Somers Congregational Church

History of the Church

About the Church and the United Church of Christ

The Somers Congregational Church was gathered and the original covenant signed on March 15, 1727. Prior to this time the people of "East Enfield," as Somers was known at the time, had to travel by horse and ox cart to worship in Enfield. The first meetinghouse was built at the northwest corner of the cemetery at the corner of Springfield and Stebbins Roads. The current meeting house, our third, was built in 1840, when it was clear that the center of Somers had shifted south to its present location.

From the beginning of its history, the Congregational Church has been at the center of life in the community. At one time the Foundation Room was used for town meetings, and there is a long tradition of leaders of the church also playing key roles in the town.

Somers Congregational Church is a member of the United Church of Christ (UCC). There are four denominations that have yoked to make up the UCC. The first two, which merged in 1929, were the Congregational Churches and the Christian Churches. In 1957, the Evangelical and Reformed Church groups also merged with the first two to form the union that is present today. Even before these groups joined together, they all had a history of placing emphasis on education and mission work with the founding of colleges, hospitals and overseas missions. The United Church of Christ is continuing this tradition. There is a Connecticut Conference of the statewide UCC churches housed in Hartford and also a national network based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Mission Statement

Somers Congregational Church United Church of Christ is an active member of the body of Christ in the world, worshipping together and serving as the hands and voice of Christ to all God’s children.

Our Buildings

The Meeting House of the Somers Congregational Church was built in 1842, and is the third for the congregation. The building houses the Sanctuary, Pilgrim Hall on the second level, with the Foundation Room and kitchen located on the lower level. An outstanding feature in the Sanctuary is the 1970 Casavant Organ, with its 22 ranks & 17 stops – 1124 total pipes. Pilgrim Hall was originally a free standing building across the street from the Meeting House, where the Town Hall now stands. When plans were made for the Town Hall, Pilgrim Hall was moved to its present location and raised to allow room for the kitchen underneath. Major renovations in the late 1940's included changing the sanctuary floor plan to the current center aisle configuration, as prior to this there had been two aisles leading from the doors at the rear of the sanctuary to the chancel at the front.

The Bugbee Center, located behind the Meeting House was completed in 1958 as a parish house. It currently houses most of our Sunday School classes. The Chapel is located on the second floor of the Bugbee Center. The building is named for Emilie Collins Bugbee, who as a dedicated Christian Educator, provided leadership for our church for more than fifty years.

In 1998-99 major renovations were undertaken and the two buildings were joined. The new space includes an elevator, making most of the facility handicap accessible, as well as offices, meeting space, the Care Room, and restroom facilities. A large parking lot and landscaping were also part of the renovation. The congregation also owns the house at 603 Main Street, which is currently rented, and the house at 20 Springfield Road that is the Parsonage.
 

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Site last updated: 02/06/07.