The Reverend Walter C. Barton, Jr., is the senior pastor of Golden Hill United Methodist in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut. He was appointed to this historic church by Bishop Jeremiah J. Park on July 1, 2011. Prior to this appointment Rev. Barton served as Senior Pastor (2006-2011) of Newman Memorial United Methodist Church, Brooklyn, NY in the heart of Bedford Stuyvesant, Senior Pastor (1998-2006) St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, New York, NY (Harlem) and Senior Pastor (1995-1998) the Grace United Methodist Church, St. Albans, NY. He is an ordained elder in the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
A native of Boston, Massachusetts and lifetime member of National Black Methodist for Church Renewal, Rev. Barton has served on numerous boards and agencies throughout the church and community. Most notable are, HCCI (Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, The United Methodist City Society~ NYC, the Newman CDC and ONE (Organization for a New Equality) Boston, Massachusetts.
Rev. Barton is passionate about preaching, teaching, health and welfare ministries, the education of our young people and healthcare for our senior citizens. He participated in the Black College Tour with 42 teenagers from NYC (eight from his Newman Congregation). He comes to Golden Hill with a new and revitalized commitment to ministry in the city. “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you: but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power on high.” Luke 24:49
International travel includes Europe (England and France), the Middle East (Israel and Jordan) and the Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Marteen). A lifetime dream was fulfilled September 3-15, 2010 with the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church Volunteers in Mission. He travelled for the first time to Africa. He was part of the Ghana Mission team to the Awombrew School project. He hopes to return to Ghana in September 2012.
Rev. Barton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Springfield College, Springfield, MA. and the Master of Divinity from Colgate Rochester Divinity School, Rochester, NY. By God’s grace he celebrated his 38th year in ministry in 2011.
THE ONLY INTRODUCTION HE LIKES IS THIS…
“If anybody should ask you who I am…tell them I’m a Child of God.”
