A Meetinghouse Anchoring Old Wethersfield
First Church of Christ in Wethersfield first gathered in 1635, more than 150 years before the Constitution was signed, and it remains one of the oldest Protestant congregations in continuous existence in the United States. Its founders were the "ten adventurers" who stepped off boats on the banks of Wethersfield a year earlier, most of them from Watertown, Massachusetts - which is what they originally called their new settlement. Together with Hartford and Windsor, Wethersfield became one of three Puritan settlements in what was then Great Britain's Connecticut Colony, and the only place in America where Englishmen built a civilization from the ground up. Representatives from those three towns met to draft the Fundamental Orders, a written constitution often called the first of its kind.
From those frontier beginnings, First Church has kept gathering in Old Wethersfield. The present sanctuary, known as the Meetinghouse, is a Georgian-style brick building from 1761, with a wooden balustrade, a soaring spire, and a weathervane that has watched over the neighborhood for two and a half centuries. Behind the Meetinghouse sits the Cadwell Building, the modern main entrance from the parking lot, and nearby the parish operates a Christian preschool, music rooms, and the Keith Jones Hall used for the contemporary service. Senior Pastor Todd Willard leads a staff that keeps all of it running for a congregation that today draws members from across Greater Hartford and, with the help of highways, even southern Massachusetts.
Saving the 1761 Steeple
That spire is more than architecture. George Washington worshipped at the Meetinghouse on May 20, 1781, with French general Comte de Rochambeau during the planning of the Siege of Yorktown. John Adams climbed the steeple in 1774 and wrote that it offered "the most grand and beautiful prospect in the world." After Victorian-era changes altered its silhouette in the 19th century, a careful restoration in the 1970s returned the steeple to its original 1761 appearance.
Now, after more than 260 years, the steeple is showing its age. Wooden areas need painting, rot has set into support posts and beams, and the bell can no longer be rung because the beams that carry it have deteriorated. The brickwork, made from clay fired right here in Wethersfield, needs careful repointing with a special mortar that can flex with the brick as it expands and contracts. The church has launched a GoFundMe campaign and a dedicated giving page to fund the work, with the goal of stabilizing the spire and preserving what the parish calls "a symbol of America's story." The tower stands at an impressive height of nearly 170 feet, with brickwork in the "Old English Bond" style with diamond patterning typical of 16th and 17th century construction.
Sunday Worship: Traditional, Contemporary, and Combined
First Church offers two services every Sunday and one combined service on the first Sunday of the month. The 9:00 AM Traditional Service fills the historic Meetinghouse with prayer, scripture, a sermon, hymns led by the First Church Choir, and an offering. Coffee is served afterward in the Wells Fellowship Area.
At 10:30 AM the Contemporary Service begins in Keith Jones Hall, a more relaxed gathering with prayer, songs led by the Contemporary Worship Band, and a sermon from Pastor Todd. Deacons stand ready to pray privately with anyone who would like it after the service.
On the first Sunday of each month, both congregations come together for a 10:00 AM Combined Service in the Meetinghouse. Music draws on both the choir and the worship band, communion is shared, and the full church family fills one room. Members of the prayer team are available after every service for personal prayer.
What Visitors Will Find on the Way In
The Cadwell Building is the main entrance from the parking lot at 250 Main Street. A receptionist is on hand to point visitors toward the Meetinghouse for the traditional service, Keith Jones Hall for the contemporary service, the Crib Room and Preschool for the youngest children, and KidsConnect for elementary-age kids. Maps of the church facility are available at the reception desk. Parking spots are marked for seniors, visitors, and those with disabilities, and the church suggests arriving ten minutes before the service for easier parking.
Worship is informal in dress. The music for the traditional service is led by the choir; the music for the contemporary service is led by the worship band. Worshippers are free to raise their hands, stand in quiet reflection, or worship as they would like. A welcome card is offered to anyone who would like one, and an online livestream of the service is available.
Children, Youth, and Young Adults
The parish organizes its work around six core ministries: Children, Youth, Life Groups, Women, Men, and Seniors. Anyone, member or not, can take part in any of them.
Children from Birth Through Fifth Grade
Children's Ministry is led by Director Megan Ettlinger and a team of background-checked volunteers who teach Sunday School every week. On the first Sunday of the month, children begin the service with their families in the Meetinghouse and then head to their classrooms. Age groups include an Infant-Toddler Room for ages birth to 36 months, which is open during both services; a Preschool and Kindergarten class at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM; and Elementary classes at both hours for grades 1 through 5. The prayer of the ministry is that every child will "build a strong faith, make lifelong friends, and step boldly into the future knowing they belong to Christ." Beyond Sundays, families gather for Pumpkin Fest each October on the church lawn, with a firepit, fall snacks, a self-serve photo area, and a pumpkin patch.
Middle School, High School, and Confirmation
Director Josh Arcata, who grew up at the church and returned to it after a year of ministry in New York City, oversees Youth Ministry for grades 6 through 12. On Sunday mornings during the 10:30 AM service, middle schoolers meet in room M105 for age-appropriate teaching (on first Sundays they worship with their families in the Meetinghouse). On Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, youth group gathers in the Youth Room for games, snacks, worship, and discussion. Confirmation is a nine-month journey for high schoolers that ends in the public affirmation of faith and baptism. An annual Bro Day brings the guys in grades 6 to 12 together for a fall event.
Young Adults in Their 20s and 30s
For singles and couples ages 18 to 30, Josh Arcata also oversees a Young Adults community built around discipleship. The group uses courses from Practicing the Way - "The Community Practice" one semester, "The Service Practice" the next - meeting Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM in the Youth Room. Outside the classroom, the young adults have gone go-karting in Wallingford, shared meals in members' living rooms, and built a community across the Greater Hartford area.
Women's and Men's Ministries
Women's Ministry is led by Director of Caring Ministries Diane Galloway. Its longest-running program is Mastering Motherhood, which meets every Thursday from 9:15 to 11:30 AM in Keith Jones Hall for 12 weeks each fall and 14 each spring. Mamas of all ages gather for a free meal, gift giveaways, speakers, table talk, and small book groups on parenting and faith; free childcare is provided. A Book and a Mug is the Wednesday morning women's Bible study, currently working through Michael Kruger's Hebrews For You. The Prayer Shawl Ministry, which meets on the first Tuesday of each month, has distributed more than 200 shawls to those facing health and grief hardships, plus baby blankets to celebrate new life. When Women Pray gathers Monday mornings in the Prayer Room for silent, meditative prayer.
Men's Ministry is built on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. The Men's Prayer Breakfast meets every Saturday morning at 7:30 in the Fireside Room. Tuesday mornings at 7:00 AM, men study together in person and on Zoom; Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM the same group meets online. Every fall the men launch kayaks at Wethersfield Cove, and they share regular workdays around the church campus.
Life Groups and Senior Studies
Life Groups are small gatherings of roughly twelve people who meet regularly for fellowship, Bible study, and prayer. They organize around neighborhoods, stages of life, and shared interests. Pastor Todd is always glad to hear from anyone interested in joining one or starting one. The Forever Young seniors' Bible study meets the second Tuesday of each month from 10:30 AM to noon in the Morgan House Drawing Room, and the Dementia Caregivers Support Group meets on the first Monday of each month from 10:30 to 11:30 AM in the Prayer Room.
Music at First Church
The music ministry at First Church includes the four-part First Church Choir, which rehearses Thursday evenings from September through mid-June and sings at the traditional service, plus monthly combined services with the contemporary ensemble. The choir presents a Festival of Lessons and Carols each December and a Palm Sunday concert with orchestra, both free with a donation at intermission. Past concerts have featured Dave Brubeck's La Fiesta de la Posada and soloists like Phil Keaggy, Robin Mark, and Michael Card.
The Campanella Handbell Choir rings a set of Malmark handbells on Sunday mornings from September through May, with minimal music-reading experience required. The Carol Choir gives children in grades 3 through 6 a chance to sing, play Orff percussion instruments and choir chimes, and prepare a children's musical theatre production. The First Church Brass Ensemble provides preludes and postludes on trumpets, French horns, trombones, and tuba, and is featured on Easter morning. Contemporary Worship Leader Nathan Scalise leads the praise band that anchors the 10:30 AM service.
Prayer, Care, and Outreach Close to Home
The Prayer Ministry at First Church is intentionally woven into the rhythm of the week. In addition to When Women Pray on Monday mornings, the Men's Prayer Breakfast on Saturdays, and a prayer team available after every service, the church offers Freedom Prayer, a scripture-based model in which three trained prayer ministers meet privately with anyone who wants help working through past wounds, false beliefs about God, or entanglements with sin. All sessions are confidential and scheduled in advance.
Caring Ministries, led by Diane Galloway, runs a GriefShare group that meets every Monday from 1:00 to 2:45 PM in the Morgan House. The 14-week program uses a DVD curriculum and small-group discussion to walk participants through grief, with a $25 workbook as the only cost. The Dementia Caregivers Support Group meets on the first Monday of each month in the Prayer Room. Faith At Work Day, held each September, sends crews from the congregation out into Wethersfield for yardwork, painting, small home repairs, and transportation help for neighbors who need a hand.
Missions from Wethersfield to the World
First Church supports eight missionary families through its Missions and Outreach Committee. The Brown family serves with Crossworld among the Yanomami people of the North Amazon. The Helm family provides strategic support to workers in North Africa and the Middle East, with a particular focus on outreach to North African immigrants in Malaga, Spain. The Ryan family partners with Cru on the Jesus Film Project, distributing the gospel in the native languages of every people group on earth. Other partners include Sam Hollings, Anneli, the Kimballs, the Burgers, and the Oehrigs. The church also supports MedSend and the ABC Women's Center. Members of the Men's Ministry Committee, currently Paul Marks, Scott Singerman, Junior Urena, Ron Vliet, and Todd Willard, coordinate the local and global work.
First Church Preschool
On the same campus at 250 Main Street, First Church Preschool welcomes children ages 3 through 5. Preschool Director Lisa Roncaioli leads a teaching staff certified in CPR, First Aid, and medication administration, all of whom take annual courses to stay current in early childhood education. The school follows the Creative Curriculum, a research-driven, play-based program, and each month the children attend chapel to hear Bible stories. The school follows the Wethersfield Public Schools calendar and offers 3-day, 4-day, and 5-day options for 3-year-olds, 4-day and 5-day options for 4-year-olds, plus a blended-age All Day Learning program in the afternoons. Kiddie Caregiver classes meet on Tuesdays for children 3 and under, with one caregiver per child. Lunch Bunch is offered Monday through Thursday from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM.
What the Church Believes and Who Leads It
Theologically, First Church is part of the Congregational tradition. It joined the United Church of Christ in 1961 and withdrew in 2004, and today is an independent congregational church. Members affirm belief in one triune God, the Bible as the revealed and inspired Word of God, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the celebration of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and the call to share the good news of Christ both locally and globally.
Todd Willard grew up as an active member of First Church, spent several years in the Boston area and Southern California where he attended Fuller Seminary, and returned to join the staff in 2007. He and his wife Tegan, a pediatric nurse at Connecticut Children's, are parents to Liam, Silas, and Ezra. Around him work Josh Arcata (Youth), Megan Ettlinger (Children), Diane Galloway (Caring and Women's Ministries), Nathan Scalise (Contemporary Worship), Rob Lundy (Technology and Production Services), and Lisa Roncaioli (Preschool).
The church's motto is simple: "Love God. Love One Another. Make Disciples."