Elm Street Congregational
Church to Celebrate 200th Anniversary
(Sunday, September 16 at 10AM)
On
September 16, 1801 the Congregational members of the Poll Parish convened
a meeting at the Freeman Tavern which was located where the Southbridge
Fire Station now stands.In attendance
at this meeting were pastors and delegates from the Congregational churches
of Woodstock, Dudley, and Sturbridge.This
council voted to create a new church, which would be called the Second
Congregational Church of Charlton, as the Poll Parish, was still a part
of Charlton.The original membership
of the church consisted of 21 people, eight men and thirteen women.
Many
things have changed since this small group of people founded Elm Street
Congregational Church two hundred years ago.What
was called the Poll Parish is now Southbridge, the Second Congregational
Church of Charlton has become Elm Street Congregational Church, and our
membership has grown from that original 21 to 273 today.Through
all of these changes, there has always been one constant, and that is the
faith that is shared by all of the members of Elm Street Congregational
Church.
On
Saturday, September 15th at 7pm, Elm Street Congregational Church
will celebrate its 200th Anniversary with a Bicentennial Celebration
program.The guest speaker that evening
will be Reverend Dr. Nancy S. Taylor, newly elected United Church of Christ
Massachusetts Conference Minister and President.The
program will also feature reminiscences from church members, performances
by our choir and bell choir, greetings and proclamations from state and
federal officials, the creation of a time capsule, and a look back at our
200 years as a congregation in Southbridge.A
reception will be held immediately following the program.
On
Sunday, September 16th at 10am we will be having our 200th Anniversary
Worship Service.That date will mark
the exact 200th Anniversary of our Congregation, and Reverend Patrick McLoud
will lead us in worship that morning by revisiting our past, celebrating
the present, and looking ahead to our next "200 Years of Loving and Growing
in Faith".
Both
of these events are open to the general public and we encourage all members
of the greater Southbridge community to join us in our celebration.If
you plan on attending the Bicentennial Celebration program on September
15th, we ask that you please contact the church office by phone
at 508-764-8058, or by e-mail at elmstch@gis.net.
Elm
Street Congregational Church is located on the corner of Elm and Park Streets
in Southbridge, Massachusetts, directly next to the Town Hall.
Reverend Dr. Nancy S. Taylor