By Tyler Maheu
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
NEWPORT — Newport’s South Congregational Church is getting prepared to party like it’s 1823.
On the weekend of March 11 and 12 SCC will hold two events as part of its ceremony to rededicate its Historic Meeting House after 200 years.
At 5:30 PM on Saturday, the church will host a ham & bean supper. According to Moderator Charen Urban, this is “very much like something that would have happened 200 years ago.”
Keeping up with the times, the church will feature gluten free, lactose free and vegetarian options. Dessert will follow the main meal, and afterwards, attendees will view a slideshow showcasing the building’s extensive history, prepared by the church’s historian.
Urban and her family have been fixtures at SCC throughout the years, attending since the late 1960’s. The longtime Newport resident says that she was a member prior to moving away to college, and that when she returned, she became a member of the congregation again.
On Sunday at 3 PM, Minister Daniel Adam will lead the church’s rededication ceremony. Adam has been the Minister at SCC for two years, but has been involved in the church for the bulk of his life. “I started out my life in Croydon and my family attended here when I was young,” he said. “After I went to seminary and started applying to churches, I saw they were looking for a minister and I felt called to return and help out with the work they do here.”
Sunday’s festivities will seek to modernize the original dedication ceremony, which took place in 1823. At the time, the ceremony was known as the “Order’s Sacred Exercises for the Dedication of the Congregational Meeting House in Newport NH,” according to Adam, who went on to outline some of the things that will be different in this year’s dedication.
“The reality is that we worship differently than we did 200 years ago, though we continue some of the same practices,” the minister said. “Some of the changes include me writing the prayer and call to worship which will be done in our modern tongue.” For music, Adam stated that some familiar favorites will be mixed with newer hymnals. While a portion of the event will be focused on looking towards the past, it is also considered a way to look into the future of the congregation. “Part of the service will be looking at what the next 200 years will look like,” he said.
Refreshments will follow the ceremony.
SCC, which is affiliated with the United Church of Christ (UCC), has gone through many shapes, styles, and renovations over the years. According to the church’s website, the congregation was first organized in 1779, and the Federal-style brick meeting house was dedicated in March of 1823. It features a seating capacity of 300.
In 1871 a function hall, parlor, and kitchen were added to the sanctuary’s east (pulpit) end. The kitchen was enlarged in 1928 and renovated again in 1962. 1985 saw excavation under the original meeting house to create a basement classroom space for the church’s school and nursery. The kitchen was extended again for the sake of a new chapel/library and administrative offices. The Meetinghouse Preservation Project took place approximately a decade ago, which was largely for upkeep.
In 1989, the South Church Meetinghouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Throughout the building’s history, it has been home to countless important events in the Newport area, including funerals, Christmas concerts, and the Newport High School Baccalaureate. Five years ago, the church became the fiscal agent for Got Lunch Newport, a grocery delivery program to assist school-age children in need.
Urban believes that the church’s greatest impacts are felt both at home and abroad. “For me, I am most involved because of our work in the community and the world,” she said. “I have been to Zimbabwe three times because of our sister church there. We work both locally and internationally to help the needy and to expand the concept of Christianity as not just a US concept but a worldwide one.” She continued, praising the outreach they do in conjunction with UCC. “We do emergency buckets for places in need, like for hurricane relief in the US, or for over in Ukraine. This year, our push will be for hygiene buckets. Those will go to places like Florida, Turkey, and Syria. For me, it’s about the fact that we do missions and ministry locally and abroad,” Urban concluded.
Tickets for the event are $12 for adults and $5 for children. Anyone under five can go for free. Given the church’s capacity of around 70, Urban suggests getting tickets in advance. Proceeds will benefit the operations and missions of SCC.
Newport’s South Congregational Church, UCC can be found at 20 Church Street, Newport, NH, and online at www.thesouthchurch.us
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