About First Christian Church
A little church with a big heart.
If you are looking for a church with traditional Christian values, you have found it!
Welcome to the First Christian Church of Kittery Point, Maine.
FCC has been called, “the little church with a big heart.” We care about anyone who comes our way, no matter the circumstances. We aim to spread God’s word while creating a respectful and heartfelt environment where one can personally experience and embrace God our Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
We are an evangelical church committed to the authority of the Bible. We are affiliated with a fellowship of like-minded churches (each church is autonomous and governed by its members), the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, who support traditional Biblical values following the love and teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Our History
Established on November 6, 1806, “For the glory of God,” we continue the historic tradition of our first pastor, Elder Moses Safford, a native of Massachusetts. He was the first Christian minister in Maine, and the first preacher in Maine to style himself “Christian” without any additional name. He took charge of the little flock in Kittery Point. Elder Safford led the Church in building the first Meeting House, constructed in Kittery Point on Tenney Hill, dedicated December 22, 1807. Elder Safford faithfully led the church throughout the War of 1812 and ministered until 1815.
1800s
The second pastor of the First Christian Church was Elder Mark Fernald, who was born in Kittery Point in 1784. His father was John Fernald and his mother was Elizabeth (White) Fernald. Elder Fernald saw the construction of a new Meeting House at the present location. It was erected in 1842. On August 10, 1849, “the Chapel of the First Christian Church was destroyed by fire – ‘the work of an enemy.’” A new Christian Chapel — the present Church Sanctuary — was built on January 26, 1850, and “publicly dedicated to God and His son Jesus Christ, as a House in which true worshipers should enjoy liberty to worship in Spirit and in Truth.” Elder Mark Fernald led the First Christian Church for about 36 years and his service ended, in 1851.
1900s
On November 20th, 1906, the Rockingham Christian Conference observed the hundredth anniversary of First Christian Church, with Reverend John H. Mugridge reading the history of the church. The following January, the church’s first communion service was celebrated in a prayer meeting led by Reverend Mugridge. In 1957, the church became a member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference.
Today
At the retirement of the Rev. Dr. William Gough in 2017, the church welcomed Rev. Greg Lull as its pastor. Pastor Lull and his wife Suzanne faithfully served the church for five years through the COVID-19 pandemic until his retirement at the end of 2022. The church formed a search committee to find a new pastor, and in May 2023 elected Loren “Larry” Bickford as the new pastor at First Christian Church. Larry received his B.S. in Religion from Liberty University, and is currently pursuing his Master’s in Divinity.
During the summer of 2022, First Christian Church voted to welcome a newly formed Messianic Jewish congregation into its facilities. Reverend William Bayliss leads Shabbat services on Saturdays in the only Messianic Jewish congregation in the Kittery area.