The Original Congregational Church in Wrentham has been around longer than most towns in the area—in fact, the church is celebrating its 325th birthday this month.
The pastor of the church, Rev. Kenneth Landin, has made efforts to help today’s church members feel connected with the heritage they enjoy as part of this active congregation. Recently, Landin’s weekly sermon included portions of a sermon originally preached in their same church in 1846 by Rev. Horace James, the abolitionist pastor of the Original Congregational Church at that time.
Landin explained that, “In those days the Governor of the Commonwealth would make a proclamation for all towns to observe a day of Thanksgiving and offer topics for the ministers to preach about. That year the Governor encouraged lifting up the topic of American slavery and its unconstitutionality and ethical imperatives regarding what we call today human rights issues.” Landin also pointed out that the church, along with other locations in town, was part of the underground railroad system that protected fleeing slaves in the years running up to the American Civil War.
Moving from room to room within the interior of the church is a constant reminder of the different forms the church has taken over the years—up a few stairs to rooms added, down another set of stairs to additional space created, into yet another area that incorporated previous structures, etc. While much of the church building has been modernized, proof of its history is all around.
We recently met with the Senior Lunch Bunch, a monthly gathering of older church members, and were lucky enough to hear stories from many of those in attendance about their experiences as part of this church community. Several of those in attendance were born and raised in the church. This was not the majority of those at the lunch gathering, however—the church has continued to draw new members over the years to this active, vital, and community-involved congregation.
Greg Stahl, chair of the Wrentham Historical Commission, volunteered a story of growing up in the church under the teaching of Sumner Perry. “He was supposed to be talking about God in our Sunday school classes, but more often he talked about Wrentham history,” Stahl recalled. “His family traced back to the original founders of Wrentham. I remember everything he said. People say I must remember everything about Wrentham, but I correct them. No, Sumner Perry was the one who remembered!”
Much of the conversation with the Senior Lunch Bunch brought smiles from other members as they recalled events from the 1950s. Nancy Crother Sylvestre described the last act of a yearly event they called “World-a-rama,” laughing at the fact that “it sounded innocent in the program—guys dressed as can-can dancers. My father as well as Ben Barrows was in that show.”
Long-time church organist Marjorie Kellner, soon to retire, noted that she came to the church 37 years ago to play for one Sunday, then stayed for the next 37 years. “We’ve had some wonderful concerts and performances. We have a good pipe organ, which started out as a theater organ, and was installed here in 1948,” she explained.
Even as members talked of the church’s past, they also pointed to what the church is doing right now—the elf meals program, which started out as “hug” meals for people who were sick or shut in, continues and has blossomed the past eight or nine years.
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Member Pearl Gottberg explained that they serve between 50-55 meals each month to people in the community in need. “God tells us who needs us,” she said.
Pastor Landin laughed and pointed out that, “and since these elf meals are made in the church kitchen, they have no calories!”
Several of those gathered for the Senior Lunch Bunch grew up coming to Wrentham from the Norwood area, and for many of those members, coming to Wrentham to spend time at the lakes in town was an important factor in convincing them to relocate to Wrentham.
While there are multiple social events offered by the church, including a monthly folk music series, there are also opportunities for prayer, mission, and giving back to the community. Gerry Long shared his experience participating in a church prayer group. “We were praying for the removal of the Berlin Wall, and it came down while I was part of that group. I knew then I was in the right place!”
Joan Korsland directed me to a booklet written in 1992 for the church’s 300th anniversary, which updated an earlier book that had been written about the church’s history. “We researched the church’s order of worship and learned that we still basically follow the order of worship that was observed in the early days of the church,” she noted. However, she also pointed out that significant things have changed. “We noticed that men always served communion, and the women washed up. We asked why women couldn’t serve communion, and now we do!”
The church is celebrating its 325th birthday throughout the year, with a different focus each month. A number of events have already taken place, including a potluck supper, and reading of Rev. Joseph Bean’s two hour “century sermon,” which commemorated the first 100 years of the founding of the town of Wrentham. On Sunday, April 2 the church will celebrate the official gathering of the church which first met together on April 3, 1692.
Rev. Landin’s hope is to fill the church on Easter Sunday, April 16, with 325 people. Korsland explained that “We filled the church in years past—the Federated Church in Franklin, the Norfolk Federated Church, and Bethany Church in Foxboro are all daughter churches of our congregation.” Saturday, May 6, the church will invite all its “daughter” churches to a special 325th gala event with special music as well as a supper.
“We wouldn’t be here if church members before us hadn’t created this place,” Landin said. He continued, “Our heritage is education, and we are civic-minded and community-oriented folks. The spirit of this church is one of liveliness, and being engaged---the same as when this church was settled.” He continued, “We don’t examine people before they come to receive communion—we embrace people from other traditions. We’ve been ordaining women since the 1800s. My approach to ministry is not to get negative. When I hear people say the world is going down the tubes, I ask ’What tube?’”
For more information about the Original Congregational Church, be sure to visit the church’s
website at www.occhurch.net or call 508-384-3110.