Still Standing: Boston's Historically Puritan Churches

As a town built by religious Puritans and pilgrims, Boston is home to many churches. And although hundreds of years have passed since the rigorous regulations of the Puritans, some of Boston's churches built in 1600s still stand and operate today.

[ Read more about the history here ]

Religion and faith may not have as strong a hold on society as it did back then, but they still continue to play a role for those seeking spiritual fulfillment. And to stay even further involved in society, some churches place a heavy emphasis on social justice work.

Old South Church and First Church Boston are two churches still actively working towards these goals today. As their name suggests, they were two of the earliest churches built by the Puritans in the 1600s. But today, they have taken different paths: one has become a part of the United Church of Christ congregation and the other of the Unitarian Universalist congregation.

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Old South Church

If you have taken a stroll down Boston's Boyston St. right by Copley Square, you may have noticed this building in a corner near the Boston Public Library.

Old South Church was founded in 1669. They broke away from First Church Boston when disagreements arose about the waters of baptism.

"Twenty-eight men and their wives broke away from First Church in Boston because we feel that they were sort of hoarding the waters of baptism," Senior Minister of Old South Church Nancy Taylor said. "The way we would interpret it today is that baptism is grace. And you don't hoard it."

What further sets Old South Church apart from First Church Boston is that they are a Trinitarian church rather than a Unitarian church. The congregation believes in the Trinity of God comprised of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

"We think we have a great origin story about breaking away in order to make God's grace more available. "

The Old South Church building that stands in 645 Boylston St. today is their third location. Though they have moved over the years, their beliefs have not. And it can be traced all the way back "directly" to their Puritan roots.

"The northern Puritans and pilgrims, who are the the ancestors of this congregation, believed in reading and education and travel... and they educated women and children. They educated enslaved people."

Enslaved peoples during the 1600s and 1700s were not allowed to read the Bible. They weren't told stories like the Exodus story of when the Israelites escaped slavery from Egypt.

"And all of a sudden people in black skin and who are enslaved are reading the story of Exodus, and they're going, 'Oh, my gosh, look what this God is about!' And not only that, but God says to Moses, 'Go to that head of state, go to Pharaoh, and intercede on behalf of us.' Which makes us religion and politics, right?"

- Rev. Nancy Taylor

Among the many people who were a part of Old South Church's congregation include Phillis Wheatley and Benjamin Franklin, who was baptized at the church in 1706.

Today, the church is "knee deep" in the world's "most pressing issues:"

• Affordable housing.

• Healthcare.

• Inter-religious relations, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia.

• The unhoused.

• Mass incarceration.

• Climate Change.

• Racism.

• Equal Marriage and LGBTQ+ equality.

Keeping with their emphasis on staying active in society, Old South was the first church in Boston to host a same-sex wedding.

Old South Church is open to the public every day for anyone who wants to sit in prayer or look at the windows portraying stories from the Bible.

Old South Church's stained glass windows were installed in 1875 when the building was built. They tell the story of the Bible: five tell the parable stories of Jesus and five depict Jesus' miracle stories. The windows on the front are "nativity windows," showing the moment when the angels came to announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the field.

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First Church Boston

Established in 1630 by John Winthrop, First Church Boston is quite literally the first church in Boston. But today, they are no longer operating as a part of the Christian sphere.

First Church Boston is of the Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregation, where they believe in a higher power, but are not limited to the traditionally religious idea of who God is, whether that be the Christian, Islamic, Hindu, or even pagan gods.

"Normally, what holds people -- holds the church -- together is a creed, or a hierarchy," Interim Minister Edmund Robison said. "We don't recite anything like that. We say love is the basis of the spiritual. Love is a lot more spongy, and malleable concept than God."

First Church's fifth building, which was built in 1868, was burned down by a fire in 1968. Most of the building was lost, except the facade facing Berkeley Street. First Church's current building which stands at the same location as the one destroyed by the fire, was finished in 1972.

Described as a building "designed for secular as well as religious purposes," the building is a "hybrid" which incorporates the surviving parts of the original structure. Its high ceilings and cleverly built architecture allows for sound to travel and echo throughout the space, perfect for a Sunday service of hymns and worship.

John Winthrop's famous words from a sermon were that the colony established in Massachusetts would be "as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us." And those were the foundational words that built the First Church Boston.

Though the inspiration from those words came from the Christian Bible of Jesus' Sermon On the Mount, they still guide the now UU church today.

"[First Church] as a Unitarian Universalist came out of these beginnings where we were in a strict orthodoxy. Although the important thing was not what you believe, but what you practiced, what kind of life you've lived -- a visible sight."

And for First Church Boston, that translates back to social action.

In the 1960s and 70s, a group of First Church members saw the horrible conditions of Back Bay, which back then was "a slump." They raised money and bought brownstones on Clarendon street to house seniors who lived in what were called cold water flats in Back Bay. Their efforts are still seen today at Hale House where they house 55 senior citizens year round.

Hale House is located on 273 Clarendon St., just a couple blocks away from First Church.

And First Church's commitment to social justice work goes beyond taking care of the elderly. Evident through the banners that decorate their church building, they publicly support the LGBTQIA+ community and social justice movements like Black Lives Matter.

First Church Boston became a Unitarian Universalist in the 1900s when the Unitarians merged with the Universalists. Though the two associations don't quite agree on everything, Rev. Robinson believes it is what makes them unique and appealing to those searching for spiritual fulfillment and desire to connect with others.

"This symbol, these two circles that don't quite coalesce together, that's the interesting thing to me. What's in these little little crescents there?"

- Rev. Edmund Robinson

Rev. Robinson emphasizes the importance of questioning and seeking answers together. Combining different perspectives and beliefs allow for a more in-depth exploration into faith and spirituality.

Based on its history, Unitarian Universalism is all about critical thinking. And for UU-ism, it started from thinking critically about the Christian text: the Bible. Today, they continue to look at religious texts with an open mind and heart as they explore more than just the Bible, but also include teachings from all spiritual practices from all over the world.

First Church Boston is open for Sunday services at 11am at 66 Marlborough St.

Photos by Tivara Tanudjaja