Past Award Recipients

2004

Churches of more than 350 members:

First Place –
Prospect Congregational Church, Prospect, Connecticut: A Church Set Upon a Hill; the Story of the Prospect Congregational Church, UCC, 1798-1998, by Boardman W. Kathan. This large book is filled with many pictures to illustrate their two centuries. Some older photos appear in applied color as well as in their original black and white or sepia. One wonderful feature contrasts with a typical church history format of pastoral dominance. Instead, key lay leaders from many periods have biographies, photos and summaries of their work included. The author is also attentive to the congregation’s relationship to other churches in their area and wider theological movements and trends.

Second Place –
Hampstead Congregational Church, Hampstead, NH: A Journey of Faith; 250 Years of the Hampstead Congregational Church, 1752-2002, by Bradford H. Robie. Commentaries from different periods of the church’s history are interspersed with chronologies of important historical events happening at the same time. Unusual items include a lengthy original covenant of the congregation, and a complete history of their parsonages – including photographs.

Churches of less than 350 members:
First Place –
Union Church, Berea, Kentucky: One in Spirit; the Liberal Evangelical Witness of Union Church, 1853-2003, by Richard B. Drake. Union Church, has a long connection with Berea College. They are fortunate to have as one of their members one of Berea College’s faculty members, Richard Drake, the Julian Van Duesen Professor of History. Dr. Drake has written a fine history of Union Church. Union Church was organized as an abolitionist congregation in a slave-holding county in ante-bellum Kentucky. The church has remained committed to racial equality, non-sectarianism, and social justice. Dr. Drake chronicles all this in a lively and engaging way. The nature of his work is summarized very well by a note written by the Rev. Dr. Larry Shinn, President of Berea College who writes:
“Dr. Richard Drake tells the story of Union Church with an historian’s passion for detail, a faculty member’s desire to consider more than one side of an issue, and a church member’s love for the community in which he worships. This story places Union Church, Berea College and the community of Berea, in their theological and historical contexts as Drake selectively lifts up people and issues from his church’s rich and varied past that give color and texture to his chapter’s themes. This book is a model for institutional histories of churches that celebrate the important elements of ‘the Church’.”

Second Place –
Edina Morningside Community Church, Edina, Minnesota: The Gathering Together; Glimpses Into the History of Edina Morningside Community Church (UCC), 1902-2002, by Marjorie Myers Douglas. This volume, in an 8x11 format, is replete with photographs and reproductions of programs and pertinent articles. The author of the book has had two other books published by the Minnesota Historical Society, both of which seem to be somewhat autobiographical. Here she relies for the early history of the two churches that united as Edina Morningside Community Church on the writing of E. Dudley Parsons, an historian and grandson of the Rev. H.W. Parsons, a retired Congregational minister who moved to the Morningside section of Edina and gathered prayer meetings that later became the Morningside Community Church (a predecessor of the present church). Ms. Douglas’ book is organized under fourteen chapter headings that indicate action: The Separating, The Joining, The Growing, The Shepherding, The Nurturing, The Blessing, and so forth.

Third Place –
The Congregational Church, Shandon, Ohio: The History of Shandon Con-gregational Church, 1803-2003; Two Hundred Years of Ministry. This booklet, the work of the Bicentennial Committee, is very well done. It tells the fascinating and engaging story of this Welsh congregation in Ohio. The Shandon folks are to be particularly commended on the bicentennial observance itself. Special music was composed, and there were a number of important and well organized events during their celebration.

Honorable Mention -
Second Congregational Church, Warren, Maine: Celebrating 175 Years, 1828-2003. An Honorable Mention goes to the Second Congregational Church for their historical booklet, in 8x11 format, in observance of their 175th anniversary. The booklet includes an historical summary, a large section of contemporary color photographs, and several historical photos (black and white).

Nathanael M. Guptill Award

The Guptill Award for 2003 has been given to C. Ronald Wilson (compiler) for Historical Sketches of the Churches of the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ.

James L. Haddix
Richard H. Taylor
Fagley Awards Committee

2002

First Place– Jordan United Church of Christ, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Jordan Church has shown a burst of creativity in celebrating their 250th Anniversary. Special events included a Sunday honoring an early pastor and patriot, Abraham Blumer, and a service in German. Members wrote both Lenten and Advent devotional booklets for the anniversary year, and also produced a yearlong calendar emblazoned with collages of pictures of church members, activities and events. Their history, instead of covering the entire two and a half centuries of the congregation’s life was designed as a supplement to previously printed histories. The new publication focuses on the most recent quarter-century. This innovative approach has provided the opportunity to focus on details about the social life and activities of this energetic congregation. Among topics explored in depth are an outdoor worship “cathedral under the stars” site, harvest festivals, sacred dance, clowning, athletic teams, an outdoor concert pavilion and picnic grove, pictures of the games and activities and costume parties of children, youth, and adults, and even comments on the successful operation of a cemetery. This type of detail of church life and culture is unusual, and provides an intimate look often missing in more formal histories. Nonetheless, the committee has also folded these fun items into a review of sacraments, preaching, pastors, buildings, community service and the work of the church. Through their work, both the faith and life of the congregation will be better under-stood by generations of readers.

Second Place– First Parish Church, Dover, New Hampshire: History of the First Parish Church, Founded 1633, by Donald R. Bryant. This history exhibits the ongoing concern for the best in historical scholarship in one of America’s oldest congregations. This beautifully printed 160-page history provides not only the narrative story of the congregation, but also one well set in its historical context. Maps, discussions on the life of related congregations, and significant moments in the economic life of Dover provide valuable background to understanding the congregation’s progress. These aids serve to enrich the history of the church that includes all pertinent data, well-chosen pictures, and accessible narrative. The Rev. Jeremy Belknap, Pastor in Dover from 1769 to 1789, was the author of the most important early history of New Hampshire. By continuing to be concerned about their history, First Parish has honored Belknap’s legacy by building a better future on a clear understanding of the past. May First Parish’s good work in honoring their history be imitated by others.

Churches of less than 350 members:
First Place – State Street Congregational Church, Portland, Maine: The Golden Candlesticks; 150 Years of Faith and Service, 1852-2002. The 100 page booklet begins with the original “orthodox” origins of the church and then - highlighting each minister - divides its history into “The Beginning, 1852-1902,” “The Flourishing and the Golden Years, 1902-76” and “The Transition Years, 1977--.“ Membership statistics reflect rapid change: in 1920-1928 the church grew from 640 members to 1,150. In 1950 it reached a peak of 1,363 members (with 265 in the Sunday School, down from 384 in 1912). 1978 records 961 members, with 178 in the Sunday School, and by 1996 there were 229 members, with an average attendance of 88. Presently there are 254 members. There is strong evidence of a downtown urban church struggling to find a new identity in the midst of rapid social change.

Second Place– Union Congregational Church in Seal Harbor, Maine: A Church for Seal Harbor, by Isabel K. Bechtle. This 100th anniversary booklet is an excellent history with a strong photographic section. The anniversary service bulletin had as its cover-pieces, copies of the order of service at the church’s founding. Included in the service were hymns and other elements used 100 years ago. A summer residence for many prominent leaders in church and musical affairs, the church has benefited from their active interest. This group included John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Third Place– Byfield Parish Church, Georgetown, Massachusetts, on their 300th anniversary. This is a model both of preserving Congregational history and of making it available to a wide parish and regional audience. For 10 years the ministers and church members have produced 181 recorded broadcasts for children and adults of parish/town history. They have also taped a collection of oral interviews with senior parishioners and other community residents. For the anniversary an audiotape, “Introduction to Byfield Parish” is being distributed to every home in the parish.

Honorable Mention - A very special entry came from the South Freeport Church in South Freeport, Maine. It is a beautiful 320 page book by Elizabeth Moore titled: “Biography of a Community: The Women of South Freeport Church in the 20th Century.” 25 women over the age of 70 with at least 30 years of membership in the church, plus 2 women - born, baptized, raised and married in the church - who are not yet 70, are featured by photograph and story. A second section is called “Time and Effort” and includes short sentences and paragraphs of chronological church history (i.e. “the new sexton is failing to dust”). Two other sections are “The Ministers” and “The Buildings.”

2001

Frederick L. Fagley Awards

At its annual meeting at Hartford, Connecticut on May 20th, 2002 The Congregational Christian Historical Society voted the following awards for excellence in local church history and anniversary programming:

Churches of more than 350 members:

First Place – First Congregational United Church of Christ, Portland, Oregon: That Church with the Tower; Highlights of Our History 1851-2001. Nine chapters tell the story. This volume by a committee has a good level of quality and continuity. There are many excellent photographs. Among the roster of ministers one notes George H. Atkinson (1863-1872), a pioneer of Congregationalism in the Pacific Northwest and Raymond B. Walker (1929-1959), one of the architects and promoters of the United Church of Christ. The sesquicentennial celebration bulletin includes a hymn written for the centennial of the church “Under Thy Providence, O God” by Harold Saxe Tuttle for the tune “Duke Street”. Donald J. Sevetson’s sermon, “When We were Very Young “ treats of George H. Atkinson and his work, drawn largely from 157 letters Atkinson sent to the American Home Missionary Society between 1848 and 1876.

Second Place – First Reformed United Church of Christ, Lexington, North Carolina: A Celebration 1901-2001; 100 Years in the Life of the First Reformed United Church of Christ, by Katherine F. Skipper. This is a handsome hardcover volume. The founding pastor John Calvin Leonard (1867-1940) served for 39 years and left a great legacy of records. The books he wrote are a resource for historians and genealogists. The history of the church is treated by decades. Each chapter introduces the general cultural context before relating the life and work of the church during those years. The ministers and leaders appear in their times. Projects are completed and problems resolved. There is effective use of photographs. Recognition is given to the sons of the church who have entered the ministry. The centennial observance and reflections of members relating to their experiences in the life and work of the church are included.

Third Place -- Hillcrest Congregational Church, Pleasant Hill, California: Hillcrest Jubilee History; a Book of Remembrance and Dedication 1951-2001. The book presents an overview of the first five decades of Hillcrest’s life. Chapters are devoted to: Ministers, Worship, Music, Christian Education, Lay Leadership, Gathering Together in Fellowship, Reaching Out Beyond Our Community of Faith, Special Things, Rambling Remembrances, Saints and Angels Behind the Scenes, and Reflections on the Fiftieth Anniversary. There are many photographs of people and groups participating in a variety of church programs and activities.

Special Commendation - In addition to the above awards, the Society has sent a letter of Special Commendation to the Church of the Good Shepherd, Congregational (UCC) of Chicago, Illinois for The Miracle on Fifty-Seventh Street, by Mildred J. Armstrong, Ph.D. This non-anniversary history is organized to present the ministerial leadership, each chapter
being devoted to a single leader, and setting forth the congregation’s programs and accomplishments during that person’s tenure. The story is one of strong leadership, exercised through durable pastorates. The book includes numerous pictures and biographical sketches of the lay leaders as well. In sum, this book holds a mirror up to nature in relating the story of an Afro-American urban church in the 20th century as it empowers its congregation and serves the wider community.

Churches of less than 350 members:

First Place – First Congregational Church, Royalston, Massachusetts: The History of the First Congregational Church of Royalston, by Virginia E. Asel. This is an unusually well-researched study, drawing as it does upon a multiplicity of histories, organizational records and diaries to flesh out what might have been a bare-bones list of ministers, deacons/esses, and meeting-houses. What the Rev. Ms. Asel has come up with is an account that takes the reader inside the life and times of a small country parish, and helps one understand the ups and downs of church life as its pastors and people lived it. For example, she tells how the determination of one man broke down the custom that required the division of attendants at prayer meetings, "men on south side, women on the north side," by his insistent sitting with his new bride (his third!) on the distaff side of the meeting-house. Chapters focus attention not just on beginnings and buildings, but on the entire fabric of church life: the communion service (one temperance man wanted to turn the "wine" into water!), music, a heresy trial and a time of revival, the benevolent work of the women's organizations in times of local and national crisis, and the contributions of student pastors. In sum, one keeps turning the pages, not sure what lies ahead but confident the author will discover another local drama to keep the story interesting and indeed, inspiring.

Second Place – The Church of Christ Congregational, Stony Creek, Connecticut: The Granite Church, by John Kirby, Jr. and Wayne E. Jacobson. This is a book on the architecture, building and history of the Church of Christ Congregational, 2001 being the centennial of the church building. Kirby wears his architectural expertise lightly, informing, never overwhelming the lay reader with technical details. Jacobson for his part excels in the telling anecdote and the trenchant observation. For example, the section on Stony Creek Church's organs and music is accompanied by a brief sketch of "congregational singing after the Reformation." Color illustrations make the story of the church windows come alive as words alone could never do. For all the emphasis on architecture, the human face of the church comes through with perfect clarity.

Nathanael M. Guptill Award

Inaugurated to recognize institutional histories which do not precisely fit the Fagley Award categories, but which deserve high praise for imagination and excellence, the Guptill Award for 2001 has been given to Charles E. Clark and Elizabeth C. Nordbeck (eds.) for Granite and Grace; Essays Celebrating the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the New Hampshire Conference United Church of Christ.

2000

Fagley Award

Churches with over 350 members:
First Place-- Appleton, WI: First Congregational Church
Second Place-- Minneapolis, MN: Mayflower Community Congregational Church

Churches with less than 350 members:
First Place-- Jackson, MI: Arbor Grove Congregational Church
Second Place-- Hyde Park, VT: Second Congregational Church

Guptill Award

Lawrence F. Small, for Trails Revisited; the Story of the Montana Northern-Wyoming Conference, United Church of Christ

Letter of Commendation
First Congregational Church of Hanson, MA, for Where Two or Three are Gathered; a Book of Devotions

1999

Fagley Award

Churches with over 350 members:
First Place-- Oshkosh, WI: First Congregational Church
Second Place-- Berkeley, CA: First Congregational Church

Churches with less than 350 members:
First Place-- Marietta, NY: Amber Congregational Church
Second Place-- Campton, NH: Campton Congregational Church
Third Place-- Etna, PA: First Congregational Church
Honorable mention-- Troup County, GA: Oak Grove Congregational Christian Church

President’s Award

Larrimore C. Crockett, for “Safe Thus Far”; a History of the Guilford Congregational Church, 1767-1997

Guptill Award

Frank Andrews Stone, for The United Church of Christ in Volusia County, Florida, 1875-1999

1998

Fagley Award

Churches with over 350 members
First Place-- Washington, DC: Plymouth Congregational Church
Second Place-- Litchfield, CT: First Congregational Church

Churches with less than 350 members
First Place-- Tempe, Arizona: First Congregational Church
Second Place-- Flagstaff, AZ: First Congregational Church of Flagstaff

President’s Award

James F. Cooper, Jr., for Tenacious of Their Liberties: The Congregationalists in Colonial Massachusetts

1997

Fagley Award

Churches with over 350 members
First Place-- Middletown, CT: South Congregational Church
Second Place-- Miami, FL: Plymouth Congregational Church
Third Place-- Los Alamos, NM: United Church

Churches with less than 350 members
First Place-- Lancaster, PA: Faith United Church of Christ
Second Place-- Elyria, OH: Second Congregational Church/Lake Avenue United Church of Christ
Third Place-- Los Alamitos, CA: Community Congregational Church

Guptill Award

Augusta Clergy Association, for Faith Communities of Augusta, Maine, Past and Present

1996

Fagley Award

Churches with over 350 members
First Place-- Bostwick Lake, MI: Bostwick Lake Congregational Church
Second Place-- Greensburg, PA: First Reformed United Church of Christ
Third Place-- Swampscott, MA: First Church in Swapscott, Congregational
Fourth Place-- West Boylston, MA: First Congregational Church

Churches with less than 350 members
First Place-- Nantucket, MA: First Congregational Church
Second Place-- Dewey, AZ: Faith United Community Church
Third Place-- Humboldt, IA: Humboldt Congregational United Church of Christ
Fourth Place-- Bethel, ME: West Parish Congregational Church

President’s Award

Charles E. Hambrick-Stowe, for Charles G. Finney and the Spirit of American Evangelism

Guptill Award

John E. Nutting, for Becoming the United Church of Christ in Vermont, 1795-1995

1995

Fagley Award

Churches of more than 350 members
First Place-- Kingston, RI: Kingston Congregational Church

Churches of less than 350 members
First Place-- Middletown, RI: United Congregational Church
Second Place-- Lakeville, NY: Lakeville United Church of Christ
Third Place-- Vermillion, SD: United Church of Christ

1994

Fagley Award

Churches with more than 350 members
First Place-- Moorhead, MN: First Congregational United Church of Christ
Second Place-- Duxbury, MA: Pilgrim Church
Third Place-- Collinsville, IL: St. John Evangelical United Church of Christ

Churches with less than 350 members
First Place-- Stoughton, MA: First Congregational Church
Second Place-- Corona del Mar, CA: Community Congregational Church
Third Place-- Decorah, IA: Congregataional United Church of Christ
Honorable Mention-- Berea, OH: Heritage Congregational Church