A Rich History for a Bright Future

1600s: Beginnings

In 1638 the Rev. John Wheelwright was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Though he was a Puritan, like the leaders in Massachusetts, he was accused of relying too much upon the grace of God in his theology. Rather than return home to England, he and his followers ventured into what is now New Hampshire. Together they established the church, and the town of Exeter. Unfortunately for the Rev. Wheelwright, Exeter came under the control of Massachusetts, and in 1634 he was forced to keep moving northward to Maine.

With Wheelwright gone, the parish struggled for a few years before calling the Rev. Samuel Dudley, son of the governor of Massachusetts and brother of the poet Anne Bradstreet, to be their next pastor. Dudley remained until 1683, and the church remained without a pastor until 1698, at which point the Rev. John Clark arrived, stabilizing the congregation.

1700s: Two Parishes Emerge and the Meeting House is Built

At the dawn of the 18th century the Rev. John Odlin began his pastorate, and in 1731 the congregational built a new meeting house on the site of the present-day church.. Traditional in his theology, Odlin was suspicious of the Great Awakening that began to sweep the colonies in the 1730s. The new-found religious zeal brought with it more expressive preaching and worship as well as an emphasis on spiritual conversion. Churches throughout the country were split, including the church in Exeter.

In 1748 a group of parishioners broke away from the parish, and formed the Second Church. The Second Parish called their own pastor and built their own meeting house. In 1781 some members of the Second Parish, helped to establish the new Phillips Exeter Academy intent on providing an education steeped in their faith.

Meanwhile, the First Parish continued to be just as active. The church building, however, could not keep up. In 1796 work began on a new meeting house for the congregation. Finished three years later, this is the meeting house that the church still uses today. During this period the parsonage, still in use as a home for the church’s pastor, was also built.

1800s: A New Country Takes Shape

Members of both parishes had been active in supporting the cause for independence in the 18th century. During the early 1800s, as the country became more religiously diverse, the question of state-sponsored religion came into focus. The First Parish was the official town church, and citizens paid taxes to the town to support the church and clergy. Now there was a Second Parish in town, and other denominations, such as Baptists, Methodists, and Unitarians were soon to come. Later would see the arrival of Episcopalians and Roman Catholics. In the 1830s town support for the church ended. While some worried what this would mean for First Parish, in the end members gave more than enough to fill the gap.

As the Civil War approached, both parishes supported the abolition of slavery. During the war sons of the parishes enlisted to fight, while those back home supported them with drives and collections to support the Union cause. After the war they also supported the American Missionary Alliance which worked with those who had formerly been enslaved, and established schools and colleges for Black citizens throughout the South.

1900s: Reunion and a New Denomination

In the early 1900s the two Congregational parishes in Exeter had begun to find more in common than they did differences. As World War I was being fought, the theological battles of centuries past must have looked small in comparison. In 1920, both parishes agreed to reunite. The former Second Parish meeting house was given to Phillips Exeter Academy, and is now Phillips Church, the school’s chapel. The members of Second Parish moved back to First Parish, and the church was renamed the Congregational Church in Exeter, in order to honor the legacy of both parishes and to affirm that there was now one, united Congregational parish.

In1957, the United Church of Christ was born. A merger of the old Congregational tradition that was so prevalent in New England, as well as several other like-minded traditions, the United Church of Christ sought to combine the resources of these denominations in order to be a truly national church that could work for furthering Christ’s vision “that we may all be one”. Each church was given a choice whether or not to join the new UCC. Along with most other Congregational parishes, this church affirmed the partnership and joined, while still treasuring our deep Congregational heritage.

The last half of the century would also call us to clarify our commitments to justice and inclusion. When the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called for white clergy to march with him in Selma, the Rev. George Booth flew south to join him. Around the same time, the church began to name women to the board of Deacons, a role that until then was filled only by men. By 1990 we would call our first woman to the role as pastor. During the 1990s we also became an Open and Affirming congregation, openly welcoming and affirming LGBTQ people and working for full inclusion of all in church and in our community.

2000s: Our Fourth Century

The story of the church is still being written. We draw on the witness of our ancestors as we make decisions for today. We seek to be true to God’s call to us to make life on earth just a little more “as it is in heaven”. As we approach our 400th anniversary in 1638, we invite you to help us to write the next chapter of our history. We give thanks for all who have gathered as Christ’s church here in Exeter, and all who will gather in the centuries to come.