South Church began on May 3, 1824 when 75 subscribers signed a preliminary agreement to form the South Amherst Congregational Society to support public worship and to build a meetinghouse. They pledged building materials, labor, cash, and miscellaneous items with a value of about $3,300, a princely sum at that time. The land for the building was a gift from Deacon Nathaniel C. Dickinson.
The South Congregational Church Society was officially organized on June 28, 1824. Books of Records began on October 14, 1824. The building was dedicated on November 3, 1825. The church was incorporated in 1915 as the South Congregational Church in Amherst. The first of South Church pastors was Rev. Horace B. Chapin who was called to serve for the annual salary of $400 plus 20 cords of wood to be cut, split and stacked in his woodshed. Other paid employees included Deacon Nathaniel C. Dickinson who, in 1829, was paid $6.00 for ringing the bell for one year.
Our steeple bell was made by the Revere Foundry and is so inscribed.
In December of 1829 it was voted to raise $40 for the purpose of paying a singing master. Our church has had wonderful music ever since, after overcoming an 1853 quarrel over music that split the congregation into two parts, one meeting upstairs and one down. The pastor at the time, Rev. James L. Merrick, settled the matter by resigning from one church and declaring the congregation with the greater number of long term members to be the official church. There were 80 members of record in 1864.
Our first pipe organ was purchased in 1911. Our second pipe organ was installed in 1969 and was built from a few new parts and a few parts from the old organ. Our current Casavant pipe organ was installed in 2012.
This church has always had a strong commitment to missions. There was a Home Missionary Society, a Foreign Missions Society, a Ladies’ Benevolent Society, and missionaries sent out by this church over the years. Our current Board of Christian Outreach distributes 9% of pledge funds collected plus funds and materials collected for various missionary purposes and coordinates staffing for local homeless shelters. From 2009 to 2017 we sent teams to West Virginia as part of the Appalachian Service Project’s (ASP) efforts to make homes warmer, safer, and drier. From the earliest days of the Congregational Society, we have supported Christian education.
Our tradition of giving Bibles to Sunday School children on Children’s Sunday began in June 1890. In 1939, the South East Chapel was received as a gift from the South East Sunday School Association. The building was dismantled and moved from what is now Mechanic Street/Chapel Road to become our church kitchen. To celebrate the church’s 150th anniversary, we added a Sunday School addition to the church. We have since raised the roof to make more space for education and youth activities. Our Board of Christian Education continues to support children, youth and adults in their Christian formation and to provide events that help families have fun together and build our sense of community.
We are pleased to provide a beautiful, historic parsonage just across the street from the meetinghouse which is available for our pastor and their family. Our pastor supports all of our gatherings: a Bible Study, our Called to Care Ministry, our Green Team’s efforts to save the planet, youth service projects, outreach to the homeless or anyone in need, our special events and so much more.
