Where We Are

St. Barnabas is located in Montezuma County, Colorado, a rural county in the beautiful Four Corners region where the mountains of Colorado meet the high desert. The town of Cortez is on the occupied lands of the Ute and Pueblo peoples. It borders the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation and is close to the Navajo Nation and Southern Ute Reservation as well. Mesa Verde National Park is located just up the highway, visible from town, and Canyon of the Ancients and Hovenweep National Monuments lie to the West. Cortez itself is a town of 9,000 with four seasons, Colorado blue skies, a beautiful Recreation Center, and multiple parks and preserves.

We are a town with farmers and ranchers, retirees, and outdoor enthusiasts. Cortez is a meeting place – of ecosystems, ages, cultures, political views, and economics – and we experience both the challenges and opportunities of these meetings. The community of Cortez supports those on the margins through the Bridge Emergency Shelter, Grace’s and Hope’s Soup Kitchens, Good Samaritan Food Pantry, and many other community initiatives by local organizations.

St. Barnabas integrates into the Cortez community by providing free space for non-profit groups and events and offering food to the community at Grace’s Kitchen. We sponsor lunch groups in the local schools for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, and youth from our own congregation have traveled as far as the United Nations to represent the concerns of our rural community. St. Barnabas is home to ongoing conversations and explorations of faith and theology, both within our congregation and in community discussion groups hosted by the Rector. We are proud to be a progressive, engaged church that is open and welcoming to all.