SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF WARREN

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.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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 

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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

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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.

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

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2018 - September 30 - The Congregation voted and appointed the Rev. Matthew MacDonald as transitional Minister. 
            Rev. MacDonald was terminated in 2019 under unpleasant circumstances.

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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.    

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2019 - January- Pastoral Search committee was formed.  

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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2019-2020 - Parsonage was demolished. Global Covid-19 Pandemic forced closing of schools, churches and businesses.
                       To the best of our technological ability, we performed Sunday services online, as did all others.
                       Rev. Bette Bond was called to be our new Pastor.
                       Church exterior trim was painted - storm covers were put on the stained glass. Windows were renewed.
                       Beverly Pacheco was hired as our new Music Minister.

2021- Barn/parsonage site was developed into a parking lot with granite taken from the Parsonage house foundation to
                      construct a retaining wall. The rest of the site was turned into green space.
                      Sanctuary was plastered and painted and the pews renewed.

 

2022 - Parking lot was repaved; new roof was put on the chapel. 
            The church was graced with the sculpture "Shepherds Angel" by Harry Stump, renowned artist and placed in the sanctuary for
             all to enjoy over the Christmas holidays.

 

2023 - The Men's club/group was reorganized. Fiber optics phone/network was installed throughout the church and
             fellowship rooms. 
             The Missions' board and Memorial board were combined. 
             A 'hearing loop' was installed in the Sanctuary for the hearing impaired.

 

2024 - Upstairs flower room was renovated. New railings in Memory of Paul and Jan Andrews were constructed on the steps
            leading to the Pulpit using memorial funds.  Two middle right-side pews were removed to accommodate space for the
            handicapped.  Four new wooden chairs were purchased to fill the vacant space when needed for overflow of attendees.   
            Two additional same chairs were purchased for the chancel.

2025 - Early spring a planning committee was formed to plan for the Church's bicentennial in the year 2028.
            Two new sanctuary speakers were donated by Russel and Kathy Lawrence and installed by Jeff Creighton and Sterling
            Robinson.

...and our story continues.

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