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First Church

New Hampshire, US

First Church

The Congregational Church in Exeter is a parish of the United Church of Christ located on Front Street in Exeter, New Hampshire. The congregation was first gathered in 1638 by the Rev. John Wheelwright following his expulsion from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The current congregation is a merger of

the former First Parish and Second Parish of Exeter. Second Parish split from First Parish in the 1700s during the Great Awakening over theological differences. The two congregations then reunited in 1920. Nicholas Gilman, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was a member of the church. During the schism of the two congregations, Phillips Exeter Academy was founded by John Phillips and other members of the Second Parish. The current Phillips Exeter Academy chapel now occupies the building of the former Second Parish. Church member Amos Tuck was keenly involved in early efforts to address the abolition of slavery, and held meetings on the subject at the church. Today, the church has an active membership, a Sunday School, and various mission and outreach programs. The current Senior Pastor is author and minister the Rev. Dr. E. Carrington Heath. The congregation is a member of the...

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