USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > The First Church of Fairfield : being a brief account of three hundred and twenty three years in the First Church, Congregational, of Fairfield, Connecticut > Part 10
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The Board of Deacons announced after their meeting in December, 1957 that Rev. Robbins Barstow had been secured to serve as the interim minister, pending the choice of a new pastor to succeed Mr. Hatch. Dr. Barstow began his interim ministry on January 19th, 1958. He was a former President of the Hartford Seminary Founda-
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tion and at present was serving as Director of the Department of Overseas Union Churches of the National Council of Churches in the U.S.A.
A farewell reception was held for Mr. and Mrs. Hatch on Sunday afternoon January 5th, 1958. At that time an inscribed silver bowl, together with a purse of $3000, were presented to Mr. and Mrs. Hatch by Harold A. Swaffield. Mr. Hatch had his final Sunday services on that same day.
Thus came to an end a stimulating and eventful pastorate of approximately twenty years. It was a period of rapid growth in both community and church. When Mr. Hatch began his ministry the average attendance at the Sunday morning service was around a hundred and fifty. When his pastorate ended the attendance at the two services on Sunday morning varied from three hundred and fifty to four hundred or more. At the beginning of his ministry there were less than five hundred members of the church. At the close of his pastorate the church membership roll was approaching twelve hundred.
Perhaps the motivation of the Hatch pastorate can be well sum- marized in a statement of Christian belief printed on a church calendar in the year 1951:
We believe that God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
We believe that God is Light, and if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.
We believe that God is Love, and that every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
We believe that we are children of God, and that He hath given us of His Spirit.
We believe that He is the Resurrection and the Life, and that whoso- ever believeth in Him though he were dead, yet shall he live.
We believe that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all uncleanness.
We believe that the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but that he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Amen.
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Chapter Thirteen THE PASSING OF THE SOCITEY.
In the early years of the Connecticut Colony there was a close relationship between the church and the town government. Some historians have suggested that early New England set up a "theo- cracy." This meant that the local residents of a community or parish were responsible for the material needs of the church. A system of public taxation was enforced to pay the pastor's salary and the cost of maintaining the church property. Thus men who were not church members came to have a share in the temporal or financial affairs of the church.
In the various townships Ecclesiastical Societies were gradually organized to take care of the property matters. It was a dual system of government, so to speak. The Ecclesiastical Societies had some members who were also church members and some who were not. The church property was held in the name of the Ecclesiastical Society. The Society had its own membership list, quite separate from the church membership list.
Under this dual system both church and society had to concur in the calling of a new pastor. The action customarily originated in the church, as the society had no authority to begin such proceed- ings. After deciding on a suitable man to serve as its pastor, the church notified the society of its choice. Then the society had to decide whether to concur in the call and if so, to make plans for providing for the support of the pastor's family. It was in the discretion of the society to fix the compensation for the pastor. Only the society could be sued in a court of law if there happened to be a disagreement between pastor and people. The society did not have the authority to dismiss the pastor without the consent of the church. In cases of emergency, however, it was possible for the society to withhold the pastor's salary if such an extreme step seemed necessary.
It was in the year 1709 that the name was changed from "Prime Ancient Society" to "First Ecclesiastical Society." From time to time, the By-Laws of the Society were amended, as for example in the year 1941. It is remarkable how well this system worked in the first two centuries of Connecticut history, not only in Fairfield but in many other townships as well. It became out of date, however,
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during the nineteenth century as churches became free from political control and later on became corporations under the Civil Law with the right to own property. There are still a few churches that continue to function under this dual system of "church and society."
Surprising as it may seem, the First Church of Fairfield operated under this dual system from 1639 to 1957. The church organization had the responsibility of calling the minister and for the general oversight of the religious and educational programs of the church. The Society had the responsibility of owning the property and was in full charge of all fiscal matters. As far as the records show, there were no serious disagreements between the two organizations in Fairfield from the early years to the present time.
The process of merging these two organizations could not be completed in a hurry. One of the early steps was to invite all the church members to become members of the Society if they so desired. For example, at the annual meeting of the Society on December 2nd, 1925, the following communication was received, from the Church Council: "The Church Council expresses its belief that the welfare of the church will be served if, at the annual meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society next December, action shall be taken con- ferring upon all present and prospective members of the First Church, in good standing and of legal voting age, the rights and privileges of membership in the First Ecclesiastical Society." It was voted at the meeting that the above suggestion should be adopted beginning December first 1925. Another early step was the decision to hold joint meetings of the two organizations on the same evening, meeting as one group.
These early steps convinced the members of both groups that it was a wise plan to merge the two organizations. It was decided to prepare a new Constitution and By-Laws that would bring about such a merger. It was at a joint meeting on July 30th, 1955 that the following resolution was adopted:
"Whereas for several years past considerable discussion has taken place relative to the desirability of merging both Church and Society into one legally constituted body;
Whereas it is of the utmost importance that this question be disposed of for the future so that duplication of action and con- fusion can be eliminated from our meetings and the necessary work of the church can progress with efficiency;
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Be it resolved that the First Church of Christ, Congregational, in Fairfield, Connecticut, and the First Ecclesiastical Society of Fairfield, Connecticut, be merged into one legally constituted church body."
After considerable discussion it was moved that a committee be appointed to facilitate the merger and prepare a constitution, thus making possible the transfer of property to the new church organ- ization. This committee should be composed of the Chairman of the Board of Deacons, the Chairman of the Society's Committee, the Pastor, and two members of said Church and Society to be chosen by the first three mentioned above. It was also moved that a draft of a new Constitution and By-Laws should be prepared and presented for action, if possible, at a Joint Meeting of Church and Society to be held in January 1956.
The preparation of a new Constitution and By-Laws proved to be quite an undertaking. It was not until December 10th, 1956 that Mr. Swaffield, on behalf of the Committee, was ready to report to a Joint Meeting of the First Church and the Ecclesiastical Society. Thereupon the members began the task of discussing the new con- stitution article by article. The name chosen for the new organiza- tion was "The First Church, Congregational, in Fairfield." Minor changes were suggested in the various articles, as they were presented. An interesting decision was made in the use of the word "pastor" rather than the word "minister" throughout the new Constitution.
An adjourned Joint Meeting of the Church and Society was held on December 17th, 1956, when the process of discussing the various articles was continued. Another Joint Meeting was held on January 8th, 1957. At that meeting the motion was passed to request Mr. David W. Price to serve as the attorney for the church and be responsible for the legal steps in connection with the merger of the two organizations, also the transfer of property and the incorpora- tion of the church. The date for the consummation of the merger was to be announced by Mr. Price in accordance with the legal requirements.
It was at a Meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society on October 9th, 1957 that Mr. Price announced that the Church was officially incor- porated on September 26th, 1957 and a certificate filed with the Secretary of State as well as with the Town Clerk. It was at this meeting that the decision was made to transfer all church property
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now held by the Society to the First Church, Congregational, in Fairfield. It was also at this meeting that the decision was made to dissolve the First Ecclesiastical Society of Fairfield and to send the notification of such action to the Secretary of State in Connecticut.
With the merger of the two groups the former Ecclesiastical Society was transformed into the Board of Trustees, so to speak. The new Board of Trustees of the Church became responsible for all property and for all financial matters with the one exception of the budgetary responsibilities of the church. It was agreed, however, that three members from the Board of Trustees should be added to the newly formed Budget Committee of the Church.
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Chapter Fourteen THE BEGINNING OF DR. ROBINSON'S PASTORATE.
The First Church was fortunate in securing an interim minister with the breadth of experience of Dr. Robbins Wolcott Barstow. He had served as a missionary of the American Board in Turkey and as a Chaplain in the First World War. He had served as the pastor of churches in Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. He had travelled widely in connection with his work as the Director of the Department of Overseas Churches of the National Council of Churches in the United States. In beginning his interim ministry he expressed the hope that the Christian Program of the First Church would continue with unslacking zeal until the securing of a new pastor.
A committee was appointed to secure a new minister on December Ist, 1957. It was composed of the following church members: William J. Clarke, chairman, John P. Bassett, W. Eben Burr, Dudley M. Cate, Mrs. Alanson C. Harper, Samuel L. House, Kenneth E. Johnson, Mrs. Russell C. Kinsman Jr., Frederick W. Roberts, George L. Todd and Miss Esther Wakeman.
After carefully screening a goodly number of possibilities the choice of the Committee centered on Rev. Henry Evans Robinson, pastor of the First Christian Church, Congregational, in Burlington, North Carolina. He had held earlier pastorates in Coventry and Putnam, Connecticut. At the present time he was also serving as Chairman of the Missions Council of the Congregational-Christian Churches. He had come to Fairfield as the guest preacher on July 20th, 1958. There was an informal reception on Saturday afternoon, July 19th, to give the church members an opportunity to meet Dr. and Mrs. Robinson.
At a church meeting following the Sunday service on July 20th, it was voted to approve the recommendation of the Pulpit Committee. A call was sent to Dr. Robinson to become the pastor of the First Church. He responded favorably to the invitation and suggested that his ministry begin in Fairfield on October first.
It was on the twenty-first of August of that year that Mrs. W. Eben Burr resigned as the organist and as choir director of the church. Her place as choir director was taken by Mrs. Elizabeth House on September first. Mr. John Alves was secured as the new
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organist. Mr. Alves is a member of the American Guild of Organists and a former organist at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Southport.
Under this new leadership, on December twenty-first, the choir of the First Church presented the Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah. When Mrs. House found it necessary to move from Fairfield in 1959, Mr. Alves became both organist and choir director.
The Robinson family arrived in Fairfield in late September and were comfortably settled in the parsonage by the first of October. The Boards of Deacons and Deaconesses set Sunday afternoon, November 23rd, as a date for an "Open House" when the church members would have an opportunity to express their welcome to Dr. and Mrs. Robinson.
One of the first recommendations of the New Pastor was to send out a monthly church letter of four pages, to be called the "First Church Herald." This monthly letter was intended to describe the activities of the church and the work of its committees, together with the dates of meetings, church statistics and other items of in- terest. This plan was set in motion at once. Another recommendation was to place an outdoor bulletin board on the lawn, near the corner of the church, facing Beach Road and the Old Post Road.
The Service of Installation for Dr. Robinson took place on Sunday, January 18th, 1959, and was conducted by the Fairfield County Association of Congregational Churches and Ministers. In the after- noon the candidate read a paper setting forth his religious experience and theological convictions. Following a supper for the delegates the evening service was held at 7:30 P.M. The sermon was given by Dr. Rockwell Harmon Potter. Rev. David H. Sandstrom offered the prayer of installation. The charge to the pastor was given by Dr. Barstow and the charge to the church members by Rev. James F. English, Superintendent of the Connecticut Conference of Con- gregational Churches. The right hand of fellowship was given by. Rev. Gibson I. Daniels.
One of the early changes at the beginning of Dr. Robinson's pastorate was the organizing of a Women's Fellowship to include in its membership all the women of the church. The need for this step had been recognized for quite a few years and the issue had been brought up many times at various gatherings.
During the pastorates of Mr. Silcox, Mr. Grant and Mr. Hatch, there had been several successful Women's groups such as the
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Guild, the Eunoia Club and the Mother's Club. There had been special interest groups that were concerned with various Christian study or work programs. A strong feeling had developed, however, that with the rapid growth in membership there needed to be an inclusive organization for all the women of the church.
Soon after the Board of Deaconesses was organized, the members made it one of their first responsibilities to facilitate the transfer of the various Women's organizations into one inclusive Fellowship. For example, on the tenth of February, 1958 they arranged a meeting in which all the Women's groups were represented and the plan for the inclusive Fellowship was discussed in detail. At the May meeting Mrs. Daniel C. Barker was elected as the first President of the inclusive Women's Fellowship. During that first year, however, the other organizations continued to function.
A year later the plan for an inclusive Fellowship reached fulfill- ment. On May 5th, 1959, the Women's Fellowship voted to incor- porate the separate groups into one inclusive organization. A plan was drawn up to have a women's day at the church twice a month with work and study groups. A comparable plan was set up for evening meetings for those members who could not attend during the day. The program set up included four main Fellowship meet- ings a year, with two luncheon meetings and two evening meetings.
The work groups were free to take part in various activities such as sewing, making cancer dressings, rug hooking, hand crafts and painting. Since its establishment the Women's Fellowship has carried on many missionary projects such as sending boxes of used clothing to needy areas. There have been gifts of money where it would do the most good. There have been the rummage sales in the spring and fall of each year. One of the high lights of the program has been the annual Holiday Fair in November.
Soon after Dr. Robinson's arrival in Fairfield the need for an assistant pastor was recognized and discussed in the Boards of Deacons and Deaconesses. Dr. Robinson expressed a preference for an older man who could help with the pastoral calling, arrange Colony meetings, share in the plans of various church organizations and, in general, substitute for the pastor during his absence.
The issue was brought before the annual meeting of the church in January, 1959. It was voted to approve the appointment of an assistant pastor and the pulpit committee of 1958 was asked to
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proceed with the assignment and bring a recommendation before the church. After interviewing a number of possibilities the com- mittee decided to recommend Rev. Wilbur S. Deming as the new assistant pastor. Dr. Deming had served the American Board in the Marathi Mission of Western India. He had been pastor of the First Congregational Church in Washington, Connecticut and at present was pastor of the Smith Memorial Church in Hillsboro, New Hampshire.
Dr. and Mrs. Deming were invited to attend a service of the First Church in May 1959 and meet some of the church members. At a special church meeting held on May 3 1st, it was voted to extend a call to Dr. Deming to become the Assistant Pastor of the church. Dr. Deming responded favorably to the invitation and suggested that his work in Fairfield begin the middle of August.
During the early years of Dr. Robinson's pastorate the Long Range Planning Committee was actively at work under Chairman Leonard A. Beadle, exploring the future needs of the church and the Sunday School. The Committee was approaching the end of its labors so that it could make its report to the church. This matter will be dealt with more fully in a separate chapter.
During the early years of Dr. Robinson's pastorate the issue of the merger with the Evangelical and Reform Churches came up for decision. A new constitution had been prepared for the United Church. Dr. Robinson was a member of the Constitution Com- mission of the United Church of Christ. Before the adoption of the new constitution it was desirable to send it to all the churches for their study and suggestions. Under the sponsorship of the Church Council, the various organizations of the First Church were asked to make a study of the new constitution.
A special meeting of the church was arranged, at which time the issues of the merger were thoroughly explored. The matter was brought up for final decision at a church meeting held on March 19th, 1961. Those voting to approve the merger and new constitu- tion numbered two hundred and fifty-seven. Those in opposition numbered twenty-six.
It was in the spring of 1961 that the Music Committee and mem- bers of the choir took the lead in urging a more active musical pro- gram for the church, with larger participation of Children's Choirs at the regular services. They felt that the time had come when it
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would be desirable to have a full time organist and choir director. The matter was brought up for decision at a special church meeting held in June, 1961. It was then voted to have Mr. John Alves as a full time organist and choir director, beginning on September first.
The arrival of Dr. Robinson brought new life into the church in various ways. This was especially demonstrated by the groups of new members uniting with the church at practically every Com- munion Sunday. Uniting with a church is only the first step in a process that is continuous. It involves getting acquainted with the other members of the church family and finding a niche in the church program.
Thus those uniting with the First Church in recent years have discovered a wide variety of activities in which they can share. For example, there are the regular meetings of the Men's Fellowship with interesting speakers from month to month. At each meeting it is the custom for one of the members to give a brief autobiographical sketch.
There are the two work days each month for the Women's Fel- lowship, together with the evening meetings at which interesting speakers bring a stimulating message.
The Sunday School has been growing steadily under the direction of Mrs. Truman Chase, with a membership of over five hundred at its two sessions and a staff of more than fifty teachers. The fourth Sunday of each month is Family Sunday when the Sunday School children attend the church service with their parents. The younger children return to their classes during the second hymn. There is a class in church history for the High School freshmen who are pre- paring for church membership.
The church sponsors a Nursery School for nine months of the year under the leadership of Miss Sophie Gross. During July there is a two weeks' Vacation Bible School. The Parish House is also used for the "released time" religious classes during the school year.
The Youth program of the church receives special emphasis under the supervision of the Board of Education. The Pilgrim Fellowship has a Yale Divinity student as its adviser and meets weekly. The Junior Pilgrim Fellowship, comprising the seventh and eighth grade students, meets twice a month on Friday evenings with a young married couple of the church as leaders. The church sponsors three
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Boy Scout Troops and four Girl Scout Troops.
The members of the Social Action Committee respond to periodic needs such as helping to secure volunteers for the Blood Banks which take place several times a year.
The Missionary Committee has the Benevolence outreach of the church under its supervision and gives leadership in helping to maintain a high level of missionary giving and in sending delegates to important Missionary Conferences.
The annual Enlistment Program or Every-Member-Canvass in the fall of each year gives the men an opportunity to share actively in the task of maintaining the financial resources of the church on a sound and healthy basis.
The Worship program of the church receives special attention, centering in the two morning services in the sanctuary. Each Sunday those coming to the services are given a cordial welcome at the church door. The ushers, the organist, the quartet and the volunteer choirs all have a significant part in the services, in addition to the pastor. The three Children's choirs are featured on the third and fourth Sundays of each month.
The worship program receives special attention at the high points in the Christian year such as Christmas and Easter. During cach Lenten season there is a series of mid-week meetings at which time there are guest speakers bringing an appropriate Lenten message.
The worship emphasis is also stressed at the neighborhood meet- ings held in the ten colonies each year. In this way the new members are integrated into the life of the church and enabled to feel at home in the fellowship and find their places in the program.
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Chapter Fifteen THE LONG RANGE PLANS.
It might be said that the long range plans of the First Church took on an official character in the year 1954 with the appointment of a Church Survey Committee to make a study of church needs such as increased facilities for the Sunday School, personnel requirements for the church staff, a future building program and other long term objectives. Before 1954 such issues had often been discussed at var- ious church gatherings but it was not until 1954 that a committee was appointed for that specific purpose and requested to bring rec- ommendations before a future Joint meeting of the church and the Society.
In April of that year the committee was organized with seven members under the chairmanship of Matthew R. Blish. The other members were Mrs. Minott Stilson, Mrs. Harold C. Bullard, Roger C. Smith, Roger P. Welles, Alanson C. Harper, Russell C. Kinsman and Elbert S. Overbaugh, with Mr. Hatch and Mr. Snedeker as ex-officio members. It soon became apparent that five sub-committees were needed in order to do the work efficiently, namely, Youth Wor- ship and Education, Adult Worship and Education, Church Organ- ization, Church Leadership and Building and Finance.
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