About Us

Our History

According to Webster’s Dictionary the definition of historian is as follows: “a person who studies or writes about history.” A synonym is “annalist” or “chronicler.” The latter probably best describes my historian duties here at SCC through my photographic collages assembled almost weekly and placed on the Fellowship Room bulletin board and stored in several 3-ring binders and the church’s Facebook page archives. Hope Creighton - Historian

This church was organized Feb. 27, 1828 with 23 members. The parish was organized Sept. 4, 1829.

1829-1830 - Rev. Samuel Stone was the first settled pastor; installed Dec. 2, 1829 and closed his labors sometime in 1830 and was dismissed by council May 7, 1833.

1833-1846 - Rev. E. F. Cutter was ordained May 8, 1833 and dismissed May 12, 1846

1847-1849 - Rev. Franklin Davis was ordained Oct. 6, 1847 and dismissed March 5, 1849

1849-1852 - Rev. Nathaniel Chapman supplied the church from April 27, 1849 to May 1852

1852-1856 - Rev. Crosby H. Wheeler was ordained Dec. 18, 1852 and dismissed July 1, 1856

1857-1863 - Rev. David Cushman commenced his labors with this church in the fall of 1856 and installed May 21, 1857 and dismissed Aug. 20, 1863

1864-1873 - Rev. E. S. Beard was installed Aug. 16, 186 and closed his labors in June 1852 and dismissed March 11, 1873

1873 -1873 Rev. L. G. Marsh supplied from July 13,1873 to Nov. 16, 1873. Previous to his coming the church had been without preaching for more than a year

Rev. Dr. Thurston and Rev. Wh. H. H. B aker supplied during the early part of the year 1874 and Rev. Richard M. Burgess of Bangor Seminary during the summer of 1874

Rev. E. T. Sanford and Rev. J. E. M. Wright supplied the church during the winter and spring of 1875

1875 -1878 - Rev. Lewis Goodrich commenced preaching July 11, 1875 and installed Nov. 3, 1875 and dismissed Aug. 26, 1878

1879 -1885 - Rev. J. E. Pond commended his labors Jan. 12, 1879 and installed Jun 19, 1879 and dismissed Feb. 18, 1885

1885 -1887 - Rev. A. G. Pettengill of Yale Seminary, supplied the church from Sept. 1885 to Sept. 1887. During his ministry the church edifice was remodeled at a cost of $4100.00

The church was supplied by different persons, mainly students from Bangor Seminary until June 10, 1888 when Rev. Frank S. Hunnewell commenced his labors He was ordained and installed June 27, 1888 and dismissed Dec. 1, 1891

1891-1893 - Rev. Henry S. Ives supplied the church from Dec. 20, 1891 to March 12, 1893

1893-1896 - Rev. J. L. DeMott was called at Pastor of this church Nov. 12, 1893 and closed his labors June 4, 1896

1896-1902 - Rev. E. R. Stearns was installed Jun 16, 1896 and dismissed May 26, 1902

1902-1907 - Rev. Irving A. Flint commenced his labors with this church Dec. 1, 1902 and installed Dec. 14, 1904 and dismissed May 1907
1907-1912 - Rev. Henry W. Webb became pastor of this church Aug. 4, 1907 and closed his labors July 1, 1912

1912-1917 - Rev. David T. Burgh began his labors with this church Oct. 13, 1912 and closed Oct. 8, 1917. During the ministry the church building were repaired and redecorated at a cost of $1600. A memorial window waws installed by Mrs. Rose L. Newcomb in memory of her late husband Guilford S. Newcomb

1917-1919 - Rev. William H. Lakin was pastor of the church Dec. 1917 to Feb. 1919

1919-1920 - Rev. R. E. Laite was pastor from Nov. 13, 1919 to Nov. 7, 1920

1923-1930 - Rev. Charles D. Paul was pastor from Sept. 1823 to Dec. 2, 1929

1930-1938 - Rev. H. I. Holt was pastor from Jan. 4, 1930 to June 19, 1938

1938-1944 - Rev. L. Clark French became pastor of this church Sept. 11, 1938 and closed his pastorate Jan. 9, 1944

1944-1947 - Rev. Lynn Farnsworth supplied the church from Feb. 27, 1944 to June 1947

1947-1949 - Rev. Edward L. Manning became pastor of this church June 18, 1947 and closed his pastorate March 27, 2949. During his ministry repairs were made on the parsonage and church buildings and the chapel was remodeled and redecorated at a total cost of $6200. The cost of redecorating the chapel was paid by Stuart Burgess as a memorial for his mother, Martha C. Burgess

1949-1949 - Fred L. Perkins supplied the church from March 27, 1949 to Sept. 4, 1949

1949 - Rev. J. Homer Nelson became pastor of the church Sept. 11, 1949.

Below is a chronological list of events in the history of the Second Congregational Church of Warren Maine

1605 - Captain George Weymouth claimed the area of "Warren" for the king of England.

1735 - Twenty-seven persons settled in the area and the first meeting house was built.

1751 - Rev. Robert Rutherford, a Presbyterian, came from Ireland to serve as minister.

1793 - A new meeting house was raised in the heart of Warren (now known as the memorial park).

1795 - A Congregational Council was called for the purpose of organizing a church and ordaining a pastor, the Rev. Huse.

1828 - Because of the increased theological debate in Maine, the Second Congregational Church was gathered in Warren.

1833 - The present meeting house sanctuary was dedicated.

1854 - The Ladies' Sewing Circle was active.

1878 - The Chapel was built (which is the west wing).

1884 - The present Tracker organ was installed into the sanctuary.

1886 - Many renovations occurred, including a new spire.

1915 - The meeting house had electricity installed.

1928 - Celebrated our 100th Anniversary.

1968 - Voted to secede from the UCC.

1971 - The church joined the NACCC.

1973 - The present parsonage was purchased.

2002 - Dedication of the new Sunday School Rooms and weather vain.

2003 - Celebrated our 175th Anniversary.

2005 - Licensed three ministers to the congregational way; dedicated the remodeling of the Upper Room, Nursery
and Fellowship Hall; and the Bell Choir and Pack 254 joins our ministry.

2006 - March 5th - Baptismal Font dedicated to Roland & Winnie Marriner (built by Percy Campbell.)

June - New Church Directory by Olan Mills.

2007 - Feb. - Whole church inventory taken (written and photographed) by Paul Andrews, Herb Griffin and Hope Creighton.

September 23 - Dedication of new steeple cap (fabricated by Owen Bundy) and refurbished weather vane.

September 29 - Installation of steeple cap and weather vane, time capsule also in place.

PHOTO GALLERY OF WEATHER VANE INSTALLATION 2007 (Photos courtesy of Hope Creighton)

2008 - April - Church Tea

2009 - August - First annual worship service of "Two Churches", Warren Baptist and Second Congregational Church at the
Old Mill Park.

2009 - November - Church roof shingled.

2010 - December 12 - Reverend Honaker's last sermon.

2011 - July - Sunday School rooms and chairs painted.

November - Operation Christmas Child "Shoebox" Mission underway.

2012 - January - Parsonage cleaned and spruced up for rental.

Start-up of new website.

March 30 - First annual "Spring Fling" night of music.

September 9 - New full-time minister (Andrew Stinson) hired.

November - Old nursery renovated for new church office.

2013 - May - Rev. Andy Stinson installation

October - New Post Light

December - New Communion Table dedication-gift from Bill Cutting in memory of Willey.

2014 - May - All music categorized.

Summer - Set of Hand chimes donated by Bill Cutting in memory of his wife Bonnie.

September - New handicapped ramp finished.

November - New Hymnals purchased.

2015 - April - New Brass Communion Set donated to Church anonymously. Dedicated Easter Sunday "To all those who have gone before us in the Grace of God."

June - Second set of Hand chimes donated by Bill Cutting.

November - Partitions in Upper Room for Adult Study.

2016 - February 11 - Our church family and community lost a true friend, our Pastor for twenty-one years, Wesley G. Woodman.

Below is his obituary with a short synopsis of his life. He will be sadly missed and fondly remembered.

2016 - August 22 - Restoration work began on the Steeple. Click here for updates.

2017 - March - The Caring and Sharing Sisters and the Ladies Circle collaborated and finance the renovations on the downstairs
Ladies Room.

March - Sterling and Jeff worked on enhancing the sound system on the chancel.

2017 - April - we hired Hoppe Tree Service of Thomaston to give the big oak tree on the front lawn a major haircut.
April 22 - The 5th Annual Spring Fling musical was a huge success with proceeds going to the Steeple fund.

2017 - May/June - Spring months came concerts and graduations with a fantastic jazz concert at MVHS with our youth group in
attendance. Amanda Gardner and Julie Lent both graduated from college and Amber Hagin and Richard Kinney from MVHS.

2017 - July/August - morning worship was held in the Fellowship room, a.k.a. the “lower sanctuary,” other than the one Sunday in July
when we worshipped in the “Old Mill Park” with the Warren Baptist Church. That was also the day when Rev. Andy blessed
Addy Ruggieri and Ella Hathaway before they left for their week at “Camp Winnie.”
August - new speakers were installed in the belfry of our newly renovated Steeple. It was a group effort with Sterling Robinson,
Walter Pendleton, and Josh Hagin in a very cramped area to bolt two speakers and brackets to hold them.

2017 - September 3rd - the newly renovated Steeple was dedicated along with the recently installed flagpole from the Woodman
family in memory of their father, Reverend Wesley G. Woodman.
September 11th - the old retaining wall was removed by Mat Dyer Excavation to make way for a new one.

September 19th - Maine-ly Concrete shored up the rock foundation with a cement spray and,

September 21st - MidCoast Waterproofing sealed the foundation wall with a sprayed on rubber material at no cost to us.

2017 - October 1st - Twenty three hardy souls hiked up Mt. Battie on the most beautiful Sunday afternoon imaginable! What a fun
work-out it was!

October - Final excavation and compacting was completed on the new stone wall, and, on
October 16th - the cement blocks arrived to build the new wall. It took several days for Walter Pendleton and Jeff Creighton to
build it and several loads of crushed rock donated by Dragon Cement and delivered by Bob Barrett to fill in behind the wall. In
the spring loam will be hauled in for plantings.

2017 - November - our hand chimers and Sunday School singers joined the bell ringers of Coves Edge in Damariscotta in a delightful
Christmas concert with refreshments served afterward.
November - Three people, Sherry Ladd, Muriel Knutson, and Barbara Hall joined the church on the evening of our Maundy Thursday service.

2017 - December - An emotional and very moving baptism of Becca White occurred in December and two Christmas Eve services
were held. The first was the children’s pageant at 4:00 and the candlelight service at 7:00. Both were well attended with a meal
served between the two in the “Upper Room.”

2018 - January - A group from our church attended the “Boars Head Festival” at Rockland Congregational; Appearance by gospel
group “Kindred Hearts”.

2018 - February: Upper Room ceiling replaced

2018 - March - SCC’s 190th birthday celebrated;
March - Sunday School children (14 in number) attended “Hope Air” for gymnastics fun

2018 - April - New ramp put in the upstairs entrance.
April - Easter with Rev. Andy Stinson AND Rev. Peter Panagore, guest minister;

April 8th - Rev. Andy gave an impromptu sermon from scripture selected by a member of the congregation;
April 21 - 7th Annual Spring Fling Musical

2018 - May - Congregational meeting held to discuss possible purchase of abutting property for potential future use; old ramp and
granite steps to Upper Room removed and replaced by new maintenance free ramp.

2018 - June - SS children (6) sang and played handchimes at Coves Edge in Damariscotta;
June - first of summer worship services held in “lower sanctuary” (downstairs Fellowship Room);
June - paving of driveway and parts of parking lot;

June 21 - SS children performed “Godspell, Jr” a musical;
June - new scripture verse placed in newly painted Upper Room; new window treatments in Upper Room.

2018 - July: Service in the Park with Warren Baptist.

2018 - August: Farewell supper for longtime members, the Turner family (Jen, Haley, and Ben) who have moved to NH;

2018 - September 1: New “Saints Garden” dedicated with a memorial bench to long time member Kay Leary; farewell cook-out for
Rev. Andy Stinson; transitional minister, Rev. Matt McDonald, selected.

2018 - September 9 - The Congregation bid Rev. Andrew Stinson and his family farewell as they embark on heir new journey.

2018 - September 30 - The Congregation voted and appointed the Rev. Matthew MacDonald as transitional Minister.

2018 - October - A walk around the “wellness trail” at PBMC by the SS children and several church members; Congregational meeting
to discuss future plans for parsonage and barn.

2018 - November: All Saints Sunday and Veterans Day celebrated; Holly Berry Fair.

2018 - December: “Festival Choir” presented their Christmas cantata; Christmas Eve service; four people joined the church (Jeremy
White, Tina Bryant, Debbie Collemer, and Kathleen Borzelli); retirement of Nancy vanVuuren as Music Minister and recognition
of Sterling Robinson as Chair of Diaconate.

2019 - January- Music Ministry Coordinating Committee was formed.

2019 - February - We celebrated Boy Scout Week during our Sunday Service on the 3rd and our Sunday school children had an ice skating party after church.

2019 - March - Our church celebrated Ash Wednesday, beginning of Lent and St. Patrick's Day this month. On the 17th Caring & Sharing Sisters held their annual Soup Supper Auction. Missions also introduced their adopt a chick or bunny with special

donation projects.

2019- April - Recognition of officers
Caring and Sharing Sisters presented their annual 8th Annual Spring Fling.

2019- May - Annual Easter Egg Painting party put on by Becky Ruggieri.
Annual Easter breakfast cooked by the men of the church.
Mother's Day Luncheon and photos and directory by life Touch Co.

2019 - June - Warren Day. Deacons had a hot dog stand.