It was 1790 and a few men and women began meeting regularly on the Westerly side of the Thames river.  Their numbers increased and soon they were recognized as a branch of the Baptist Church of Kingston, RI.  In 1800 a council of the New London Baptist Association was called and they recognized these faithful people as a Baptist Church.  Twenty-eight men and women signed the covenant.  Mr. John Sterry, a young printer and book binder from Preston, was chosen the first pastor and remained with the church for twenty three years.

    In 1802 the congregation moved into a meeting house on High Street.  The ministry reached out from there for the next three quarters of a century.  In 1880 the church began building a new meetinghouse on the corner of Main and fairmount Streets.  The building was completed and dedicated in 1883 and it stands today as we worship and serve God.

    There have been changes in both the ministry and the meetinghouse over the years.  Rev. George Strouse brought a strong evangelistic preaching style with him in the years surrounding WWI and Rev. Percy Kilmister gave us a vision of community in the Depression years of the 1930's. The church was burned and then restored in the 40's and the entire pulpit area was redesigned and a new organ installed.  The first of the stained glass windows, "The Good Shepherd," was given as a memorial and a few years later "the Light of the World" was added as well. In the late forties Rev. Walter Loomis focused on the family as did his predecessors Rev. Orice Gracey and Rev. Walter Schoepfer.  Under the pastorate of rev. Schoepfer in the early 1960's we had a growing Sunday School and our ministry reached a peak.  Our last two pastors, Rev. Vernon Price and Rev. Douglas Howell, ministered to us as the world went through radical social change and our neighborhood changed from a residentail area to a commercial district.  Only history will tell how this affected the church.

    In 1985 our present pastor, Rev. Dr. Clayton Lord came to us and a new chapter of our history was begun.  Along the way several new families have joined us and lent a helping hand to our work. From musical ministries to sports outreach programs we have been preaching the love of Jesus to a world in desperate need.  If you are in the area, drop in and worship with us. Become a part of what God is doing here in Norwich.

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