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 8
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Kenneth Beckwith of Beverley, Mass., read the scripture lesson.
Aside from the Tercentenary celebration in the fall of 1939, the most exciting event at the beginning of Mr. Hatch's ministry was the church fire which did great damage to the interior of the church sanctuary, the damage being estimated at more than $20,000. The fire originated in the basement of the church where an electric motor for the organ became short-circuited. The blaze was discovered at 12:52 P.M. on October 28th, 1940. The fire was finally put out by the firemen around 2 P.M. The minister was one of the first to reach the scene.
Not only was the organ ruined but the three Tiffany jewelled glass windows behind the organ were greatly damaged. When the fifty volunteer firemen arrived at the church they found the flames eating at the altar and working up through the roof. The major part of the damage was the loss of the organ, the three stained glass windows, and part of the roof. The pulpit Bible was saved. The value of the stained glass windows was appraised at $30,000.
Following the fire a special meeting was held and a committee appointed to survey the damage and to make plans for the necessary repairs and renovation. Mr. William O. Burr was chosen chairman of the committee, the other members being Mrs. Allen Johnson, George Todd and Arthur Deyo. The committee arranged for a per- sonal survey of the damage by Carl Lamb, New York architect. The work of installing a new organ and restoring the stained glass win- dows was taken in hand and proceeded rapidly. The cost of restoring the sanctuary came to around $11,000, exclusive of the organ.
On April 27th, 1941 the new organ was dedicated at a special musical program in the church sanctuary at 4:30 P.M. Mrs. Otis, organist of the First Church, presided at the organ and all three of the church choirs took part. The First Church Quartet had the following members: Mrs. Julia Hanbrock, soprano, Mrs. Lora Brew- ster, contralto, Alfred Berggren, tenor and Ralph Berggren, bass. The guest organist for the occasion was Miss Louise Miller, minister of music at the First Church in Stratford.
In October 1941 a brochure was published entitled, "Getting Acquainted with the First Church of Christ, Congregational." It had an educational purpose, namely, to tell the church members about the various organizations of the church and their activities. For the women there was the Guild and the Eunoia Club. There was the "Forty and Out Club," for young couples. There was the
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Sunday School with classes for all ages from kindergarten through High School. There was Troop No. 82 for the Boy Scouts and two troops for the Girl Scouts. The bowling alleys were reserved on Wednesday evenings for the church members and their friends. On Sunday evenings there was the Pilgrim Fellowship for High School students.
A rather unusual event took place at a special church meeting on December 17th, 1939 following the morning service. On the recommendation of the Church Council the members voted to adopt Dr. and Mrs. Walter F. Hume as the special missionary project of the church. Dr. and Mrs. Hume were members of the American Marathi Mission, living at Wai, India, where Dr. Hume was on the staff of the Willis F. Pierce Memorial Hospital. Through this vote, the First Church accepted the responsibility of contributing a portion of Dr. Hume's salary each year. It was Dr. Hume's plan to send periodic letters to the church telling of his work at Wai and thus stimulate the interest of the members in Christian medical work in India.
During their furlough year in 1947 Dr. and Mrs. Hume visited the First Church so that they might get better acquainted with the membership. Dr. Hume was invited to be the speaker at the Rally Day Supper on October first. Before their return to India from their furlough, the members of the church helped to raise money for a new combination Chevrolet Station Wagon and Ambulance to be used in the service of the Wai Hospital.
During the early years of the Hatch pastorate the Parish House continued to be in great demand for a multitude of activities and therefore required a considerable amount of upkeep expense. For example, in 1939 the auditorium and rooms adjoining it were re- decorated. New draperies were secured for the large windows and a new oil burner was installed.
Organizations like the Red Cross and the Masonic Fraternity were allowed to make use of the Parish House. The use of the Parish House by the church members tended to be concentrated on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The bowling alleys were quite popular and used by various groups, the young people pre- ferring to use them on Friday and Sunday nights. Youth groups in the church enjoyed playing basketball on the upper level, the room that might well be called an all-purpose room since it was used for
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athletics, plays, Sunday School classes and a dining room.
Of course it was necessary to have rules governing the use of the Parish House as otherwise a good deal of confusion might result and there could be injury to equipment and property. For example in 1945 the following rules were established, governing the use of the gymnasium on the upper level:
I. All young people except the basketball squad shall leave the Parish House by 5 P.M.
2. The basketball squad will leave by 6 P.M.
3. There will be a committee of three boys to assist Mr. Orton in maintaining proper supervision in the Parish House.
4. The Parish House is to be closed at 6 P.M.
During the early years of the Hatch pastorate there were a number of changes in the Personnel staff. In September 1942, Rev. R. Paul Freed was engaged as the Director of Religious Education and the Youth Program of the church.
On January 16th, 1938, Mr. Charles B. Jennings resigned as treasurer of the Ecclesiastical Society, a position he had filled for thirty-five years. All through that time he had distinguished himself by his wise and prudent handling of the church funds. The members of the Society went on record in the expression of their gratitude and high appreciation for his long and invaluable service.
In June 1946, Mrs. Harold C. McKay Jr. became the pastor's secretary, a position which she still holds, ably presiding over the numerous activities centered in the church office in the Parish House.
On October first, 1940, John A. Forsythe retired after fifteen years of service as the janitor of the Parish House. This action became necessary because of an accident while in the performance of his duties that made it difficult for him to continue his work.
On September twenty-first, 1941, Deacon Livingston G. Smith retired from his position as sexton of the First Church, a position he had held over a period of forty-two years. At a meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society a resolution was passed expressing deep grati- tude for his extraordinary, faithful and loyal services over that long period of time.
Following the resignation, it is interesting to note that after Mr. Smith's death in 1947, in his will was a gift to the church of $700, the income of which was to be used for the purpose of cutting and trimming the vines covering parts of the walls and roof of the church
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edifice. This gift was rather unique in the sense that Mr. Smith took great pride in the careful upkeep of the church buildings and grounds. Mr. Smith was concerned lest the ivy cause leaks in the roof of the church. It is also worthy of note that after his resigna- tion from the position of life deacon for physical reasons, Mr. Smith was the first member of the church to be given the position of "deacon emeritus."
In September 1948, Mr. Glenn Wishard was employed as the Director of Youth activities in the church, working in close fellow- ship with the minister. Mr. Wishard was a former Y.M.C.A. Secre- tary in India and the Far East.
After the death of Miss Annie B. Jennings in 1939, a committee of three was appointed to draw up a resolution of appreciation. The following resolution was adopted at a meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society on January 17, 1940:
"A dear friend, a wise counsellor, a loyal daughter of this church has gone from us. We honor the memory of Miss Annie Burr Jennings who for more than fifty years was a devoted member of this church. A descendent of Rev. John Jones, first pastor of this Prime Ancient Society, she was ever true to the high ideals upon which this church was founded three hundred years ago.
"She was possessed of rare qualities of mind and an understanding heart. Her loving charity, her spirit of simplicity and kindliness prompted her to share with others all that she had. She was truly thrice blessed for she gave not only of her substance but of herself. Her place among us cannot be filled but we have the assurance that 'every noble life leaves a fibre of it interwoven forever in the work of the world.'"
The committee was instructed to have a suitable bronze tablet erected in the church in memory of Miss Jennings.
On October 6th, 1946, Rev. John H. Grant passed away, on the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the Christian ministry. After his resignation as minister of the First Church, Mr. and Mrs. Grant had returned to Fairfield to take charge of the Gould Home and to be among their many friends in the church fellowship.
It was only natural for the Second World War to have a tre- mendous impact upon the church membership and on the Fairfield community as a whole. This fact was amply demonstrated at the Sunday morning service on February 21st, 1943 when a service flag
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containing eighty-five stars was presented and dedicated. Two service men participated in the ceremony.
The flag was the gift of the Women's Guild and was presented by Mrs. O. Victor Rodrigues, President of the Guild. Mr. William O. Burr accepted the gift on behalf of the Board of Deacons. Rev. David P. Hatch had for his morning sermon topic, "Victory for Brotherhood."
During the war years many parents were deeply anxious about the safety of their loved ones. It was fitting, therefore, to keep the church unlocked so that church members could drop in for a few minutes of private prayer. Furthermore the pastor and deacons made every effort to keep in close touch with the church members in the service, located in many different parts of the world. Easter cards were sent to them by the Hospitality Committee. When requested, communion sets were sent to men in the service. Also packages containing various useful articles were sent to members of the parish who were in the service of the nation.
Due to gasoline rationing the Parish House Committee decided to do as much of their business as possible over the telephone and thus decrease the number of meetings. The shortage of fuel oil compelled the closing of the Parish House in December 1942. It was not reopened officially until September 1943. During the intervening months all church activities were carried on in the church building or in the parsonage.
When a new minister begins his pastorate a burst of new energy is usually reflected in the various church organizations. This was certainly true when Mr. Hatch began his ministry in Fairfield. He early stressed the importance of the periodic meetings of the Church Council since that Committee included representatives from the different church organizations. In this sense it had a unifying in- fluence in drawing up church programs.
Mr. Hatch began the custom of mimeographing the annual reports of each department of church work and binding them into a booklet which was available to the church members to take home and keep for future reference.
In the early years of the Hatch pastorate discussion began as to the advisability of rcorganizing the Women's Work of the Church into a single, inclusive organization, with group divisions to furnish types of activity to meet the interests of all women in the church,
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and to sponsor programs that would deepen the spiritual life of the church members. We find such a recommendation in the Pastor's Report for the year 1941.
The "Forty and Out Club" was organized in 1941 for young couples of the church and soon became a lively organization which met on a bi-monthly basis at the beginning. Its aim was set forth as the enrichment of the spiritual, social and cultural interests of the community. It succeeded the Couples Club organized by Mr. Grant.
In 1945 a new Men's Club was organized in response to a need that had been felt by some of the men in the church. The first meeting was held in May of that year, with a delicious meal served by the members of the Eunoia Club. By-laws were drawn up and adopted at the opening meeting.
In 1946 the members of the Eunoia Club celebrated the 25th birthday of their organization, dating back to the first year in the ministry of Mr. Silcox.
In the early years of his pastorate Mr. Hatch began the custom of having Joint Meetings of both the First Church and the Ecclesi- astical Society. This proved to be an effective way to bridge the gap between the two organizations which had existed side by side for three hundred years. Quite a few were members of both organizations but this was not always true.
At a joint meeting of the First Church and the Ecclesiastical Society on November 13th, 1945 the decision was made to appoint a Planning Committee composed of five members to bring in a written report at a future meeting and stressing the following points: A. A statement of purpose; B. An analysis of the present church organizational framework; C. A forecast of possible future needs; D. Recommendations of definite steps and their cost, both for the present time and for future years.
The Second World War had a definite impact upon the finances of many churches due to disturbed conditions and many uncertain- ties. Certainly they were a cause of concern to many members of the First Church. In general it may be said that the First Church came through the war years in good shape financially. The church mem- bers met their pledges faithfully in spite of difficulties or distractions.
Especially in the years following the Second World War church finances continued on a rather tight basis. At a meeting of the Church Council on September 9th, 1947 it was reported that the
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church funds were so low that it was not possible to pay a bill of three hundred dollars. It was suggested that there might have to be a special appeal before the end of the year.
During these years the Bridgeport City Trust Company was ap- pointed as the Financial Agent of the Ecclesiastical Society, recom- mending investments and re-investments and otherwise managing the investments of the Society.
Preceding the pastorate of Mr. Hatch the church had been using the double envelope system, missionary donations being given in separate envelopes. In 1945 Mr. Hatch suggested that the church adopt the single budget system, making the benevolence items a regular part of the annual church budget. This suggestion met with general approval and was adopted.
The principal funds of the Society at that time included the General Fund, Parish House Fund, Sherman Land Fund, Ella Sturges Christmas Fund, Loretta B. Perry Fund, Sunday School Fund, Susan Betts Fund, Elizabeth A. Lyon Fund, Burial Plots Fund, Contingency Fund, Sherman Parsonage Fund and the Jane A. Keppen Fund.
The single budget system was supplemented by an arrangement, namely, of having unpledged or special offerings on the third Sun- day of each month, given for specific causes. In 1945, for example, the third Sunday offerings went to the following causes: Federal Council, American Missionary Association, World Council of Churches, Deacons' Fund, Youth Conference Expenses, World Foundation for Leprosy, Connecticut Council of Churches, Ameri- can Bible Society, American Board, Council for Social Action, Ministerial Relief and the American Seaman's Friend Society. The First Church has been giving to the Seaman's Friend Society for a great many years.
It was on January 4th, 1939 that a new Pulpit Bible was pre- sented to the church in loving memory of Helen Wardwell Glover by her children, William, Samuel, Katherine and Deborah. A resolution of appreciation was adopted at the annual meeting of the church in that year.
At the annual meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society on January 20th, 1943, the bequest from the Susan Elizabeth Betts Estate was announced. It was given in memory of her father, Benjamin W. Betts, and was to be used for charitable purposes in the Town of
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Fairfield. The gift was gratefully accepted on the conditions as presented.
It was during the early years of the Hatch pastorate that the Merger Movement between the Congregational Christian Churches on the one hand, and the Evangelical and Reform church on the other hand, first came to the attention of the churches. The original suggestion came from St. Louis where the clergymen of the two denominations found that they had a lot in common.
The early stages of the Merger issue were discussed on the national level by the National Council of Congregational Churches. Later the matter was passed on to the state conferences and the local associations. It was finally passed down to the individual churches with the request that they study the document, "The Basis of Union" and make suggestions as to its merits or need for amendments.
The merger issue finally reached the point where the local churches were asked to express their approval or their disapproval of the merger, by a given date. At the Joint Meeting of the First Church and the Ecclesiastical Society on January 21st, 1948, the matter of the merger was brought up for final action.
After a full discussion it was referred to the Board of Deacons as to the best method of registering the church vote. The decision was made to vote on the issue before April first, 1948.
A Joint Meeting of the Church and the Ecclesiastical Society was held on March 21st, 1948 at the close of the morning service. At that time the members voted on the two following resolutions:
1. Resolved that the First Church of Christ and the First Eccle- siastical Society of Fairfield register their decision upon the proposal to unite the Evangelical and Reform Church and the Congregational Christian Churches into the United Church of Christ, in accordance with the Basis of Union.
2. Resolved that in the event of the consummation of the union, the First Church of Christ and the First Ecclesiastical Society of Fair- field hereby undertake to continue the same relations with the United Church of Christ that they now hold with the fellowship of the Congregational Christian churches.
There were one hundred and seventy-three ballots cast and the results were as follows:
Resolution One. Approval 116 Disapproval 57.
Resolution Two. Approval 139. Disapproval 25.
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From time to time the church members faced special emergencies such as the hurricane of 1938. At such times the members did what they could to meet the emergencies, such as a special offering for hurricane relief.
At other times the church members were alerted to various issues involving Christian social action. For example at a Church Council Meeting on February 11th, 1947 the Church Council went on record as being strongly opposed to any form of legalized race track gam- bling in the State of Connecticut. A copy of the resolution was sent to the state senator and the two state representatives of the Fairfield area.
The early years of the Hatch pastorate were a period of rapid growth both for the town and for the church. At the Joint Annual Meeting of the Church and the Society on January 15th, 1947 Mr. Hatch reported that five hundred and forty-one new members had united with the church during his eight years as minister. Such an increase involved the church in the urgent problem of assimi- lating the new members and integrating them into the various church activities. This problem, however, was shared by numerous other churches in southern Connecticut, situated in rapidly growing communities.
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The Sherman Parsonage
The Present Parsonage
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Chapter Eleven THE PARSONAGE.
There is little in the church records to indicate that there was dissatisfaction with the Sherman Parsonage by the various ministers until the close of Dr. Child's pastorate. It was an historic building, situated in a community that took pride in its past. It had been deeded to the Society for the exclusive use of the pastors of the church. The gift was accepted in good faith. In a sense, the whole town took a certain pride in the Sherman Parsonage as one of the historic landmarks of Fairfield.
With the coming of Mr. Silcox, however, the parsonage, with its extensive grounds, assumed another aspect. It became a frequent burden to the minister's family. The building was comparatively old and in continual need of repairs. The grounds were extensive and needed constant care. All this involved expense and it was embarrassing for the successive ministers to have to approach the Society's Committee too frequently for financial help in maintaining the parsonage property.
It is true that as long as she lived Miss Annie Jennings had a personal interest in the Sherman Parsonage and was a great help in its proper maintenance. But there is little doubt that Messers Silcox, Grant and Hatch all experienced the pressure of the problem and it was a considerable expense for the annual church budget. There are frequent references in the records of the Society and of the church of money being spent on the Sherman Parsonage.
For example at the Annual Meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society. on January 19th, 1938 it was decided to spend $5000 on the parson- age, including a new heating system, painting the house and pro- viding insulation. The high cost of maintaining the parsonage occasionally reached the pages of the public press. Two such articles appeared in the local newspapers in 1948 telling about the house with its seventeen rooms, two bath rooms and two large halls. In his book about the parsonage Dr. Child had called it "the house with sixty closets."
As has been mentioned, during her life time Miss Annie Jennings usually responded generously when work was needed to be done on the parsonage. She did it in 1923 when the Grant family arrived and again in 1939 when the Hatch family came to occupy the
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parsonage. But after her death the entire expense of maintenance became a joint problem for the Ecclesiastical Society and the pastor.
So the question of what to do became an issue for the Society and the church members. What was the best step to take? The question was frequently discussed at various committee meetings. It might be said that the problem arose at an early date in connection with plans for a parish house. At a special meeting of the Ecclesiastical Society held on May 15th, 1924, Mr. Charles Jennings read a letter from Mr. S. C. Morehouse containing the following comments:
"The question whether the Society could rent the parsonage and give the money to the minister who would live elsewhere must be answered in the negative. Could the Society remodel the parsonage and make additions, changing it into a parish house? This question must also be ansewered in the negative.
The First Ecclesiastical Society took this property in trust under the will of Mrs. Sherman. Any use of the parsonage by others than the minister is clearly forbidden. Conditions have changed since Judge Sherman's day. A court may, upon application and notice to all in interest, order the property in trust to be applied to other uses as near as possible to carry out the interest of the testator. When these wills were made the Judge Sherman house was said to be the finest in Western Connecticut.
I would suggest the following; ascertain the names and addresses of all persons who were heirs at law of Mrs. Sherman. See if they will not sign a proper paper, authorizing the Society to do what it pleases in regard to the parsonage. If they will not do this, the Society can bring an application to the Superior Court stating that the house is large and not suited as a residence for a minister with a moderate income."
Thus the "Sherman Will" was inevitably brought into the general discussion and the problem of what should be done. The several questions of the parsonage use, the legal possibility of selling it, and the necessity of building a new parish house in the near future were all tied together. It was the decision of the church and the Society at that time not to attempt to transform the parsonage into a parish house. This cleared the way for the building of a new parish house close to the church which was successfully achieved.
But maintaining the Sherman Parsonage continued to be a financial burden to both the minister's family and to the church
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budget. For example, at the Annual Meeting in January, 1948 the committee reported that the parsonage was a serious problem for the minister's family in keeping up so large a house. They suggested the possibility of selling it and locating the minister's family else- where.
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