Our Past and Our Future

 

Edwards Church has a rich history  

• In 1827, the Saxonville Religious Society was incorporated as a congregation in the growing town of Saxonville.  That year, the Society erected the present wooden church building, which served as both a place of worship and as a community hall. Almost 175 years later, we continue to worship in our original sanctuary.
• In 1834, the Saxonville Religious Society, formed Edwards Church as a Trinitarian congregation which became part of the Congregational tradition. 
• The founders named the church after Jonathan Edwards, a noted 18^th century theologian and evangelist of the Great Awakening.  They chose this name as a reflection of their commitment to being a Christ-centered church. 
• In 1905, the structure was enhanced by the addition of electric lights and an organ.  Built in the mid-19^th century, this organ is one of very few three manual tracker organs in existence.
• In 1957, along with many other Congregational Churches, Edwards Church voted to become part of the United Church of Christ.
• In 1960, the church constructed Edwards Hall, to provide classroom space and a hall for social events.
• In 1974, Edwards Church called its first woman as a settled pastor, Rev. Elizabeth Hambrick-Stowe.  At the time, this was a very unusual occurrence.  In its own quiet way, Edwards Church has often been in the forefront of social issues. 
• In February 2000, Edwards Church voted to become an Open and Affirming Congregation, reflecting its commitment to being welcoming to all people (see statement on home page).
• In September 2002, as we celebrated our 175^th Anniversary, we dedicated our new Education Building.  This new building, which is fully accessible, helps us live out our commitment to being welcoming to all people.  It provides bright, warm Sunday school classrooms for our children, a fellowship hall with a kitchen for community gatherings, a place for our choir to rehearse, and more.

 

Edwards Church has a promising future

 

During 2003 and 2004, our congregation engaged in a Visioning Process, to gain insight into where God is calling us in the future.  After lively and thought-provoking gatherings, some important insights emerged.  Our mission as a church is to be a “Renewing, Embracing, and Engaging” congregation.

 

• Renewing:  We gather to be renewed by God’s spirit, and we seek to be constantly renewing our faith and our commitment.

 

• Embracing: We experience the embrace of God’s love through the caring of this community, and we see to offer God’s embrace to one another.

 

• Engaging: We are called beyond ourselves to engage in caring for God’s world.  We reach out to people in need locally and around the world, and we gather in Bible Study, worship, and conversation, seeking to understand how our faith calls us to live in this world.

 

A Focus For the Coming Year:  In this coming year (2004-2005) we will pay special attention to “spiritual renewal,” seeking to lift up the connections between our mission, our fellowship, and our spiritual lives.