Winslow Congregational Church - United Church of Christ - History

Winslow Congregational Church
United Church of Christ
History of Our Church and Community

written by Clyde Russell and Ina Stinneford
edited by Tammy Gould

[Editor's Note: In 1978, church member Clyde Russell wrote a history on the first 150 years of our congregation, from its formation in 1828 through our then pastor, Rev. Stephen Ericson. After the first installment, a second history, compiled by former church historian Ian Stinneford in 1965 was presented to me. As we look forward to celebrating our 175th anniversary this August, we revisit Clyde's and Ina's work, now, presented as four chapters.]

Chapter 1: In The Beginning (1794 - 1828)
Chapter 2: Restlessness and Growth (1828 - 1880)
Chapter 3: Building a Solid Foundation (1880 - 1950)
Chapter 4: Flood and Fellowship (1950 - present)

Chapter 2: Restlessness and Growth (1828 - 1880)

Mr. William May of Winthrop was voted in as the first minister of the newly formed Winslow Congregational Church in August 1828. Mr. May was only a moderate success. The church didn't discharge him, but it made clear to him that at least some of his congregation thought that he had missed his calling. After four years, Mr. May resigned and moved on to Strong where he was later installed.

The town had not forgotten Mr. Adams, the pastor from the Massachusetts Missionary Society who had helped found the "Female Benevolent Society of Winslow and Clinton for the Support of the Gospel." There was correspondence between him and the church and a subscription paper was circulated. Thirty-six members of the church and parish pledged enough money for Mr. Adams so that he could preach part time in Winslow and part time in Waterville (now a city of its own). Mr. Adams refused the offer and for two and a half years, the church was without a minister. Finally, in May 1835, Henry C. Jewett accepted a call to serve three-fourths of the time for $300. He also served as clerk at church business meetings.

In April 1836, there was a meeting of Clinton (then Benton) members and others at the home of Asa Burnham and it was decided that Clinton members would withdraw from the church and form their own branch. The relationship between the Winslow and Benton churches continued for more than a century.

There were many strong opinions in the early days of the Winslow Congregational Church and this often led to strife among its members. Mr. Jewett resigned in 1842. About this time, there was considerable discussion about working on the Sabbath. Some conservative members felt strongly that the day of rest must be observed. The debate started when Thomas Rice, one of the founding members, observed Robert Drummond rafting logs from the Kennebec River on a Sunday. Mr. Drummond said someone has to do it to save the logs and he needed the money. After about three years, Mr. Drummond was finally exonerated and was left in good standing.

After Mr. Jewett left, John Perham stepped in and the church issued him a formal call. He declined it, but continued to preach and was popular and influential. In 1843, he proposed a set of resolutions on temperance and slavery which were unanimously adopted. These measures were extreme: they pledged the church to withdraw its fellowship from, not only slaveholders, but anyone who advocated the slavery system. (After Mr. Perham left and during the Mexican-American War in the 1850's, the resolutions were rescinded.)

While Mr. Perham was minister, twenty-three members joined the church in one day, July 16, 1843. Seven of the new members were men, of whom, two would become deacons -- Williams Bassett and Charles Keith. The church records report that Mr. Perham helped "consecrate Williams Bassett as deacon by laying on of hands, prayer and religious practices."

In June 1844, Thomas Rice gave the church a new communion set, consisting of "two tankards, six cups, two plates, and one vase or bason." The church gave the old set to Mr. Rice and Mr. Paine "so they could bestow it to some destitute church." (There is an indication in records that the original set was returned to the church by Everett Drummond and may now be in the upper narthex of the church.)

In 1845, Timothy Paine, at the time a twenty-year old Colby College student and a member for two years, requested to be dismissed because his views on some of the articles of faith had changed. The church patiently tried to "compose" the difficulty -- after all, Frederic and Abiel, his parents, had been prime movers in founding both the branch church and the Winslow church. Finally, Timothy, his sister, Caroline, Mrs. Eunice Stratton, and Mrs. Caroline Evans were not dismissed; they were all excommunicated on August 8, 1846. They all joined the Swedenbogians or "New" church. We know very little about the "New" church other than that it seemed to be much more liberal than the Winslow Congregational Church at the time. It was a time when the church was without a minister as Mr. Perham had left in the summer of 1844. Timothy became a minister in the "New" church in Massachusetts and received an honorary LL.D. from Colby College in 1875.

In March 1847, a call was made to Albert Cole to preach for "$300 including amount which may be contributed by the Female Society of Winslow." That year, delegates were sent to the Kennebec County Conference and to the Ecumenical Council. A special committee was also authorized to inquire into the spiritual condition of members.

Mr. Cole didn't stay long. He requested to be dismissed in 1850 to care for aged parents. It was during this time that another great quarrel appears in church records. We don't know what was the true cause of the quarrel between Thomas and Jonathan Garland and the rest of the church, but there was a disagreement and a stream of accusations against the church collectively and as indviduals that are only alluded to in the records kept by Williams Bassett, now deacon and clerk. When Mr. Cole left, the only objection to resolutions of regret were by Thomas and Jonathan. Finally, February 23, 1852, the church demanded that Thomas retract "all his allegations" and stated that until he did, the church was withdrawing fellowship from him as a member. Six weeks later, they dealt the same way with Jonathan. The records indicate they would not repent and it isn't until 1862 that a note is found in records: "Thomas Garland heard from again."

David Shepley, a graduate of Bowdoin and Andover Theological Seminary, came to Winslow in 1852 from a twenty year pastorate in Yarmouth and stayed for almost eleven years. After he had been here three years, he bought a house for $850. When he went back to Yarmouth, he sold it for $1,000 to a syndicate of church members and parishioners who wanted it for the new minister, John Dinsmore. Mr. Dinsmore may have bought out the syndicate, for when he left, he and his wife sold it to another syndicate who gave it to the church. It continued to be the parsonage until, at a quarterly meeting on September 29, 1965, it was voted to sell it.

The pastorates of Mr. Shepley and Mr. Dinsmore provided a calming influence on the congregation and records note few quarrels, arguments and disagreements from the time of their service. The records report that on August 26, 1878, there was a semi-centennial celebration held jointly with the Waterville Congregational Church.

Chapter 1: In The Beginning (1794 - 1828)
Chapter 2: Restlessness and Growth (1828 - 1880)
Chapter 3: Building a Solid Foundation (1880 - 1950)
Chapter 4: Flood and Fellowship (1950 - present)

Winslow Congregational Church United Church of Christ History of Our Church and Community

Winslow Congregational Church
United Church of Christ
History of Our Church and Community