Wellesley Village Church: YDS-connected congregation investing in people and planet

A sustainable church building

Village Church’s long-range thinking is evident in the recent investment it made in an eco-friendly geothermal heating and cooling system—a move that resonates strongly with the Divinity School’s new Living Village and deepening commitment to ecotheology. The church’s move to geothermal was a decision 10 years in the making, beginning when members of the church’s environmental and energy task force recognized that its aging oil-powered system would one day need replacing. Rather than waiting for a crisis moment, the group chose to plan proactively.

They began exploring options that could move the church largely off fossil fuels, with the long-term goal of becoming carbon neutral. Along the way, funds raised during a 2015 capital campaign helped support efficiency upgrades like rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient windows, improved insulation, and LED lighting.

As the rooftop HVAC unit began to fail, the group outlined three possible paths forward: replacing the system with another oil-based model, transitioning to an electric system, or installing a geothermal system, which uses the earth’s stable temperature to heat and cool buildings efficiently and sustainably. Although geothermal emerged as the clear choice in terms of sustainability and longevity—it has an expected lifespan of roughly 80 years, compared with 15 to 30 years for a gas-powered HVAC system—the decision was not an easy one. Geothermal was the most expensive option, and while government rebates brought its cost in line with that of an electric system, the rebates’ future was uncertain ahead of the presidential election.

Amidst that uncertainty, the task force turned its focus to education. Church leadership hosted information sessions and structured discussions, helping the congregation understand how geothermal systems work and their environmental, financial, and community benefits. 

“This was a great conversation for us to have,” says Ed Bedrosian, a 54-year member of Village Church and a longtime supporter of Andover Newton, as a donor and onetime trustee and Board treasurer. “The discussion was well managed to make sure everyone had a chance to share their thinking. That really shows a strength of our church. We don’t exclude anyone, even if they’re in the minority. Everyone can have their say.”

Ultimately, the congregation chose to move forward with the geothermal option. They launched a major capital campaign, called Joyfully Empowering the Future, and secured the rebates—left untouched by the new administration—that made the project possible.  

The decision was about more than sustainability, though that commitment was central. “One of our younger members spoke passionately about what it would mean for the church that raised her to make a choice that so clearly cared about the future she and her peers will inherit,” says Senior Pastor Sarah Sarchet Butter. “It was a message to younger generations.”

The choice was also a practical one. With geothermal, the church eliminated the ongoing cost of filling oil tanks, saving roughly $40,000 each year, while investing in a system built to last decades longer than traditional alternatives. “But the real payback,” Butter emphasizes, “is the long-range care for the congregation and the long-range care for the environment.”

An investment in the pastoral future

Village Church’s commitment to sustainability, broadly defined, also extends to the practice of ministry itself. In 2003, the church received a Lilly Endowment grant to launch its Pastoral Residency Program, which offers two-year ministry positions for recent seminary graduates. Wellesley’s Senior Pastor at the time was YDS alum Martin Copenhaver ’80 M.Div., who led the congregation from 1994 to 2014. Copenhaver went on to become President of Andover Newton Theological School and led the negotiations that paved the way to Andover Newton moving operations to New Haven and joining YDS.

The residency program has proved to be invaluable for young ministers. “This is a great opportunity for those making their way out of seminary and into ministry,” says Sarah Drummond, Dean of Andover Newton Seminary at YDS, who notes that several Andover Newton and YDS graduates have gone on to serve as pastoral residents at Village Church. “It’s a point in the arc of ministry where it can be especially difficult to find a position that’s the right fit, and this program helps bridge that gap.” 

As full-time pastors, residents are immersed in congregational life at Village Church, working under the mentorship of the senior minister and church leaders to plan worship, lead Bible study and other formation programs, provide pastoral care, and preach roughly once a month.

“Learning and leading as pastoral resident feels so beautifully right-sized for someone in my position,” says Pastoral Resident and recent YDS graduate Courtney Esteves ‘25 M.Div. “I already have worn the cap-and-gown of seminary graduate, and I have not yet worn the stole of ordained clergy. Although my call beyond these two years is not yet known, I already trust that the pastoral instincts I am picking up from those around me here will serve me well.”

In their second year, residents are elevated to the position of full-time lead pastor at Village Church in nearby Weston, Mass., a satellite campus established through a merger that preserved the former Congregational Church of Weston. They plan and lead weekly worship services, design and produce the bulletin, and develop and lead faith formation opportunities across both campuses. It’s a model that benefits the resident and the congregation. “Instead of Weston hiring a part-time pastor and leaving that person feeling isolated, residents become part of a larger system of pastoral support,” Drummond explains. 

Residencies are awarded on a staggered basis, ensuring continuity from year to year as one resident enters the program and another completes it. “We’ve helped shape 23 pastors who are now serving in churches across the country,” Butter says. “It’s a wonderful next step after seminary—to be embedded in a thriving congregation, learning with and from experienced pastors who can both celebrate residents’ gifts and help shape them.”

Faith and action

As lay leader Bedrosian sees it, Village Church is thriving because it is inclusive, forward-looking, and willing to take thoughtful risks. “Even if something has never been done before,” he says, “that doesn’t mean it’s inappropriate for our church.” 

That openness—to innovation and to dialogue—shapes how the congregation continues to look ahead. Whether through green infrastructure, pastoral education, or the careful work of listening and collaboration, the church remains committed to aligning faith with action. 

“We seek to live into a mission that sits at the intersection of faith and life in an ever-changing world, with Christ’s unchanging love and light at the center,” Butter says. “We rely on the Holy Spirit to empower the gifts in all of us—pastors, pastoral residents, members, and leaders. God makes more of us together than we could ever be apart.”

Melissa Kvidahl Reilly is a New Jersey-based writer and editor who specializes in higher education, religious education, and business-to-business subjects.