At 1981 Ocean Street in Marshfield, First Congregational Church of Marshfield is a historic Pilgrim Congregational congregation known for 9:30 a.m. Sunday worship, a Sunday school at the same hour, and ministries extending from prayer and thrift sales to local and worldwide mission. Its motto describes the church as “Growing in Faith by... worshiping God, loving all, joyfully serving others.” The Ocean Street address also brings together Christian education, pastoral care, a library, and the Church Fare Thrift and Gift Shoppe.
Sunday Worship at 9:30
Every Sunday at 9:30 a.m., the congregation gathers for worship at 1981 Ocean Street. The service is offered in person and through Facebook Live, while weekly sermons are shared on YouTube. The church and pastoral offices are available by appointment.
Sunday School, called Kids’ Church, also begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall during the school year. It is children’s church, where children learn at their level that God is their God too. Parents, grandparents, and friends are welcome at Sunday School each Sunday. During summer, Kidz Club continues the Sunday morning pattern with crafts, Bible lessons, outdoor activities, and a cold snack.
Youth Fellowship also meets on Sundays from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the church. The group serves students in grades 5 through 12 and uses its time for games, activities, community service projects, relationships, and welcoming new participants.
Pilgrim Roots from Plymouth to Marshfield
The roots of the congregation reach back to the religious Separatists who eventually traveled on the Mayflower. The church distinguishes three related groups: Puritans sought to purify the Church of England, Congregationalists wanted churches to govern themselves and choose their own pastors and officers, and Separatists sought a complete break. Puritans and Congregationalists still claimed membership in the Church of England, even as their views challenged royal authority. After trials under King James, a Separatist congregation formed in Scrooby and, led by John Robinson, moved to Holland and eventually Leiden. After 12 years in Holland, the group obtained financing from the Merchant Adventurers, sailed on the Mayflower, and landed at Plymouth.
In 1630, families received land beyond Plymouth’s borders. Their homes were considered outposts, and families were still expected to attend church in Plymouth for safety, fellowship, and the sharing of resources. As households settled farther away, they began asking to establish congregations in their own towns. By 1632, Marshfield’s congregation was described as the second church issuing from Plymouth. Edward Winslow moved to Marshfield in 1632 and is believed to have acted as a minister as needed. By 1634, he had returned to England and confessed to serving as a minister and marrying couples. The church takes these details as evidence that Marshfield had begun its own congregation before receiving formal permission.
First Congregational Church of Marshfield identifies itself as the oldest continuous Congregational Trinitarian church in the country. Other Massachusetts churches that predate it are described as Puritan rather than Pilgrim, a distinction the church considers central to its Pilgrim identity.
- 1838: The present building, described as the church’s fifth, was completed.
- 1848: The Ladies Benevolent Society began and continues today.
- 1849: The Parish Hall was built and expanded to its present size during the 1950s.
- 1875: The missions program began, supporting outreach locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
A Covenant of Word, Gospel and Service
The church covenant calls the congregation to seek and respond to the word and will of God, walk together in the ways of the Lord, and witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Worship and service are joined in a pursuit of truth, justice, and peace. The covenant depends on the Holy Spirit to lead and strengthen the church, prays for the coming of the kingdom of God, and looks with faith toward righteousness and eternal life.
Its affirmation of faith places the lordship of Jesus Christ at the center, witnessed through the lives of people serving in the church and community. The church confesses God as Father Almighty and maker of heaven and earth, and Jesus Christ as God’s only-begotten Son and Lord. The historic creed recounts Christ’s conception by the Holy Spirit, birth of the Virgin Mary, suffering, crucifixion, death and burial, descent into Hades, resurrection on the third day, ascension into heaven, and future judgment. It also affirms the Holy Spirit, the universal Christian Church, the communion of saints, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
The Bible is described as nothing less than the word of the living God and as an authoritative document in which the church places reasoned belief. Scripture is to be studied prayerfully, with attention to who wrote each passage, when and why it was written, and which genre it belongs to. A wide range of beliefs about the Bible is acknowledged, and agreement with a particular interpretation is not required. Despite that freedom, the church states that the Bible is revered, Jesus Christ is Lord, and the Christian life is pursued through Scripture, the faith inherited from earlier generations, and prayer by the Holy Spirit.
Learning Across the Generations
Sunday School is children’s church at a level suited to children. During the school year, it meets in the Parish Hall at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays. Georgia Chrisman, Pam Drouin, Emma Verlicco, and Josselyn Sullivan are identified as teachers. During summer, the same experienced teachers lead Kidz Club, which combines crafts and lessons with outdoor activity and a snack. Children, along with parents, grandparents, and friends, are welcome to participate.
Confirmation classes are offered as needed for students in grades 9 through 12. Participants assist in worship, attend two classes each month, and study important Christian teachings and topics along with The Case for Christ. An optional overnight retreat and at least one fun outing are part of the program.
Youth Fellowship emphasizes three aims: community service and random acts of kindness, stronger relationships within and beyond the church, and a welcoming spirit. The group seeks to spread the love of God by strengthening its connections with other people and inviting new students and friends into a welcoming community.
Adult education provides regular Bible studies, book discussions, and sessions focused on Christian life. The church seeks a thoughtful, welcoming environment in which people can connect, grow, and learn to serve the world in Christ’s name. Its Congregational tradition places value on an informed laity, while its educational approach recognizes the dignity of difference and focuses on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Mission in Four Directions
The missions program is organized into international, national, regional, and local areas of outreach. The church describes mission as the greatest commission of the Christian Church and connects it to the life and teachings of Jesus. In addition to these four broad directions, the congregation responds to special needs in the community and around the world. Christian love and service are central parts of its faith life, expressed through members who serve locally in Marshfield, throughout the South Shore, in Boston, and beyond.
A Fund for Marshfield and the South Shore
The Good Neighbor Fund assists people in need regardless of religious affiliation. Its work has included helping Marshfield and surrounding South Shore residents with expenses such as rent, utilities, and heating.
The fund offers grocery cards and cards from other local merchants. Each gift card purchased at face value produces a rebate for the fund from the retailer. Available cards are sold on Sunday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall, with additional types of cards also available through the fund.
Prayer and Wholeness
Prayer Pals gather in the church library on Monday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The group begins with a brief devotion or discussion and then brings shared prayer concerns before God. Its weekly rhythm includes prayer for the church, community, nation, and world.
Pastoral care at the church can include a hospital, church office, home, or nursing-home visit, as well as conversation, prayer, and compassionate listening. The minister can also help people connect with an appropriate professional therapist when specialized counsel is needed. The church understands the priesthood of all believers: people of faith are each capable of offering caring presence to another, with love described as the most important ingredient in health and wholeness.
This approach regards every person as sacred and whole, seeking attention to body, mind, and Spirit. Its aim is to help people relate to God, others, and themselves in ways that make change possible and improve the quality of life.
Church Fare and the Parish Library
Church Fare Thrift and Gift Shoppe is downstairs in the Parish Hall at the Ocean Street church. It opens Tuesdays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The shop carries items for a wide range of interests and maintains a Facebook presence for specials and community events.
Off the foyer of the parish house, the church library serves adults and children with helpful and inspirational reading. Visitors can spend time there and borrow books of interest. Its collection includes What It Means to Be a Congregationalist, a guide to Congregational identity, and Arthur Rouner Jr.’s The Congregational Way of Life, which traces the Congregational movement from England to America and considers what it means to live and worship as a Congregational Christian.
Ministerial and Ministry Leadership
The Rev. Richard Bartlett serves as interim minister. He received ministerial training through the Free Methodist Church of North America and was ordained in 1972. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Languages from Seattle Pacific University and a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School. His ministry has included serving as a pastor, interim pastor, minister to the elderly, and supply pastor, along with volunteer ministry to residents of several area nursing homes.
Andrew Chandler serves as choir director, Georgia Chrisman as Christian Education director, and Josselyn Sullivan as nursery supervisor. These roles support the church’s worship, education, music, and work with children. First Congregational Church of Marshfield brings these ministries together under its shared motto: “Growing in Faith by... worshiping God, loving all, joyfully serving others.”