On the east side of the Connecticut River, in the town of Glastonbury, First Church of Christ, Congregational stands at 2183 Main Street, on the same stretch of road where it has worshipped for more than three centuries. The congregation is one of the oldest continuous religious communities in Connecticut and an Open, Welcoming and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. Its members describe themselves as "a hopeful people called to dream and build God's community," and its programs reflect both deep roots in New England Congregational life and a forward-leaning commitment to social justice, mission, and music.
A Congregation That Has Rebuilt Five Times
First Church traces its origin to 1692, when the newly separated town of Glastonbury appointed Timothy Stevens as pastor of the "First Society," the local name for what was then the established, tax-supported church. At that point, church and state were inseparable in Glastonbury, a separation that would not come until 1818. In 1693, townspeople built the first Meetinghouse on the Glastonbury Green, a structure used for both worship and town meetings.
That first building was enlarged in 1706 and stood until the night of December 9, 1734, when fire destroyed it. A second Meetinghouse was erected in 1735, a quarter mile south of the Green, and served for a century. In 1836, the First Society divided into north and south societies, and the second Meetinghouse was abandoned and demolished. A third Meetinghouse was built a bit further north in 1837, with a bell tower and clock. It was enlarged in 1858 and burned to the ground on the morning of Sunday, December 23, 1866.
Undaunted, the congregation built a fourth church with a graceful spire in 1877. In 1938, the Great Hurricane brought the spire crashing down into the Sanctuary. The Meetinghouse that now stands was built the following year, in 1939, on the same site. In the 1960s and 1970s, the church was expanded to include an education wing and a widening of the Sanctuary.
First Church acknowledges that it stands on land originally populated by the Wangunks, a tribe of the Algonquin Nation. The town of Glastonbury itself takes its name from the Wongunk sub-tribes the Nayaugs and the Naubucs, names still familiar around town. In the 1670s, settlers purchased a large tract of land from the Wongunks, who had taught them to plant corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and sweet potatoes in Great Meadow and to fish for shad along the river.
The Micah House and Chapel
A more recent addition to the campus is the Micah House and Chapel, created through a careful transformation of the historic Thomas Hale Homestead. Volunteers spent countless hours in 2017 meticulously removing trim, parlor paneling, and doors from the original home, labeling every piece before storing it in a trailer on the property. Those same pieces were returned to the Micah House and reconstructed by skilled craftsmen to recreate the first-floor parlors and foyer.
The original fieldstone and brick foundation of the Hale House was no longer structurally sound and had to be dismantled. Volunteers sorted and cleaned thousands of old bricks, which were reused as a brick veneer on the new foundation. The 25 tons of fieldstone foundation material now forms the stone retaining wall and the two sitting walls in the patio. The Micah House and Chapel is used for worship services, meetings, youth fellowship, Advent Messy Church, and Micah Moment presentations, and has been featured on the Glastonbury Historical Society's Home for the Holidays House Tour.
Two Sunday Services, One in Summer
First Church worships at 8:00 am in the Micah Chapel and 10:00 am in the Meetinghouse from September through the beginning of May. The two services share an order but feel different: the Micah Chapel offers a quieter, more contemplative space filled with chairs and hymnals, while the Meetinghouse is the main sanctuary, with pews, projection screens, and an extensive music program led by choirs of all ages.
From the second Sunday in May through mid-June, a "Season of Celebration" brings the congregation to a single 10:00 am service that honors different aspects of ministry, including children, youth, music, and justice. From mid-June through early September, the summer schedule moves to a single 9:30 am service. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month. At the 8:00 am service, worshippers receive Communion by intinction, dipping bread into the cup. At the 10:00 am service, Deacons serve the bread and cup, with gluten-free bread available. Baptism is performed during regular worship services as part of the church's covenantal life.
Both services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and recorded services can be viewed any time afterward. Archived audio is also available through a podcast feed.
Fellowship after the 10:00 am service is a long-standing tradition: Schultz Hall hosts coffee, juice, and sometimes snacks, with a Welcome Table staffed for visitors. In summer, fellowship moves to lemonade on the lawn after the 9:30 am service.
Six Choirs and a Schoenstein Organ
Music is central to life at First Church. The Director of Music Ministries, Dr. Angela Salcedo, has overseen worship music and adult and youth choirs since 2000 and serves as the church's organist. She is also Organ Lecturer at the University of Connecticut and a first-prize winner of the Strader Organ Competition. Her international studies have included concert tours in Germany, Italy, and France.
The Meetinghouse houses a Schoenstein and Co., Opus 148 organ, and the music program includes six choirs. The Cherub Choir, for kindergarten and first graders, meets Sunday mornings at 11:00 am under the direction of Peggy Hartman. The Caroler Choir, second and third graders, rehearses Wednesday afternoons at 4:45 pm. The Cantate Choir, fourth through sixth graders, rehearses Thursday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:00 pm with the older Cantabile Choir, and follows the Royal School of Church Music chorister training program, which introduces Orff instruments and ribbons marking vocal and rhythmic achievements.
The Chancel Choir is the adult choir, singing weekly at the 10:00 am service and at special services throughout the year. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. The choir's repertoire ranges from 16th-century anthems to African-American spirituals and has included major works like Brahms's Requiem, Rutter's Requiem and Gloria, and the Connecticut premiere of Kodaly's Laudes Organi. The Jubilate Ringers, the adult bell choir, rehearse Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 pm using four octaves of Schulmerich Bells and four octaves of hand chimes. The Mallet Ringers, the youth bell choir for grades 5 through 12, rehearse Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 6:00 pm and participate in the Annual Handbell Festival at St. Joseph Church in Willimantic.
Music at the Meetinghouse, a long-running community concert series held in the church, brings outside artists into the sanctuary for a minimal offering. Recent seasons have included jazz ensembles and Broadway-themed evenings, and concerts are also streamed online. Each August, the church hosts an overnight Choir Camp for grades 4 through high school, held off-site with singing, bell ringing, outdoor adventures, crafts, and games. The Board of Music also administers annual Music Scholarships of up to $1,500 for student musicians from the First Church family or the Glastonbury, East Hartford, or Manchester community, awarded to applicants in grades 7 through 12 and college undergraduates who study classical or contemporary music.
An Open, Welcoming and Affirming Congregation
First Church adopted its Open, Welcoming and Affirming statement in 1994 and revised and reaffirmed it in 2014. The statement declares that "any person who joins us in membership shall be part of our Church family and shall be invited to share fully in our Church life and ministries." It commits the congregation to breaking down barriers of prejudice and to welcoming all persons regardless of race, age, marital standing, gender identity or expression, economic status, mental or physical challenges, nationality, or sexual orientation. Pastors perform marriages for all couples. The church is a member of the Open and Affirming program of the United Church of Christ.
In 2013, First Church was named a Green Congregation by the UCC Connecticut Conference Environmental Ministry Team, after making improvements that included replacing almost all incandescent bulbs with low-energy bulbs, minimizing the use of Styrofoam, shifting to organic lawn care, installing programmable thermostats, changing to high-efficiency gas furnaces and low-flow water heaters, and installing motion-sensor lights in most hallways and high-use rooms.
What First Church Believes
First Church identifies itself as a community of people from many walks of life, "doing our best to faithfully follow the teachings of Jesus Christ." Members emphasize that they do this best as members of an intentional community rooted in compassion, generosity, and justice, connected to each other in fellowship and to the world in mission. The congregation worships and shares Communion together, gives time, talent, and treasure, and especially emphasizes caring for the world's most vulnerable people.
As part of the United Church of Christ, the congregation lives out five historic affirmations: "In essentials unity, in nonessentials diversity, in all things charity"; "That they may all be one"; "Responsible freedom"; "The priesthood of all believers"; and "There is yet more light and truth to break forth from God's Holy Word." The UCC has no required creeds or confessions. Historic statements such as the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Kansas City Statement of Faith are valued as testimonies of faith rather than tests of faith.
The UCC was formed in 1957 from the union of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches, bringing together five traditions: Christian, Reformed, Congregational, Evangelical, and Afro-Christian. First Church itself became a part of the Congregational Christian Conference of Connecticut in 1867 and joined the Connecticut Conference of the UCC in 1957.
Children Are the Now of the Church
First Church is clear that children are not just the future of the congregation. "People often say that children are our future, but at First Church, our children are the NOW of the church." The Children's Ministries are led by Director Kelsey Beach, who joined the staff in 2023 after an early career as a preschool teacher.
Year-round childcare is available in the Crib and Toddler Rooms for children from birth through age two, led by long-serving nursery care provider Cheryl Foley and a team of volunteers. The regular Church School program runs from September through June during the 10:00 am service and uses a Rotation Model Curriculum that focuses on a different Bible story for each four- to five-week segment, rotating through art, cooking, science, movie, games, and stories stations. Preschoolers gather for "Play-N-Worship" in Room 105. Middle schoolers (grades 6-8) meet in the Agape class, which also runs a puppet ministry that performs during worship services.
Each year, the Church School undertakes a mission project, alternating between local and international focus, and aims to raise $10,000. The 2025-2026 project supports Journey Home, a Hand Up Furniture Program that provides household goods and furniture to people transitioning from homelessness to housing. Fundraisers include Pajama Sundays, chocolate pops, and Advent calendar sales.
Vacation Bible School takes place for a week in August, with 40 to 50 children learning about their faith through crafts, games, and science experiments. Throughout the year, family events include Family Bingo Night, the Easter Pancake Breakfast and Egg Hunt, Lenten Messy Church, the Christmas Eve Pageant, Advent Messy Church, a family potluck, the Homecoming Picnic, and a summer picnic.
Middle and High School Fellowship
Middle schoolers in grades 6-8 gather as Junior High Fellowship (JHF) on the second and fourth Mondays of each month in the Youth Room from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Sessions include games, a snack, a discussion or learning activity, and a closing prayer, with adult chaperones called Advisors. Highlights of the year include a fall retreat at Silver Lake Conference Center, a winter weekend volunteering Mission Trip to New Haven, and the Pancake Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt that JHF hosts for the wider community. JHF is led by Interim Director Olivia LaFargue, whose previous roles include the Board of Children's Ministries, the Board of Youth Ministries, the Micah Children's Initiative, JHF and SHF advisorship, Church School teaching, Vacation Bible School, and mission trips.
Senior High Fellowship (SHF) gathers for grades 9-12 on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the Youth Room, with similar programming. Discussions touch on topics teens care about: friendship, school, parents, relationships, injustice, mental health, and substance abuse. The annual calendar includes a fall retreat at Silver Lake, a week-long volunteer Mission Trip during April vacation, and an end-of-year retreat on Cape Cod. SHF is led by Interim Director Sean Donovan.
Confirmation is offered each year to high school students, usually in 9th or 10th grade, but open to all. Over the course of a school year, Confirmands meet twice a month to discuss topics like God, Jesus, the Bible, ethics, church membership, and Christian service, and they worship, attend Senior High Fellowship, and complete service projects. Participants choose whether to join the church as adult members on Confirmation Sunday each May. Classes meet Sundays from 4:30 to 5:45 pm.
The Rev. David T. Taylor Playground
In 2023, through a partnership with the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving's Norma and Natale Sestero Fund, First Church dedicated an accessible and inclusive playground named the Rev. David T. Taylor Playground, honoring the Pastor Emeritus who served the congregation from 2002 to 2022. The playground is open to the public daily, from sunrise to sunset, and parking is available in the church lot.
The playground's design focuses on creating safe and fun play for people of all ages and abilities. Two regular programs gather there: Munchkins on the Playground, a monthly meetup for children and caregivers on the second Sunday at 11:15 am, and Faith + Friends, a biweekly playgroup meeting on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10:30 am. A Little Free Library, built for an Eagle Scout project by one of the church's youth, sits on the church lawn and is maintained by the Board of Children's Ministries.
Service and Justice Across Connecticut and Beyond
The congregation's commitment to service is visible in the breadth of its partnerships, organized by Director of Mission, Justice and Membership Nicole Struth and Coordinator of Partnerships, Outreach and Fellowship Merryl Rees.
Food and household supplies. Carol's Closet, in partnership with St. James Episcopal Church and other local faith communities, is an ongoing collection in the back lobby providing paper goods and personal care items to Glastonbury residents whose SNAP benefits do not cover these items. The Connecticut Foodshare Mobile Food Pantry distributes fresh produce in the church parking lot every other Wednesday morning, with volunteers helping at both the mobile truck and the Wallingford warehouse. The church also collects food for the Horace Bushnell Children's Food Pantry, Manchester Area Conference of Churches (MACC), the Glastonbury Food Pantry, and the Glastonbury Links Together weekend backpack program. Each Thanksgiving, the church collects turkeys and money for Connecticut Foodshare. In December, the Giving Tree fills gift requests for children served by Covenant to Care, MACC, and Glastonbury Social Services.
Children and education. The Micah Children's Initiative partners First Church with the Robert J. O'Brien STEM Academy in East Hartford. Volunteers and material support, including a school uniform and winter apparel clothing closet, classroom materials, books, water bottles, teacher appreciation events, and school courtyard cleanups, serve the O'Brien students. A similar long-running partnership with Fred D. Wish Museum School kindergarten classes includes special event support, hat and mitten collections, and summer learning bags. Covenant to Care for Children is supported through seasonal diaper drives and the Giving Tree.
Refugees and hunger. First Church's Refugee Assistance ministry has welcomed refugees from Vietnam, Bosnia, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and the Congo for more than half a century. The Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance (GHIAA), a multifaith organizing body of fifty congregations, advocates for state-level social justice reforms, and First Church's Core Team participates in research, campaigns, and advocacy. Hands on Hartford is a decades-long partnership that has produced mid-day and evening meals at 55 Bartholomew Avenue, with church members providing casseroles, salads, rolls, fruit, and dessert and serving on-site.
Mental health and social justice. The Mental Health Ministry develops initiatives to foster a welcoming and supportive environment and to provide education about mental health topics. The Social Justice Team (formerly the Racial Justice Team) broadens engagement in matters of race, gender identity, and social, economic, educational, and political inequalities through facilitated conversations, book and film studies, speakers, and partnerships with other groups.
The Super Giant Tag Sale. Once a small church rummage sale, the Super Giant Tag Sale has grown into a community event with drop-offs in late September and a sale the first weekend in October. Proceeds go to nonprofits that further the church's mission of making the world a more just and compassionate place. Accepted donations range from small appliances and clothing to furniture, toys, books, sports equipment, and holiday décor.
Mission trips. Since 2005, First Church has sent an intergenerational group of adults and college-age youth to Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi, a UCC social service agency serving the poorest citizens of the Gulf Coast since 1922. Work has included housing repairs, new construction, food pantry and soup kitchen service, and work at the Micah Day Center, which serves homeless clients. The trip typically takes place in mid-January and is limited to 30 work campers. The Youth Mission Trip takes Senior High Fellowship students each year to destinations like Washington, D.C., the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast, and Los Angeles for a week of service. SERRV fair-trade products are sold during Advent at Common Fellowship. Mission Immersion Days happen several times per year, with families going into the community to work with agencies or making cookies and cards for church members.
Adult Groups and Small Group Life
Small groups are described as "a vital part of our ministry." Most are drop-in, with no expectation of perfect attendance.
Fellowship. First Church Outside is a nature group for hiking, photography, gardening, and birding. The Biography Book Club meets at 4:00 pm on selected dates to discuss memoirs and biographies. Potpourri gathers on the first and third Tuesdays at 7:30 am in the church kitchen for coffee, conversation, and a hot breakfast; no reservations are required. Prayer and Share meets Tuesdays from 9:45 to 11:00 am for prayer requests, conversation, and listening for how God is working in members' lives. The Thursday Morning Study Group meets during the program year at 9:30 am to discuss a variety of topics and books. The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers once a month, day or evening, to knit or crochet shawls for others; newcomers are taught. The Women's Spiritual Reflection Group meets periodically for shared spiritual reading.
Justice. The Racial Justice Team, the Social Justice Team, the Mental Health Ministry, and the GHIAA Core Team all welcome participants regardless of previous experience.
Music. The Chancel Choir and Jubilate Ringers rehearse weekly and welcome new members. Children's singing and bell choirs run from kindergarten through high school.
Accessibility at First Church
Accessibility is a stated priority. The church facility offers accessible and limited-mobility parking spaces and a ramp leading into the Meetinghouse. Inside the building, spaces are reserved among the pews for wheelchair users, accessible main bathrooms are available, and an elevator accesses every level. Storage space is available for walkers and canes. Large-print bulletins and hymnals, hearing assistance devices, and a Bluetooth audio system that connects with hearing aids via a mobile app are available at Sunday services. Noise-cancelling headphones are available for those who find large worship spaces overwhelming, and a television in the church parlor streams the service for those who prefer a quieter space. Programs for children and youth include many neurodivergent participants, and staff and volunteers work individually with families to make programs welcoming and inclusive.
Pastoral and Program Leadership
The Senior Pastor is the Rev. Kate VanDerzee-Glidden, who began at First Church as Director of Christian Education in 2003 and has served as a pastor since 2009. She is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ with standing in the Hartford East Association of the Southern New England Conference. She earned her Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School and currently serves on the Steering Committee for the Southern New England Conference Committee on Ministry.
The Pastor Emeritus is the Rev. David T. Taylor, who served the congregation from 2002 to 2022 and at whose heart was the question, "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?"
The Rev. Allison Glass serves as Minister of Pastoral Care and Visitation, and the Rev. Betsey Polglase, who joined First Church in 2019 in a similar role and focuses on the senior members of the congregation, remains active in the life of the church, including singing in the Chancel Choir. Gwen Lawson serves as a Congregational Care Visitor one day per week.
Program staff include Dr. Angela Salcedo as Director of Music Ministries; Kelsey Beach as Director of Children's Ministries; Olivia LaFargue as Interim Junior High Fellowship Leader; Sean Donovan as Interim Senior High Fellowship Leader; Nicole Struth as Director of Mission, Justice, and Membership; Merryl Rees as Coordinator of Partnerships, Outreach, and Fellowship; and Peggy Hartman as Director of the Handbell Program and Cherub Choir.
Visiting First Church
First Church sits on the east side of Main Street, just south of the Glastonbury Town Hall. Parking is available at the rear of the church and next to Town Hall, with accessible spaces close to the entrances. Visitors are welcome at any service. Worshippers are invited to come as they are, in whatever feels comfortable, whether a "Sunday best" or a t-shirt and jeans. Ushers provide bulletins and any required hearing devices. After the 10:00 am service, coffee hour in Schultz Hall is an easy way to meet members and learn more about the church's many programs. Worship is livestreamed on YouTube, and giving is available online as well.