History

Founded in 1766 as a Presbyterian communion by the Scotch-Irish settlers of the newly formed town of Boothbay, the church’s first pastor was a young, dynamic, Scottish-born evangelist, John Murray, who served the parish until 1779. Several years of Murray’s powerful preaching and “harvests” of converted souls made the Boothbay Church the center of Presbyterianism in New England. The British in 1777 fixed a price on Murray’s head forcing him to flee Boothbay for a pulpit in safer Newburyport, Massachusetts. Adrift for two decades after Murray’s departure, and almost alone as Presbyterians in New England, the Boothbay parishioners covenanted as Congregationalists in 1798. By 1845, a sizeable number of the communicants who increasingly resided in the harbor rather than the Town of Boothbay, withdrew from the old center meeting house to build a new church atop the hill overlooking Boothbay Harbor. On August 2, 1848 these people, many of them descendants of the original covenanters, founded the present Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor, called then the Second Congregational or South Parish Church. They rebuilt the church with its present spire in 1881. However, in the 20th century the historic white sanctuary with it soaring spire sat hazardously close to busy Townsend Avenue. In 1990 the congregation, now a part of the United Church of Christ, elected to move the church back from the road 35 ft., add a new hall and activities rooms and give the church setting an attractive grassy, tree-lined frontage. The gleaming neo-gothic meeting house with its landmark steeple, still sits there today welcoming all to Boothbay Harbor Maine.

UCC Statement of Faith

We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father, and to his deeds we testify:

He calls the worlds into being, creates man in his own image and sets before him the ways of life and death.

He seeks in holy love to save all people from

aimlessness and sin.

He judges men and nations by his righteous will declared through prophets and apostles.

In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord,he has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the

world to himself.

He bestows upon us his Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.

He calls us into his church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be his servants in the service of men, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ's baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory.

He promises to all who trust him forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, his presence in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in his kingdom which has no end.

Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto him.

Amen.

Membership

We would love to welcome you as a member of our family of faith. There are two categories of membership,  Regular Membership and Associate Membership,

individuals who are members of another church,

most often in another area of the country.

Members are received either by:

Affirmation of Faith 

First time joining the church, "it’s been a while," or you are coming from a church that does not transfer membership beyond its own denominational boundaries.

Letter of Transfer

Transfer membership from your current church to this church.