A Place to Call Home on Post Road
Set on Post Road in the Dunn's Corners section of Westerly, Rhode Island, Dunn's Corners Community Church, Presbyterian (DCCCP) is the sort of congregation that introduces itself with a simple promise: "Come join this vibrant, loving and spirit-filled church family. All are welcome!" Behind that welcome sits more than eight decades of parish history, an active music and handbell program, a preschool and after-school care operating on its grounds, a long-running partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and a monthly dinner served to those staying at the WARM homeless shelter in downtown Westerly.
The congregation is a member church of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and its self-description leans on classic Reformed language: a Christ-centered community of faith, open minds, warm hearts, and hopeful spirits, committed to honoring every person as a beloved child of God. It has also earned recognition from the Presbyterian Hunger Program as an Earth Care Congregation, reflecting an intentional commitment to creation care in worship, education, facilities and outreach.
Sunday Morning at 8 and 10
Two Sunday morning services anchor the life of the church. The 8 a.m. service and the 10 a.m. service are both led by Pastor Virginia "Gin" Courtney and follow the traditional Reformed worship style. The order of worship is described as "reverent and celebratory; warm and expansive; joyful and meditative; familiar and fresh." Services typically last about an hour and include prayer, Scripture reading, a sermon, congregational song, and (on the first Sunday of every month) the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Gluten-free communion wafers are always available so that all who partake may focus fully on Christ.
The 10 a.m. service is the larger of the two and is livestreamed on YouTube; a recording remains available for viewing later in the week. Sermon transcripts for recent weeks are posted and archived, allowing members and visitors to revisit preaching on series drawn from the Sermon on the Mount, the Psalms, the Gospel of John, and the resurrection narratives. Sunday School for preschool through grade 6 is offered during the 10 a.m. service from September through June, following the local public school calendar. Children begin in the sanctuary for the children's message, then move with Music and Worship Arts Director Andy Wallace for a song before heading to their classrooms. On Communion Sundays, children return to the sanctuary to partake with their parents.
Fellowship is woven into the rhythm of the morning. Coffee and conversation are available at 9 a.m. between the two services, and again at 11 a.m. after the second service. Worship is followed by a fellowship hour in Fellowship Hall, with a welcome area staffed by greeters who are ready to answer questions about classes, groups, and ways to serve.
From the Community House to the Present Sanctuary
The church's history is told in the buildings on its campus. It began in 1944 as a Sunday School program held in the Dunn's Corners Community House, at the intersection of Post Road and Langworthy Road. Worship services were added there in 1949, and by 1950 the Dunn's Corners Community Chapel had been formally organized. A year later the congregation incorporated under its non-denominational name with 50 members, and in 1951 it hired a shared pastor to serve alongside Babcock Memorial Chapel in nearby Ashaway.
In 1954 the church committed to building on Post Road and adopted the name Dunn's Corners Community Church. The new site was dedicated in 1955, and in 1956 the congregation affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in the USA and became what is now Dunn's Corners Community Church, Presbyterian. Around 1958, the Chapel-in-the-Pines was built as a natural amphitheater behind the sanctuary for outdoor services, and the central sanctuary was dedicated in late 1960.
The campus continued to grow. The Fellowship Hall addition was dedicated in 1979; the Memorial Garden was created in 1985 with permission from the Westerly Town Council to inter ashes there, and Easter Sunrise services have been held in that garden ever since. Two buildings were moved to the grounds to expand the church's footprint: the original Community House was donated by the Dunn's Corners Fire Department in 1989 and is now attached to the Fellowship Hall, housing the Early Learning Center. In 1996 the church took another building donated by the original Bess Eaton Corporation, moved it next door, and renovated it into the Meeting House, used today for Sunday School and youth activities. A building committee oversaw major renovations in 2003 to 2005, including a 2004 expansion of the sanctuary and a 2007 renovation of the Undercroft, where Kid Kare and the church offices are located.
Music as a Centerpiece
Music is central to worship at Dunn's Corners. The Chancel Choir serves as the primary musical ensemble, providing weekly leadership at the 10 a.m. service and presenting anthem offerings that range widely across the sacred repertoire. Rehearsals are held on Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., September through June, under the direction of Andy Wallace.
Glory Ringers, the adult handbell choir, is equally active in the worship life of the church. The ensemble plays lively musical offerings at least once each month, working from a five-octave set of Malmark handbells and Choir Chimes. The ability to read music helps new ringers join at HMA Level 3 to 4 arrangements; beginners are welcome to receive ringing lessons and basic music education and then move into Level 1 to 2 arrangements when ready. Glory Ringers rehearse on Thursdays from 5:45 to 7:00 p.m.
Wallace has grown up in the Presbyterian music tradition and has been active with the Handbell Musicians of America as a soloist, ensemble member, and instructor. The church also draws on the gifts of organist and pianist Cheryl Banker and music assistant Kathy Koziol. Aperiodic Instrument Petting Zoo events invite people of all ages to explore the church's musical offerings after worship, and members of the bell choir have participated in regional events such as OKTOBELLFEST Bells and Brews at the Westerly Armory, directed by David Harris of the Raleigh Ringers.
The Chapel in the Pines
Behind the sanctuary, a natural amphitheater called the Chapel in the Pines has been a setting for worship since the late 1950s. Each summer, the 8 a.m. service moves outdoors beginning in late June, with worshippers gathering on comfortable wooden benches under the pines for the rest of July and August. Pastor Courtney leads worship in the setting, and services are weather dependent: in rain or extreme heat, the service returns to the air-conditioned sanctuary.
The Chapel in the Pines also hosts the church's Easter Sunrise services each year, anchored by the Memorial Garden where members and family ashes have been interred since 1985 with the permission of the Westerly Town Council.
Mission in Southern Rhode Island and Beyond
The Mission Committee coordinates outreach in Southern Rhode Island, Southeastern Connecticut, and beyond, engaging the congregation in service and supporting partnerships with other non-profits in the community.
One long-running partnership is with South County Habitat for Humanity of Rhode Island. The church has been part of monthly Habitat work teams for 35 years, sponsored the first Habitat home in the Westerly area, and sends volunteers to job sites on the first Saturday of each month. The team meets at the church to load tools and carpool; no particular skill level is required, and work can be found for everyone.
The Deacons lead the congregation's partnership with the WARM homeless shelter, serving a Swiss Chicken Dinner at the shelter at 56 Spruce Street in Westerly on the first Saturday of every month from approximately 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Volunteers help with heating, setup, and serving; cleanup is handled by the shelter. For those dropping off meals, the Deacons collect them between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the church.
The Mission Committee also responds to homelessness locally in quieter ways. Gas gift cards are purchased for unhoused neighbors who are running their cars for warmth in winter or cooling in summer; laundry cards are distributed so that people without housing can wash their clothes; personal hygiene products are gathered for unhoused students (in 2025 there were 58 homeless students in Westerly, kindergarten through high school); and tarps and sleeping bags are distributed to those camping in the woods.
The church supports several local food pantries, including the Westerly Jonnycake Center, the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, and RICan (Rhode Islanders Assisting Those in Need). The Sew Good Souls quilting ministry meets on the first of the month for six months a year, producing quilts, dresses, and backpacks that support Dress a Girl Around the World (a program of Hope 4 Women International) and Quilts without Borders. Each summer, the public is invited to a quilt show to view the work before it is shipped or given away. Recent donations have been directed to refugees resettled through Dorcas Refugee Resettlement in Providence, as well as to new Habitat homeowners.
Mission work has also taken the congregation further afield. In 2025, a team of 20 traveled to the Asheville, North Carolina, area for storm recovery work after the 2024 floods. Past trips have included Hurricane recovery in New Bern, North Carolina, Houston after Hurricane Harvey, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and Maine to repair a summer camp for low-income kids.
Children, Teens, and the Next Generation
Children are welcomed at both Sunday services, with most families choosing the 10 a.m. service when Church School is offered. The Sunday School year runs from September through June for children in preschool through grade 6, with a children's message in the sanctuary followed by song, Bible story, and craft. A dedicated area of the sanctuary allows babies and toddlers to remain with their families during worship.
Summertime brings a week of Vacation Bible Camp, with songs, games, and Bible stories. Christmas brings the Living Nativity, a reading of Luke and the story of the birth of Jesus with the children taking roles. For more than 35 years, the church has also sponsored a free community Easter egg hunt, usually on the Saturday before Palm Sunday, with cookie and egg decorating, and the story of Jesus' walk to the cross and resurrection.
Teens in grades 7 through 12 gather on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for Teen Time, a youth group focused on acceptance, inspiration, and fun. The teens take trips, participate in the annual Montreat Youth Conference in North Carolina, and serve the wider congregation by leading worship several times a year and by collecting food for local pantries each winter on Souperbowl Sunday. Confirmation is offered as a season of study with the Pastor, with each confirmand developing their own statement of faith.
Early Learning Center and Kid Kare
The Early Learning Center, housed in the original Community House attached to the rear of the Fellowship Hall, offers preschool programming for children ages 3 to 5. Kid Kare, located in the renovated Undercroft beneath the sanctuary, offers day care for children in grades 1 through 5. Both programs are directed by Christine Fish and are a daily extension of the church's ministry to families in the community. The Early Learning Center is recognized for the Winnie-the-Pooh puppet show performed by Presbyterian Women for the preschool children.
Baptism, Communion, Weddings, and Funerals
Baptism is one of two sacraments observed at DCCCP, the other being the Lord's Supper. The church practices both adult and infant baptism, recognizing that people come to faith at different stages of life. Baptisms are presided over by the Pastor as teaching elder, with ruling elders presenting the candidate and the congregation promising to share in the baptized person's Christian formation.
The church hosts weddings and considers marriage a sacred ritual, though not a sacrament. Weddings are open to non-members, and the congregation typically allows interfaith and same-sex weddings. The sanctuary seats 200 comfortably and has a center aisle; rice and confetti are not allowed, and the grounds are smoke- and alcohol-free.
Funeral and memorial services are coordinated through Pastor Courtney. Presbyterian services are generally closed casket, with any viewing held beforehand at the funeral home. Members may use the church at no fee, while non-members are asked to pay a modest fee outlined in the funeral application. The Deacons can organize a reception in the fellowship hall for members, and arrangements for the Pastor and organist are handled separately. The Memorial Garden is available for the interment of ashes, and the church observes Easter Sunrise services there each year.
Presbyterian Women and the Tuesday Crew
Presbyterian Women is the local chapter of the national Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) women's organization, meeting on the third Monday of each month. The group supports a soup sale for the Pastor's Discretionary Fund, an annual summer book sale, Bible studies, book clubs, dinners out at local restaurants, tours of local landmarks, a Winnie-the-Pooh puppet show at the preschool, gift bags for graduating high school seniors, and supplies for the church's Christmas Bazaar.
The Tuesday Crew, a men's and women's work group that includes members of the congregation of all skill levels, gathers every Tuesday at 10 a.m. for laughter and fellowship while tackling projects around the campus. The crew sets up tables and chairs for events, handles building repairs and maintenance, tends the landscaping, rotates banners and signs, paints, sets up the handbells for worship, spreads mulch in the playground, cleans pine needles from the Chapel in the Pines, and builds and paints storage shelves in the preschool. Several times a year an extra Saturday workday is added to keep the grounds in good shape.
Earth Care and Governance
DCCCP is recognized by the Presbyterian Hunger Program as an Earth Care Congregation, a certification that reflects an ongoing commitment to faithful environmental stewardship in worship, education, facilities, and community outreach. Sustainable practices are encouraged across the life of the church.
Each local Presbyterian congregation is led by a body of elected elders called the Session, who together with the Pastor provide spiritual leadership and oversight. Elders serve three-year terms, with a maximum of six years, and lead the main committees of the church. The Trustees, created in 2005, oversee church finances. Deacons, elected and ordained for service, witness to the love of Christ through compassion and care: they coordinate Sunday morning fellowship, transportation help, luncheons for members over 70, communion preparation, funeral receptions, shut-in visitations, the Angel Tree at Christmas, the Mitten Tree winter collection, Sunday flower delivery to shut-ins, the monthly WARM shelter dinners, emergency meals, and cards and visits for the sick.
Becoming Part of DCCCP
All who have been baptized and profess faith in Christ are eligible for membership. From time to time, Pastor Gin offers a short membership class that explores the meaning and purpose of membership in the Presbyterian Church. Visitors are invited to stop by the welcome area in Fellowship Hall after worship, fill out a connection card, ask about small groups and service opportunities, and join a new members class when one is offered. The PC(USA) Book of Order frames membership as "proclaiming the good news in word and deed, taking part in the common life and worship of a congregation, lifting one another up in prayer, mutual concern, and active support."
GriefShare, a 13-week support program for those grieving the death of a loved one, has been hosted at the church since the fall of 2022 and has served nearly 100 participants with no charge. Groups begin periodically; those interested are invited to call the church office.
The annual Kirkin o' the Tartans is observed on Reformation Sunday, with services at both 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. The Blessing of the Animals each fall invites members of the community to bring their pets for a brief outdoor service. Other recurring touchpoints include Rally Day at the start of the program year, the annual Christmas Bazaar, and intergenerational activities ranging from movie nights and book clubs to hikes, kayak trips, and the Mothers' Day Pancake Breakfast.
From its roots as a Sunday School in the old Dunn's Corners Community House to its present identity as a PC(USA) congregation with a preschool, a day care, a handbell choir, and a 35-year partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Dunn's Corners Community Church, Presbyterian continues to describe itself with a single phrase: "a place to call home."