Our church began in 1847 when the Rev. E. Porter Dyer was sent to Hingham to survey the “practicability of establishing the evangelical congregational preaching in this ancient town.”  The genial Dyer reported that “one hundred thirteen dollars could be raised for the support of preaching… provided there was permanency in the enterprise.”  A congregation of 11 members and 40 “hearers” gathered December 21, 1847 to start the building, and organized a Sabbath school in 1848. 

To the original building, electric lights were added and the Peace window in the balcony was installed during the great Victorian re-decoration of the late 1800’s.

The 1940’s and early Fifties heralded an increase in lay participation in all aspects of operating the church.  The Marshall Room was added in 1949, and the three floors of the Sunday School wing in 1953.  An active men’s group finished the work on the shell which had been erected to house these rooms.

In 1987, Hingham Congregational Church declares to be Open and Affirming and reaffirms our commitment to offering a worship space and faith community to ALL of God’s people.  In 2004, our Men’s group collaborated with the Hingham Merchant’s Association to hold an annual “Taste of Hingham” event in Hingham Square to benefit local non-profit organizations.

In 2014, the congregation determined that the church building needed a major renovation for safety reasons and to create handicapped accessibility.  The money was raised miraculously and the extensive renovations were completed in 2017.

Our church structure is a reflection of both our roots and of our hands-on approach to congregational ministry.  Our spiritual and social heritage is evident from cornice to cornerstone, from our 118 foot steeple to our warm and caring people.  Inside the walls of the church, you will find an active, committed, Spirit filled worshiping community.  You will find a Church with a Heart in the Heart of Hingham.

In the name of God and Jesus Christ, the Hingham Congregational Church welcomes all who seek to know and worship God, and invites everyone to join in our mission through participation and leadership of the congregation.

As a community of faith, we take seriously the biblical call to love God and our neighbors as ourselves, and recognize that, although we are many members, we are one.

• We celebrate the uniqueness of everyone.

• We rejoice in our diversity of views and understandings of our shared faith.

• We affirm relationships based on love, commitment, and mutual respect.

• As is stated in our by-laws, we strive for righteousness, justice and peace.

It is with this spirit and the love of God that we openly welcome all persons, inclusive of every race, ethnicity, class, age, gender, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, and inclusive of any others, to journey with us as we move forward with the work of this church in the world.

We promise to walk together in Christian love, cherishing the presence of God the Creator, Jesus the Word, and the Holy Spirit, our Counselor and Comforter.

Seeking God’s will for our faith community, the human family, and all of creation, we agree to give witness to the life and teachings of Jesus, our  risen Savior, and through our actions and ideals, invite the world to a deeper love.

With the Spirit as our guide, we promise to be faithful in worship and support of Hingham Congregational Church, United Church of Christ.  We aspire to offer all that we are and all that we have for the fulfillment of God’s Realm of justice and peace.

We warmly welcome all, without judgement, to accompany us on this journey, embracing diversity of belief, respecting freedom of conscience, and striving to become more deeply aware of the grace of God.

As approved by the congregation of the Hingham Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in January, 2019

 The following is a statement of our common beliefs as a local Christian faith community.

We believe in the Holy Trinity.  The Creator, Christ and the Holy Spirit guide and bring about the creative and redemptive work of God in the world.  We believe that our faith is most centrally about relationships: with God, through Jesus Christ and with each other.

We believe the Bible is our sacred guidebook.  We believe the scriptures are the source of God’s word and truth for us, although we do not interpret the Bible literally.  We discern this truth through communal study and prayer.

We believe that all persons baptized – past, present and future – are connected to each other and to God through the sacrament of Christian baptism.  We baptize during the worship service when the community is present, because Christian baptism expects the faith community’s promise of love, support and care for the baptized.

We believe that all people of Christian faith are invited to gather at Christ’s table for the sacrament of Holy Communion.  The breaking of bread and drinking of the cup remind us of Christ’s sacrifice and the discipleship to which we are called.  We remember and celebrate Christ’s presence with us in the sacrament.

We believe in the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life.  God’s grace is available to us through our own, individual relationships with God.

We believe that each person is on a spiritual journey, and that each of us is at a different stage along that journey.  Our focus is on progress upon our personal journey and accountability before God to continue that journey.  Through formal and informal Christian education we share our beliefs with one another to build a foundation of faith for our youth and ourselves.

We believe that each person is unique and valuable.  It is the will of God that every person belongs to a family of faith where all people know themselves valued and loved.

We believe that HCC is called to be a united and uniting church.  “We are many members and we are one.”  (John 17:21).  We seek to live according to the UCC motto: “In essentials–unity, in nonessentials–diversity, in all things–charity,”we all belong to God and to one worldwide community of faith, and we welcome all persons of every race, ethnicity, class, age, gender, physical or mental ability, or sexual orientation to take part in the sacraments and life of our church.  The supremacy of love and unity in the midst of our diversity are our greatest values.

We believe that God calls us to be servants in the service of others.  To believe is to care, to care is to do.  God calls us to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to minister to the oppressed and to care for the under-served.

We believe in the power of peace.  Through outreach and personal commitments, we are working together to promote social justice and to achieve nonviolent solutions to local, national and international problems.

As approved by the congregation of the Hingham Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in May of 2007.

At the heart of historic Congregationalism is the belief that the best, most faithful decisions are worked out in groups where each person has a voice. This belief shapes Hingham Congregational Church’s approach to decision making. Like all churches with Congregational roots, HCC is governed by the members of the congregation in trusting partnership with its pastors—guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Members prayerfully call ministers to serve, discern directions for ministry, draw up and approve budgets, and organize ourselves for ministry and mission in the world.

All this calls for the participation of gifted and generous lay leaders, and opportunities abound for helping shape and lead our life in community. We believe that everyone in our community, new or long established , has something important to offer, and we aim to help everyone who wishes to take part find just the right place for their strengths and gifts. Each year the Nominating Committee works to help people identify their gifts and areas of interest, and to help them find ways to get involved at HCC. If you would like to be involved , please let our pastor or one of the deacons know.

HCC is led by the following Officers, Boards and Committees:

Church Leadership
Officers ( Moderator, Assistant Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer,  and Members at Large)
Executive Council (comprised of Officers and Chairs of Boards and Committees)

Worship and Spiritual Life
Board of Deacons
Music Committee

Christian Formation

Board of Faith Formation

Hospitality
Fellowship Committee

Outreach
Board of Outreach

Stewardship of our Resources
Board of Stewardship
Board of Trustees
Endowment and Memorial Fund
Staff Relations Committee
Finance Committee

Like most Protestant denominations, the United Church of Christ recognizes two sacraments: Baptism and Communion. 

Baptism
Baptism at HCC celebrates one’s belonging to the family of God. Parents and the congregation give thanks to God for the gift of new life in the community of faith. We give witness to the fact that we are related to this person and have a responsibility for his or her growth in faith. Through water at baptism, God embraces you — no matter who you are — and brings you into Christ’s Church. You become vital not only to Hingham Congregational Church, but the wider Church. You share in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. The church also promises to love, support, and care for you throughout your whole life. Baptized, you now participate fully in life of the Church and God’s realm. Although infant baptism is typically celebrated at HCC, people of all ages can receive the sacrament of baptism.

Communion
Communion is also a sacrament that celebrates our identity and calling. For in this sacrament we are reminded of our identity as a member of the body of Christ, the Church. We receive our Lord’s gift of himself, his life, his love and forgiveness in order that we may live this gift and be his body in the world. Communion is a sacrament of love.  It is an offer from Christ: to share life with us, to share ministry with us. At HCC we believe in an open table, this is God’s table not ours, all are welcome.

The United Church of Christ formed in 1957 as a creative blending of four distinct Christian traditions, each with its own history and gifts. Taking as our motto Jesus’ prayer for church unity, “That they may all be one,” the UCC has affirmed from its earliest days that Christians can live in communion even when we differ. The UCC was and is one of the most diverse Christian bodies in the United States.

The United Church of Christ stands in a rich theological tradition that draws on three primary sources: the Bible, the ancient creeds, and the insights of the Protestant Reformation.

As a denomination, our roots are in the “covenantal’ tradition—meaning we have no centralized authority or hierarchy that can impose any doctrine, practice, or form of worship on our members. Christ alone is Head of the church. For us, faithfulness is found in the dynamic interplay between freedom of conscience and respect for the apostolic faith. We like to say that the historic creeds and confessions of our ancestors are testimonies, not tests of the faith. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome to covenant with us.

The 5,287 churches of the United Church of Christ are organized into local Associations, which are grouped into Conferences, which together make up the National church. Delegates from all 38 Conferences gather every two years in General Synod to share faith, appoint officers, and vote on resolutions. Membership in the United Church of Christ offers many chances to participate at the local, regional, and national level.

Hingham Congregational Church, UCC is a member of the Pilgrim  Association of the Southern New England Conference of United Church of Christ.

For more information:

Learn about the United Church of Christ

Learn about the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ

We believe in the triune God: Creator, resurrected Christ, the sole Head of the church, and the Holy Spirit, who guides and brings about the creative and redemptive work of God in the world.

We believe that each person is unique and valuable. It is the will of God that every person belong to a family of faith where they have a strong sense of being valued and loved.

We believe that each person is on a spiritual journey and that each of us is at a different stage of that journey.

We believe that the persistent search for God produces an authentic relationship with God, engendering love, strengthening faith, dissolving guilt, and giving life purpose and direction.

We believe that all of the baptized ‘belong body and soul to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’ No matter who – no matter what – no matter where we are on life’s journey – notwithstanding race, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, class or creed – we all belong to God and to one worldwide community of faith. All persons baptized – past, present and future – are connected to each other and to God through the sacrament of baptism. We baptize during worship when the community is present because baptism includes the community’s promise of ‘love, support and care’ for the baptized – and we promise that we won’t take it back – no matter where your journey leads you.

We believe that all people of faith are invited to join Christ at Christ’s table for the sacrament of Communion. Just as many grains of wheat are gathered to make one loaf of bread and many grapes are gathered to make one cup of wine, we, the many people of God, are made one in the body of Christ, the church. The breaking of bread and the pouring of wine reminds us of the costliness of Christ’s sacrifice and the discipleship to which we are all called. In the breaking of bread, we remember and celebrate Christ’s presence among us along with a ‘cloud of witnesses’ – our ancestors, family and friends who have gone before us. It is a great mystery; we claim it by faith.

We believe the UCC is called to be a united and uniting church. “That they may all be one.” (John 17:21) “In essentials–unity, in nonessentials–diversity, in all things–charity,” These UCC mottos survive because they touch core values deep within us. The UCC has no rigid formulation of doctrine or attachment to creeds or structures. Its overarching creed is love. UCC pastors and teachers are known for their commitment to excellence in theological preparation, interpretation of the scripture and justice advocacy. Even so, love and unity in the midst of our diversity are our greatest assets.

We believe that God calls us to be servants in the service of others and to be good stewards of the earth’s resources. ‘To believe is to care; to care is to do.’

We believe that the UCC is called to be a prophetic church. As in the tradition of the prophets and apostles, God calls the church to speak truth to power, liberate the oppressed, care for the poor and comfort the afflicted.

We believe in the power of peace, and work for nonviolent solutions to local, national, and international problems.

We are a people of possibility. In the UCC, members, congregations and structures have the breathing room to explore and to hear … for after all, God is still speaking, …