Tewksbury Congregational Church
Who We Are
Our church is a community of Christians and we welcome all people desiring to lead their lives according to the teachings of Jesus Christ, regardless of race, color, national origin, previous religious background, economic status, gender, age, sexual orientation, or physical challenges. We are a community of the Christian faith who has received God's numerous blessings. May we always remember that we are individuals in this church, bound together as brothers and sisters in Christ. In pursuit of a life of goodness, we recognize that we need each other's loving support and guidance to reach our full potential.
What We Believe
Faith – We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, goodness and love, and in Jesus Christ, His son, our Lord and Savior, who for us and our salvation lived and died and rose again and liveth evermore; and in the Holy Spirit, who taketh of the things of Christ and revealeth them to us, renewing, comforting, and inspiring all souls.
Covenant – We are united in striving to know well the will of God as taught in the Holy Scriptures and in our purpose to walk in the ways of the Lord, made known or to be made known to us. We hold it to be the mission of the Church of Christ to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind, exalting the worship of the one true God and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of justice, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood. Depending, as did our forefathers, upon the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth, we work and pray for the transformation of the world into the Kingdom of God, and we look with faith for the triumph of righteousness and life everlasting.
As members and participants in Tewksbury Congregational Church, affirming Jesus Christ as the center of our lives, we find purpose and direction in what we do:
To grow spiritually, enriching and deepening our Christian faith and understanding,
To reach out to the wider community becoming an invitation to the experience of God,
To nurture one another, revealing and developing our special abilities,
To welcome strangers into our fold offering a variety of faith experiences, and
To show God's love by following Christ's example.
Our History
Tewksbury Congregational Church was established in 1734 by some 34 resident families who signed The Covenant and Articles of Faith, after leaving the church in Billerica, in order "that there might be preaching in ye town". The reverend Sampson Spaulding was called as the first minister at the opening of the first meeting house in 1736.
The second meeting house, constructed in 1824, was destroyed by fire in 1918. The cornerstone of the present building was laid in 1922, and the "educational wing" was dedicated in 1959.
In 1962, it was voted to join with the United Church of Christ but to maintain the historic name.
The photo above is of the center of town in 1908; you can see our church on the far right.
Our Covenant
We are affiliated with the United Church of Christ (UCC) and belong to the Southern New England Conference. The UCC is a "Bottom-Up" organization whereby individual Churches have autonomy with regards to their budgets, their activities, and even in the Call of their Pastor. UCC Churches receive no funds or other resources from the national or regional church.
This “bottom-up” mechanism is empowering, allowing our membership to make decisions about our missions, service, and other ministries, all funded by our own support.