Our Story

Park Congregational Church is sustained by faith in God and Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who is head of the Church.  Whoever you are and wherever you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.  

Park Congregational Church, UCC, engages and supports all people through worship, fellowship, learning and service so that all may find in this community the Spirit of the Living Christ.

In this spirit we declare that this church is Open and Affirming.  We welcome persons of every age, gender, gender identity and gender expression, sexual orientation, race, national origin, faith background, marital status and family structure, mental and physical ability, economic and social status and educational background.  

We invite all into the sanctuary of our fellowship and the full life and ministry of our church. 

YOU'RE WELCOME HERE. REALLY.

Norwich was founded by English Puritans in the 17th century and Congregational meeting houses were built as the city of Norwich grew. Park Congregational Church was the seventh, established in 1874 by the Reverend Malcolm McGregor Dana and 105 of his members from the Second Congregational Church of Norwich.

Congregationalists were among the first Americans to take a stand against slavery. In 1785 Lemuel Haynes was the first African American ordained by a Protestant denomination. Antoinette Brown was the first woman ordained as a Christian minister and perhaps the first woman elected to serve a Christian congregation as pastor. In 1972 the Rev William Johnson  was ordained as the first openly gay minister of a mainline Protestant denomination, and in 1976 the General Synod of the United Church of Christ elected the Rev Joseph Evans as president. He became the first African American leader of a racially integrated mainline church in America. 

The Congregational Church in America dates back to the early 1600’s with the arrival of the Puritans from England, and initially settling in Massachusetts. At first the church and town were as one, with the church supported by town taxes. The town made rules about the running of the church. Residents attended weekly services. Church was an all-day affair with two hour sermons.

Responding to God’s Call, our mission as Park Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, is to go out into the world proclaiming God’s love for all creation, working for justice, bringing Christ’s peace and growing in love and faith through service to others. We are a safe and sacred community that welcomes all people and supports each individual journey of faith.

Led by the Spirit, following the teachings of Jesus and in covenant with God and one another, our vision is to be a church that:

• Welcomes all people, cherishing the wide range of gifts and beliefs that strengthen and enrich our faith community,
• Shows our love for one another, our neighbors and our world through action and outreach,
• Embraces and encourages each individual journey of faith while growing in grace together,
• Celebrates the breadth of our diversity while seeking unity through Worship, fellowship and prayer,
• Acts as responsible stewards of God’s creation.

We are a spiritual home and sanctuary for all, whoever and wherever they are on life’s journey.