A Church Older Than the Town
Middlebury Congregational Church stands on the north side of Middlebury Green in a 1936 meetinghouse that has watched the town grow up around it. The congregation's roots actually predate the town itself. In 1790 the Connecticut General Assembly granted a charter for an ecclesiastical society in what was then known as the West Farms district of Waterbury, Woodbury, and Southbury, and the society was organized in January of 1791. The first meetinghouse was finished in 1794, and the church was formally organized on February 10, 1796, when twelve members, two of them women (which was unusual at the time), constituted the new body. Middlebury was not chartered as a town until 1807. Properly speaking, there was a Congregational Church on the Green before there was a town around it.
That first meetinghouse gave way to a larger one in 1839, and on April 8, 1935, both the church and the adjacent Town Hall were destroyed by fire. As a stunned community looked on, the great bell, which had hung in the tower for more than a century, crashed through the burning rafters and shattered on the stone steps. Members sifted through the ashes the next day, gathered the pieces, and had the bell recast. It still sounds from the bell tower of the present meetinghouse, which was completed in 1936 in the same design as its predecessor. The building was expanded in 1952 to add educational and office space, and another major renovation years later added six offices, three accessible restrooms, a formal parlor, a youth room, a conference room, and an elevator that makes every level of the building reachable.
Today the church calls itself a spirited and lively congregation that attracts people of all ages, and it shows that identity in three signature commitments: mission, music, and religious education.
Sunday Mornings at 10
Worship gathers every Sunday at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary at 1242 Whittemore Road. Visitors enter from the Green-side doors of the building. The main entrances face the street, and parking is available behind the church, in the Town Hall lot, or along the street. An accessible entrance to the church office, opposite the playground, leads to an elevator that rises to the sanctuary. Anyone who needs it can ring the bell and be shown upstairs.
The order of worship is consistent from week to week, with communion served on the first Sunday of each month. Ushers and greeters meet visitors at the main entrance and in the narthex, hand out a bulletin that lays out the service, and include the Congregational Crier, the church's weekly newsletter, with announcements and notes for guests. Most of the service takes place seated. The congregation stands for hymns, the Doxology, the Gloria Patri, the Prayer of Dedication, the Benediction and its response, and at other points the pastor or a deacon may prompt. Responsive readings are printed in the bulletin.
Communion is open to anyone who wishes to grow in faith in Jesus Christ, including children. The deacons bring the bread and the cup to worshippers in the pews; in the sanctuary the elements are grape juice, and a gluten-free bread alternative is offered. When the service is watched from home, members are invited to prepare their own bread and juice and to share them when the pastor directs. After the benediction, the congregation remains seated for the postlude and then gathers for refreshments in the social hall or on the lawn.
Visitors often ask what to wear. The short answer the church gives is, wear whatever you would wear to work or school. Some members still put on their Sunday best suits and dresses; others come in T-shirts and shorts in warm weather. Both are equally welcome.
Every Sunday service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, where an archive of services, sermons, and musical highlights is kept. The services also feed a podcast distributed on major platforms.
Music for Everyone
Music sits at the heart of life at Middlebury Congregational Church. The co-ministers of music, Donna and David Obarowski, lead the program. Donna is a voice concentrator by training, teaches the Adult Choir, and frequently sings as a soloist; David is an attorney by profession and a classical organist by training who also plays three other keyboards in the sanctuary. They joined the staff in the fall of 2017 after years of music leadership in nearby Woodbury congregations.
The church's musical range is wide by design. The choir sings Bach as readily as gospel, contemporary praise music, folk songs from around the world, and music from every era of the church's history. The congregation sings hymns, Taize-style meditative chants, and contemporary responses. Members from middle school age to retirement have led music from piano, guitar, djembe, flute, saxophone, electric bass, and violin; the church welcomes anyone who wants to offer their instrument or voice.
The Adult Choir rehearses at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings before the service and welcomes singers from high school upward. Regular attendance is not required; newcomers are welcome even for a single Sunday. The choir's stated purpose is to lead the congregation in worship, not to perform, and Donna Obarowski's teaching is described as much about expressing the emotional truth of a piece as about technical polish. The Cherub Choir gathers children from kindergarten through third grade under the leadership of Janine Sullivan-Wiley and Norma Solderberg, who focus on making singing expressive and fun. A handbell choir rounds out the program when it is able to gather.
Music is treated as a gift for everyone. The church's philosophy, articulated by the music staff, is that every person can sing, that singing together builds community, and that the act of making music is itself a form of prayer. Visitors who consider themselves shy singers are gently encouraged to join in anyway.
Children, Youth, and a Century of Scouting
Children are a visible part of the congregation on Sunday morning. Sunday School is offered during worship for children in kindergarten through sixth grade during the school year. Kids begin the service in the sanctuary with their families and then leave about fifteen minutes in for their own classes, using the Cokesbury Deep Blue curriculum that walks through Bible stories through games, art, science experiments, and service activities. Children return to the full service on communion Sundays (the first Sunday of each month), on holidays, and on other special occasions. The annual Christmas pageant takes place during an Advent service in December, with a Saturday rehearsal, and brings together the adult choir, the cherub choir, and congregation members of all ages. An Easter Egg Hunt after worship on Palm Sunday has become another annual highlight.
For older youth, a new MCC Youth Group welcomes students in grades six through twelve. Its stated goals are to provide a safe and fun environment for socializing, to give young people a way to serve the church, and to grow in faith through community missions and fellowship, with food always part of the program. Sara Hubbard is the contact for the youth group.
Confirmation classes are offered for students who will be in eighth or ninth grade by spring, with preparation beginning the previous spring. Confirmands affirm their baptismal vows and may join the church at the end of the program. The Rev. Katrina Manzi oversees the work.
Vacation Bible School fills a week each summer. The 2026 program, Snowball Mountain Challenge, runs June 29 through July 3 from 9 a.m. to noon and welcomes children from kindergarten through sixth grade. Each day rotates campers through music, recreation, art, Bible stories, and science, with opening and closing assemblies, daily crafts, and the puppet character Ollie the Arctic Seal. Youth Counselor Volunteers age twelve and up are recruited separately. The director is Brittany Romaniello.
Scouting is woven into the church's identity in a way few other congregations can claim. Middlebury Congregational Church has been the charter organization for Boy Scout Troop 5 for more than fifty years, and Troop 5 has produced more than one hundred Eagle Scouts. In recent years the church has also chartered Troop 6, a sister troop for girls, which has its first Eagle candidate close to completing the requirements. Both troops meet together on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. at the church, and the building also hosts Girl Scout troops of all ages.
The Charles P. Luckey Jr. / Mission Board Scholarship continues the legacy of the Reverend Charles Luckey by helping members and students connected to the congregation further their studies.
Christian Fellowship Around Tables and Stages
The congregation describes itself as a community that does God's work in fellowship as much as in worship, and the church calendar reflects that. Soup Sundays warm up winter. Soup and Scripture Bible Study runs during Lent. Mardi Gras brings Jumpin' Jambalaya. June hosts the Strawberry Festival, with shortcake served to go or enjoyed on the lawn. September brings the Homecoming family cookout. The Christmas cookie sale raises spirits in December, and special guests occasionally drop by for breakfast in busy seasons.
Evening fellowship has ranged from a recent trip to Oxford Axe Throwing followed by dinner at the Sitting Duck Tavern to the church's own theatrical productions. The MCC Players are a community theater troupe drawn from church members and Middlebury neighbors. The 2023 world premiere of Christopher S. Avcollie's original comedy "As You Were" - a dinner-theater piece in which the will of an eccentric billionaire forces seven heirs to overcome their flaws - was delayed by the pandemic and returned to the stage, with a sequel, "As Much As You Want," following in later seasons. Cast, crew, and audience come from across the wider community.
The MCC Book Group meets regularly to discuss novels and invites authors to gather on the Green. The Middlebury Green itself, a small park that is the site of the first meetinghouse, remains part of the church's public life: the 2020 Christmas Eve service was held there, the town's annual Christmas tree and menorah lighting ceremonies take place there with hot cocoa served by the church, and occasional outdoor worship services continue to use the space.
An Open and Affirming Welcome
Middlebury Congregational Church proclaims itself an Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ. The congregation formally adopted an Open and Affirming Covenant on February 23, 2025. In its own words, the church welcomes all persons of all sexual orientations, gender expressions, socioeconomic status, family configurations, ages, national origins, races, physical, cognitive, and medical ability, and religious background, and celebrates an inclusive welcome into ministry, worship, leadership, fellowship, sacraments, responsibilities, joys, and blessings. The covenant closes with the well-known UCC refrain: "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome at Middlebury Congregational Church."
That welcome is woven into how people actually join. Those who wish to make the church their faith home meet with the pastor and with one or more deacons to learn about Congregational history and polity, the United Church of Christ, and the life of this specific congregation. New members are received into the church on approval by the Diaconate, normally during a Sunday morning service. The church practices infant baptism and welcomes adults into membership by confirmation, affirmation of faith, or letter of transfer. Adults who have never been baptized are baptized during the service celebrating the Baptism of the Lord.
The governing document is the Constitution, accompanied by the Bylaws, both of which are publicly posted. A Church Council, with chairs from the Boards of Deacons, Faith Formation, Missions, Trustees, and Stewardship, plus the Church Clerk, two members-at-large, and the senior minister, leads the congregation between annual meetings. Boards of Deacons, Trustees, Faith Formation, Missions, and Stewardship carry out the work; the Personnel, Nominating, and Pastoral Relations committees support them. Members eighteen and over may vote in the legal transactions of the church, and younger members may vote in certain elections. Teens have even served as Deacons.
Beliefs in Their Own Words
The congregation's stated mission is to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ through worship that glorifies God and celebrates the gifts of all God's people, growth in individual Christian discipleship through work and study, service to the surrounding community and the wider world, and fellowship that strengthens the bonds of compassion and concern.
The Church Covenant, adopted in April 1994, sets out the mutual promises members make:
- To worship God together.
- To study and respond to God's Holy Word.
- To witness in all the world to God's reconciling love.
- To strive for love, justice, and peace.
- To walk together in the ways of the Lord.
The congregation relies on the Holy Spirit to lead and empower it, acknowledges God's covenant made known in Jesus Christ, and recognizes its continuing need for God's grace and its dependence on one another.
Members are described in the bylaws as ministers in the world. Every week the bulletin reminds the church family that they, not the staff, deserve top billing. It is the members, the officers they elect, and the volunteers who make the work happen.
Hands-On Mission in the Wider Community
The church's mission commitments are practical and sustained. Three long-standing partnerships anchor most of the work.
With the Middlebury Social Services department, the congregation provides holiday meal baskets to families in need at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, and members regularly contribute fresh fruit and vegetables to the Middlebury Food Bank through the same office.
With Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries (GWIM), the church stocks the food pantry throughout the year, donates gently used clothing for the homeless, runs a Mother's Day diaper drive, and on Veterans Day has prepared and served 200 sandwiches for GWIM's soup kitchen so that its regular workers could share the holiday. GWIM provides nearly 500,000 meals annually through its soup kitchen and food pantry, and MCC's "Multiplication Table" contributions of nonperishable food keep the partnership going week to week.
With Wellmore Behavioral Health, the congregation supports the Covenant to Care Adopt-a-Social-Worker program. Each fall the church collects back-to-school supplies - in 2022 the haul included 18 backpacks, 314 pencils, 130 pens, 48 glue sticks, and many other items - and each Christmas the Star Tree project supplies gifts for about 60 at-risk children through Wellmore.
Seasonal collections round out the year: Thanksgiving dinner drives, the Angel Tree for Waterbury children at Christmas, mitten trees and sock drives for the homeless, and ongoing food donations for both the Middlebury and Waterbury food banks. When disasters strike elsewhere, the church has also responded to UCC appeals for aid, including the recent Venezuela earthquake appeal.
The church building itself serves as a community resource. Four Alcoholics Anonymous groups meet weekly or on alternate weeks in the public meeting space, on Tuesdays at noon and 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.
The Litchfield South Association
Middlebury Congregational Church belongs to the United Church of Christ through the Southern New England Conference, which serves congregations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. At its annual meeting on January 31, 2021, the congregation voted unanimously to withdraw from the Naugatuck Valley Association and to seek admission to the Litchfield South Association, which includes UCC congregations from Southbury, Woodbury, Watertown, Bethlehem, Litchfield, Morris, New Milford, Washington, Plymouth, Roxbury, and Bridgewater. The transfer of the pastor's standing followed, and the church has since taken its place among the member churches of that western Connecticut association.
The People Who Lead
The Rev. Katrina Manzi has been the pastor since November 2017. A Connecticut native who grew up in Killingworth, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Rochester and a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. Before coming to Middlebury she served as summer pastor at the Congregational Church of North Stonington and completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Norwalk Hospital. She also runs the church's social media, video, and photography work, and most of the photos on the church's online presence are hers.
Donna and David Obarowski, Co-Ministers of Music, joined the staff in the fall of 2017. David is an attorney who has been playing classical organ since his early teens; Donna holds a music degree with a voice concentration and has taught Adult Education for many years. They live in nearby Woodbury and are the parents of four grown children.
Diane Barnard, the assistant treasurer and bookkeeper, has been a member of the church for 35 years and has served on virtually every board and committee in that time.
Foundations for the Third Century
In its 230th year, Middlebury Congregational Church is in the middle of a capital campaign called Foundations for Our Future: Building for the Third Century. The campaign supports capital improvements for the church building and parsonage - including paving the parking lot, a new roof, and repainting the steeple - so that the property can continue to serve both the congregation and the wider community. A campaign brochure, case statement, FAQ, and ways-to-give guide are available, along with a Book of Remembrance for memorial gifts, a Third Century Fund for major improvements and repairs, the Pastor's Discretionary Fund for emergency one-to-one help, the Flower Fund, and the Luckey Scholarship. Members and friends can give online, by text to (203) 590-8667, or by mail to the church office, and they may also schedule regular recurring gifts through the Breeze platform.
Visiting and Staying Connected
Anyone curious about the church is welcome to drop by on a Sunday at 10 a.m., to watch a service on YouTube, or to listen through the podcast on the major platforms. The church office is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays at (203) 758-2671. The Preschool on the Green uses the church's facilities and has its own information at preschoolonthegreen.org.
The congregation's stated summary of itself, in six lines, captures its tone: "At Middlebury Congregational Church, we celebrate joys, share burdens, show kindness, love one another, forgive often, rejoice in this life!" Those six commitments, along with the long history on the Green and the steady rhythm of Sunday worship, music, youth, and service, are what have carried the church from 1791 into its third century.