About

Thank you for visiting our webpage! This link gives you a little bit of Pastor Barre’s experiences that led him to the Avoca Methodist Church.

Pastor Barre Butts came to Avoca Methodist Church in July 2013, after beginning his formal ministry in Mitchellsville in 2011. He grew up in Wheeler, the youngest of three brothers. He and his family were active in the Wheeler United Methodist Church there, and he began playing organ for church at the age of 12.

Pastor Barre attended SUNY Geneseo, where he obtained Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Elementary Education. After teaching in the Keshequa District (Nunda and Dalton) he moved back to the Bath area to substitute, and purchased the Twin Kiss in Kanona. He also worked at Bath Centenary as ministerial assistant, organist, and church secretary. In 1997, he purchased the former Pat’s Place on Route 54 near the Ira Davenport Hospital, and renamed it Bear’s Family Restaurant. During this time, he began playing for Mitchellsville, and when Pastor Bev Welch moved on to a full-time appointment, he took on the Sunday services and completed his licensing requirements.

Through the years, Pastor Barre has also sold jewelry, worked in a pediatrician’s office filing records and insurance paperwork, delivered newspapers, been cashier at Kmart, been a driver for a cleaning service, and worked as a manager at PetSmart.

“I am thrilled to be able to serve as your pastor. I believe that we are all ministers, and the church’s role is to equip you to be the best disciple of Jesus Christ that you can be. God’s plan, and my attempts to follow, have led me on a long journey to reach this position. I hope we can worship together soon, and if there is anything the church can help you with, please feel free to contact the church office, or, in cases of emergency, my cell phone.”