Our Mission Our History Our Staff Statement of Faith The First Congregational Church was gathered in 1747.  The first meeting house, built on the Green, was completed in 1753.  A second meeting house was built twenty years later.  The third and present meeting house was completed in 1832.  In 1996, the sanctuary was renovated as part of the preparation for the celebration of the church's 250th anniversary which was held in 1997. Church School classes began in 1818 with the separation of Church and State, as ministers could no longer teach religious education in the public schools. In 1883, an addition was built on the south side of the church to accommodate the growing facilities of the parish.  This was torn down in 1910 to make way for the present parish house, which was dedicated in 1914. The building erected in 1910, which was used as a new parsonage, now houses the church offices and a residence for the sexton.  A sizable addition to the church property was dedicated in 1951 where the Lena Forbes Barnes Memorial Chapel and Church School classrooms are located. In 1960, church members voted to become affiliated with the United Church of Christ, a Protestant denomination formed in 1957 by the union of the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church.  The Connecticut Conference of the UCC is made up of about 267 churches, with a membership of approximately 109,000.  Our congregation is among the largest in the conference. The Reverend Earl W. Keirstead became our 20th Minister in January 1985. In February of 2002, the Reverend Marcia C. Eveland, became our Associate Minister. Our congregation is focused on the worship of God.  We have a strong commitment to an excellent Christian Education and youth program.  A long tradition of music and dramatic arts programming continues to flourish, too.  We look forward to the new century, confident that we may face the challenges and opportunities with certainty, compassion and faith because of the love of God, which has been revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Handicap Access Our church sanctuary is now handicap accessible. We offer handcap-reserved parking, an elevator in the rear of the church as well as a convenient ramp in the front of the church leading into the sanctuary, handicap accessible restroom just outside the sanctuary and large print programs. We hope these features will make it easier for you to worship with us. home | about us | christian education | our church | youth | music | calendar | links | contact us Copyright 2003-06. First Congregational Church. Bristol, CT