The History of The First Congregational Church of Camden
In the beginning there was the plantation of Cambden, (sic) in the county of Hancock, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The 72nd town in what later became Maine was incorporated in 1791. Religion was taken seriously by the Commonwealth, and by 1794 citizens were required to pay a fine if they neglected to support a religious order.
The first meeting house. Erected 1799 at the corner of Elm and Park Streets.
First Congregational Church, erected 1834.
The meetinghouse built, it took until 1804 for a minister to begin preaching there on a regular basis. An Ecclesiastical Council assembled on September 11, 1805, to form a Congregational Church and at the same time ordain its first minister, the Reverend Thomas Cochran. His salary was $500 a year, paid for by taxes.
The present Congregational Church was built in 1834 for approximately $5,000. In 1870 it was remodeled.
The next 50 years witnessed the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Industrial Age. Six ministers served the church, including the Rev. Lewis Darenyd Evans, who served 25 years, longer than any other minister in the history of the church.
At the end of the church’s first 100 years, a three-day celebration was held. The front page of the September 15, 1905, Camden Herald was devoted exclusively to the event. The celebration began with Sunday worship, both morning and evening. Monday evening was given over to an historical address, and on Tuesday a social reception was held for about 200 people at the Masonic Hall, with a banquet and after dinner speeches. An 80-page historical booklet was published by the church in honor of the event.
In 1918 the Spanish flu epidemic struck Camden, as it did the rest of the world. The Chapel became a makeshift hospital. Camden lost 25 young people in a year.
The church was extensively remodeled in 1925 and ended the practice of privately owned pews in its sanctuary. By 1955, the need for a new parish house was apparent and plans were made to add on to the existing church structure. The result was the church much as we know it today, at a cost of about $100,000, built with “builder’s shares” by the parishioners.
The 150th anniversary of the church was held in August 1955, from Sunday to Sunday, with past ministers in attendance at special services and celebratory suppers.
The congregation voted to become part of the United Church of Christ in 1961.
Each Easter season felt banners designed by the late Abbott Pattison are placed along the sanctuary’s walls. Pattison, a well-recognized American sculptor, was a dedicated member of our church. His sculptural banners are made of 100 percent wool felt, sometimes three layers deep.
In loving memory of Barbara Dyer—our local historian and former church member. Images on this page are from Barbara’s book entitled “History of First Congregational Church—Camden, Maine” and are used with the permission of the church.
How Our Faith Led to Action
In the late 1960’s several members of the Women’s Fellowship saw a need for a special education school, as one did not exist in the Midcoast. Led by Rita Elliot, who became Director, and with the full support of Rev. Don Henderson, the church became home to The Henderson School from 1967 to 1986, when special needs education became part of the public school system. Hundreds of delightful, eager young people attended classes in our Sunday School rooms and benefited from the love, care and direction they experienced.
In 1963 the congregation purchased 63 Washington Street, a boarding home, to serve older residents who did not require the degree of care associated with a nursing home but who could no longer live independently. The mission was to provide a home-like setting where an elderly person could live graciously. It was considered a high-risk proposal but one that addressed a definite need in the community. FCC sold the house to its Board of Directors in 1999.
In 1984, church secretary Barbara Lannamann started a small food pantry in her office at the church. Eventually this food pantry grew into the Camden Area Christian Food Pantry, an ecumenical organization that serves Camden, Rockport, Lincolnville, Appleton, Hope, Union, Washington, and Searsmont.
We also remember Barbara’s stash of gently used clothes ready to go to anyone who needed them; quietly given, quietly accepted. That act of generosity led to the creation of the SOS Room, which today carries out the same mission for our neighbors in the community.
Affordable used clothing, along with the opportunity to raise funds to support local non-profits inspired Beryl and Eric Charlton to lead an effort to establish a used clothing shop in 1994. Today Heavenly Threads thrives, each year giving tens of thousands of dollars back to the community while being a welcoming shopping experience for all who enter.
In 2001 the congregation committed overwhelmingly to dedicating $500,000 of an unanticipated bequest to serve the people of Knox County and Lincolnville who find themselves in financial crisis for any number of reasons. While that initial funding has long since been depleted, the generosity of so many others continues to sustain the project.
An editorial in the Camden Herald, challenging the community to reach out to those who might need a warm meal, spurred the creation in 2005 of SOUP’S ON, a weekly soup luncheon served during the colder, darker months of the year, October through March, at the church. Organized by the Charltons and a team of dedicated volunteers, the lunches offered guests two soups, bread and dessert. Soup’s On was both food for the body and food for the soul as the lunch became a community within itself, providing friendship, support, and lighthearted good times to the 60–90 diners who joined us each week for fifteen years. Soup’s On was halted by the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020. After careful consideration post-pandemic, the volunteers concluded that the soup lunch structure was not sustainable. Seeking a less labor-intensive offering to fill the winter-season void, Cake and Community emerged in January 2024 from these thoughtful deliberations.
And in 2013 we looked at all that we had done over the years to ensure that this is a welcoming place for everyone. We asked: Are we living up to our message?
No matter who you are, or where you are on Life’s Journey, you are welcome here today, and every day.
The resulting study and deep reflection of what it means to be an ONA church led to a congregational vote to become an Open and Affirming Church of the United Church of Christ in September, 2013. Today our staff and our congregation mirror that commitment to be truly welcoming and accepting of all walks of life, to anyone who walks through our doors. This gift doesn’t just offer God’s welcome, it’s an invitation to our entire community to be transformed.
The church, the oldest in Camden, celebrated its 200th birthday in 2005 with a weekend of events and with the burial of a time capsule in the front lawn. The capsule will be opened in 2055 to reveal its many messages and memorabilia.
In 2013 the congregation voted to become an Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ.