Vibrant new minister to serve at United Methodist Church

The Rev. Dr. Anna Crews Camphouse is already at work reviving the spirit of the United Methodist Church to serve Millerton.
Leila Hawken
The Rev. Dr. Anna Crews Camphouse is already at work reviving the spirit of the United Methodist Church to serve Millerton.
MILLERTON — Since beginning her ministry at the United Methodist Church in February, the Rev. Dr. Anna Crews Camphouse is already seeing growth in numbers and a potential for increasing programs in service to the community that surrounds the historic church.
She is not new to the area, nor to the challenges; when she took the position in Millerton, she was already serving thriving Methodist churches in Sharon and Lakeville, Connecticut.
Camphouse made time for an interview Thursday, March 7, in the church sanctuary.
“It’s not the most I’ve done at one time,” Camphouse observed when asked how she will manage to lead three churches simultaneously. From 2017 to 2019, when she was at Auburn University in Alabama, she led a large student pastor education program involving vast field work, in addition to pastoring three churches.
“It’s a small congregation right now,” Camphouse said of Millerton, where services will be offered on the first and third Sundays of each month beginning at 3 p.m.
On all Sundays, the Lakeville church worships at 9:15 a.m. and the Sharon congregation worships at 10:30 a.m.
The Millerton church has “an incredible history,” Camphouse said, noting that people are beginning to come back after a long hiatus. In the church’s prime, it served as an emotional as well as physical center in the community.
“It is a landmark,” she said, given its architectural beauty inside and out, and its location at the top of Millerton’s Main Street.
An unusual feature is that the sanctuary, the worship space, is on the second floor; Camphouse remarked that it’s the same configuration as the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was the pastor during the time of the Montgomery bus boycott.
Questions that she asks herself and the Millerton church include, “How can the church elevate the community and build that community to lift up the spirit and better teach people simply to love one another?”
Looking beyond Millerton, Camphouse said that one of the great challenges in the modern world is to teach people of different backgrounds to come together, with the church functioning as a community center where relationships are built, begin
“I used to be an activist,” she said, “but that was a time when expressing your opinion would not get you fired.”
We’ve become addicted to fear, she said, which makes room for itself through loss of hope and loss of trust. “Faith and fear cannot abide” together, Camphouse said.
“We need to return to having a bias toward love and trust and listening and understanding,” Camphouse said. “It’s a desperate need,” the creation of a spiritual life.
“We are spiritual beings having a human life,” she said. “The church is there to live into that healing of the world, starting right there in your local community.”
Looking ahead to how the Millerton Methodist Church can foster community, Camphouse said that she and the church members are excited to be helping to plan for Millerton’s 150th anniversary in 2025.
With characteristic enthusiasm, Camphouse said she could envision a trip through the Southern states, perhaps a Civil Rights tour of the important sites of the 1950s and 1960s.
Community teas and conversations could be in the future, or fellowship programs with the Moviehouse, with film discussion and refreshments to follow at the church across the street.
The summer farmers market will continue to be a popular community draw, Camphouse said.
“I’m listening. I’m open to getting this going. I will appreciate any support along the way,” Camphouse said.
The next Sunday service will be March 17 at 3 p.m. To share any ideas or learn more, Camphouse invites anyone to reach her at annacrewscamphouse@gmail.com
LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Barbara Meyers DelPrete, 84, passed away Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 11:00a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 76 Sharon Rd., Lakeville.
A complete obituary will appear in next week’s Lakeville Journal.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com.
Volunteers were hard at work putting the finishing touches on the crucial creepy decorations for the Haunted Fortress of Stanford on Sunday, Sept. 28.
STANFORD — Greg Arent led a devoted team of volunteers on Sunday, Sept. 28, in a final push to prepare Stanford’s Haunted Fortress for opening day.
Final touches included cleaning the bottomless pit, scrubbing the pirate ship, raking the graveyard and dressing the dolls. By 2 p.m., about 20 volunteers had assembled to creepify the beloved local landmark.
Many of the volunteers have been coming back for years, Arent said, dedicating time and valuable skills to the town-owned haunted house that was constructed by the artist Peter Wing.
Arent has been building sets in his free time for forty years, but he started out volunteering with the Haunted Fortress in 2014 when his children wanted to get involved, he said. At that time he would help out one or two days a year. That grew into a leadership position over the course of a decade.
On Sunday, Arent was touring the decrepit grounds checking light bulbs, soundtracks and other set details to contribute to that perfect spooky ambience.
Nathan Miller
When it’s all said and done, the Fortress will be ready to welcome visitors starting on Friday, Oct. 3, with shows running from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays. The Haunted Fortress is entirely staffed by volunteers, Arent said, including the actors that don costumes to scare visitors. Anybody aged 6 and up can volunteer to act in the horror show, and families often will volunteer to take over a scene.
“I love it because every scene is different every night,” Arent said. “Sure there are going to be vampires in this scene, but this family is going to do it different from these three kids from Bard, who are going to do it different from these three middle school kids.”
The sets themselves were all built from recycled material to be as creepy and decrepit as possible, Arent said. Concrete culverts adorn the sides of a bridge over a stream, stacked vertically with a cone on top to elicit a fortress’s spires. Reclaimed lumber bolted to a fence evokes a dark and scary forest blocking any escape. A rusting tractor with a steel box welded above the seat sits on a set of rails with two cars attached to it, mimicking a wrecked train with it’s inner mechanisms exposed and blowing steam on passersby.
This year the Haunted Fortress is following a haunted circus theme featuring clowns and other carnival staples alongside the classic settings of the Fortress.
The team of volunteers is dedicated and numerous, and the Stanford Highway Department lends a hand too, Arent said, but there’s always a need for skilled labor at the local attraction.
And the group appreciates all the help they can get. “Whatever you’re interested in and capable of doing,” Arent said.
The haunted pirate ship marks the spot where groups of visitors are paired with their ghastly guides for the remainder of the Haunted Fortress tour in Stanford.Nathan Miller
Corinne Kalser, MD, left, talks about the benefits of animals as therapy partners, as Renee Bouffard, LCSW, of Healing Hoofbeats of CT, on right, watches Harry Potter, a young horse at Time Out.In the background, Finnegan, lead horse at Time Out comes to see what’s going on.
“Horses and other livestock maintain their wild instincts. They sense what we are feeling and that makes them amazing therapy partners.”
— Renee Bouffard, LCSW
In 2008, Time Out Foundation became an official rescue and therapeutic riding facility, fulfilling a lifelong dream of founder, Corinne Kalser, M.D.With her husband, David McArthur, LCSW, and the rest of their staff, they offer a haven for children and adults through gentle, relaxed therapies centered around animals — rescued horses, dogs, cats, and goats — on their 35-acre farm in Lakeville.
To ensure the foundation continues, Kalser is partnering with Healing Hoofbeats of CT, an organization with a similar philosophy of care.
“This is a way to keep it going after retiring,” said Kalser. Renee Bouffard, LCSW, founder of Healing Hoofbeats, along with Nikki Hedden, LMSW, and Rebecca Caruso, LCSW, will begin offering therapy at Time Out beginning Oct. 13. Based in Bethlehem, Connecticut, the Healing Hoofbeats team will bring their animal-assisted therapy services to Lakeville — and, as Kalser noted, “takes most insurances.”
Bouffard explained the process: “At the initial meeting, we introduce clients to all the animals with the intention of choosing who their therapy partner will be. This will be their partner for the duration of the therapy.”
“Through that process of building a relationship, issues come out — depression, anxiety, trauma. The therapist can address and can help solve them,” she added.
“Horses and other livestock maintain their wild instincts. They sense what we are feeling and that makes them amazing therapy partners.”
Relationships are built through groundwork and learning about your therapy partner.
“My oldest client is 89.We treat all ages — children, adults, families, couples, veterans,” Bouffard said.
For more information or to schedule an appointment at Time Out with the Healing Hoofbeats team, visit healinghoofbeatsofct.org or call 203-244-8411.
Millerton’s Willow Brook Farm is once again hosting its annual corn maze just north of the Village of Millerton.
MILLERTON — The leaves are falling, Irving Farm is serving its seasonal Maple Pumpkin Chai and corn mazes are “cropping” up across the area. Fall fanatics can enjoy a variety of events and outings throughout eastern Dutchess County to celebrate the start of “Spooky Season.”
Here’s a sampling to get you started:
Oktoberfest Weekend at Back Bar Beer Garden
Oct. 3-5
2947 Church St, Pine Plains
Say “Ein Bier, bitte” at the upcoming Oktoberfest celebration at the Back Bar Beer Cabin in Pine Plains. Enjoy live music, German food specials and seasonal beers. Lederhosen not required.
“Spooky Month” at the NECC Farmer’s Market
Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25
Veteran’s Park, Millerton
Saturdays in October will be “spooky!” Visitors can enjoy fall-themed crafts — think glittery spider webs — and a tarot card reader. Halloween festivities will arrive early on Oct. 25, with costumes encouraged and kids invited to Trick-or-Treat around the vendors’ tables.
Soukup Farms Harvest Festival
Oct. 4–Nov. 1
271 Halls Corners Road,
Dover Plains
Typically known for their maple syrup, this fall you can expect hayrides to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch, corn maze, and family-friendly activities at this nearby, third-generation family farm. Festival hours are Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Willow Brook Farm’s Corn Maze and Haunted Happenings
Oct. 12, Nov. 1
196 Old Post Road 4, Millerton
The legendary corn maze is open Thursdays through Mondays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Oct. 12, enjoy pumpkin tic-tac-toe, paint-your-own pumpkins, mocktails from Elite Mobile Bar and adoptable pups from Bleu’s K9 Rescue.
On Nov. 1, the farm will host a haunted corn maze, decked out with spooky decor. Visitors can also shop cider donuts and fresh pumpkins, gourds and other fall harvest during regular operating hours.
Haunted Fortress of Standford
11 Creamery Road, Stanford
The Peter Wing-designed haunted attraction draws thousands of visitors every year to delight in a wholesome “creep fest,” as described by volunteer and Haunted Fortress Committee member Greg Arent. The fortress will be welcoming visitors again this October on Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sensory friendly shows will be offered on Sunday, Oct. 5, and Sunday, Oct. 19, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Haunted History Ghost Tours
Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
9 Norton Road, Red Hook, NY
Guided ghost tours are available on Fridays this month at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. Visitors can hear chilling tales of lost pilots, tragic adventures and eerie happenings as they explore the grounds on a 70-minute walking tour. Tours run every Friday night with four time slots available — 6, 6:30, 7:15, and 7:45 p.m. Advanced tickets are required.
Evergreen Cemetery Lantern Tours
Oct. 17 and 19
19 Maple Street, Pine Plains
Presented by the Little Nine Partners Historical Society, this annual guided cemetery tour combines local history and storytelling with the backdrop of the town’s historic burying ground. In collaboration with Pine Plains Free Library and the Stissing Center, actors will bring to life the lives of a Revolutionary War militia man, a Black farmer from Virginia, a society matron and more.
Rose Hill Farm
14 Rose Hill Farm, Red Hook, NY
With a taproom, cidery and food vendors, this orchard is a vibe with something for adults and kids alike. Pick plums, pumpkins and nine varieties
of apples.
Fishkill Farms
9 Fishkill Farm Road, Hopewell Junction, NY
Pick sustainably grown apples, ride a wagon through the fields, explore the corn maze, and enjoy live music and hard cider from the Treasury Cider Bar. Tickets are required.
Barton Orchards
63 Apple Tree Ln, Poughquag, NY
Experience live music, seasonal festivals, family-friendly activities and farm adventures across three venues: the Tap Room, Harvest Lounge and Sound Garden.