About The Federated Church of Charlton
We are a Congregational-Universalist union in Christian worship together located in Charlton, Massachusetts.
We are a community seeking to live in God’s Word. In our worship, we are a community that listens attentively to God’s Word as it is revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, we seek to be transformed through prayer, hymns, the sacraments, and liturgy into the people God is calling us to be.
In our missions, we listen to hear where God is calling us to serve. At locations both near and far, we seek to embody the faith that God has placed within us and proclaim the Good News of Christ through our actions.
Join us as we discover what it means to be a people of faith in the modern world.
Charlton Federated Church United Church of Christ (UCC) Statement of Faith
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Charlton Federated Church
Unitarian-Universalist Statement of Faith
from “Our Spiritual Perspective” of the Christian Universalist Association
We believe in God, who is Love, Light, Truth, and Spirit, the Creator of the Universe, whom we are called to seek, know, and love; and whose nature was revealed to the world in the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. We believe that the universal commandment is to love and serve one another . . .. We believe in the full and final triumph of the grace of God over the powers of sin and death: that the mercy and forgiveness of God are victorious; that this victory of redemption is revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. . .. We believe in miracles, such as the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which transcend materialistic views of reality. We believe that . . . by reading the Bible (the authoritative textual basis of our faith) and other great texts of spiritual and moral wisdom with a discerning mind, and meditating to connect to the Spirit within, we may all gain a greater understanding of truth, which should be applied for the betterment of ourselves and our world. Amen.
Our Community
Federated Church of Charlton has a long, proud history of serving the community of Charlton and surrounding areas. Through the dedication of our leadership, pastors and volunteers, we are committed to the teachings of Jesus Christ, and are here to spread His message. We are open to worshippers of all ages and backgrounds, and strive to lead all who worship with us towards a deeper love for God.
Our History
Our church descends from many churches active in the Charlton community over the centuries. The first of these was founded in 1761 as the Congregational Church of Charlton six years after the town was formed in 1755. We are the first church to be founded in this community and the only one remaining on the town common.
Caleb Curtis (1727-1802) was the first minister. He blessed the Minutemen who left our town to fight at Lexington and Concord in April of 1775 and was the area's representative to the Continental Congress. In the summer of 1776, he read the Declaration of Independence from the pulpit as ordered by the Massachusetts General Court.
In 1798, our second building was constructed with 100 pews on the main floor and 50 on the balcony. It was one of the largest meetinghouses in the region.
In response to the Unitarian controversy in 1825, the name of our church was changed to the First Congregational Calvinistic Church was formed. A Unitarian church was also created, and shortly afterward, it united with the Universalist Society of Charlton, becoming the First Union Society of Charlton, which held Christian Universalist beliefs. The First Congregational Calvinistic Church and the First Union Society would draft Articles of Federation in 1922, creating the current Federated Church.
In May of that same year, the Universalist church building burned. The property was donated to the town of Charlton so that the Charlton High School could be built there. The building is currently used as the Charlton Town Hall. A plaque by the front door testifies to the generosity of the congregation.
On Christmas Day in 1939, the Federated Church building burned to the ground. Despite the The Federated Church building burned on December 25, 1939. Photo courtesy of the Charlton Historical Society. Despite the challenging economic times, the Federated Church raised funds to build a new building that opened in 1941, just two years after the disastrous blaze.
The Educational Wing was added to the present church building in 1964, and the building was made handicapped accessible in 2001.
In 2011, a special March service marked the church's 250th anniversary, drawing political leaders and four former Federated Church pastors: Reverend Tom Bentley, Reverend Tom Howard, Reverend Jerry Kupperschmidt, and Reverend Hal Wilson.
The Reverend James Chase came to the church as pastor in 1987. He served the church and the community with great distinction until illness forced him to retire in September 2020.
The Reverend Gary Shahinian is currently the Intentional Interim Minister. A role he began in October of 2020.
The Federated Church building burning on December 25, 1939. Photo courtesy of the Charlton Historical Society.
This is an 1830 woodcut of the second Congregational Church built about 1798. At the time of its construction this was one of the largest meetinghouses in all of Worcester County. Picture courtesy of Frank Morrel, local historian.
