles and energy. Share your faith journey, and let us be part of yours. Let us love — together.
Tom AtkinsPastor
Come as you are. Bring your burdens, hopes, struggles and energy.Our welcome, and how we try to live it
Beyond Sunday morning
How this church serves Rupert
Part of God’s command is to love God’s people. We seek to serve our community and the world through practical, loving outreach — the Rupert Food Pantry, the Summer Lunch program, Christmas Angels, and missions at home and abroad through The United Methodist Church.
We also take on special projects jointly with other churches and groups as they come to our attention.
Wednesday nights
Study together, from wherever you are
Bible study runs on Wednesday nights at 7 PM on Zoom, so long-distance members can study and discuss from wherever they happen to be. E-mail Pastor Tom and he will put you on the list for each week’s link.
An architectural gem
Organized in 1883. Still ringing.
Rupert United Methodist Church held its first services in 1884, and much of that year is still working: the pipe organ in the sanctuary, and the pendulum clock and bell in the tower above it. Visitors ask about both, so we wrote their stories down.
The bell tower and clock
A fully working E. Howard & Co. pendulum clock and a bell cast in Troy, New York in 1884. Each mechanism is wound by hand and runs for eight days.
Climb the bell tower
First time here?
You will not get lost here. You will only be loved.
We are a small congregation, so a new face gets noticed — in the good way. Come as you are: we don’t care what color, what job you do or don’t have, where you are from, or whether you have been part of a church forever or have never set foot in one. Come at 8:45 on a Sunday morning, sit wherever you like, and see how it feels.
If getting here is the hard part, call and we will talk you through it, or join the service on Zoom from home.