+ Read more

Rev. Stephen W. Stebbins (1758-1843) was a pastor in Stratford for 29 years after graduating from Yale, Rev. Stebbins was the first experienced pastor hired by First Church, the result of the good position we were in following Rev. Williston. Rev. Stebbins brought Evangelical fervor and a missionary zeal similar to Rev. Williston, but including such firsts as: supporting foreign missions, first Sunday School, and joining the American Bible Society, Sunday School Union, and Temperance Society. He ministered with grace and tact, ably aided by his eldest son William, who also operated a prep school.

+ Read more

Rev. George A. Bryan (1819-1913) was educated at Yale in Divinity. One year after arriving here, the 7 year old Church building burned to the ground, and under his leadership was immediately rebuilt. Rev. Bryan’s ministry covered the Civil War, a time of rapid growth in West Haven. The period was “troublous,” and many large contributions of money and clothing went from the Church to the war effort. In 1869, after a serious illness, he asked to resign, and in its acceptance, the Church said he had been “an excellent pastor.” He later served in other churches and in the state legislature, and when he died was the last surviving member of his Yale class.

+ Read more

Rev. Wilmer Johnston (1881-1946) was educated at Randolph Macon College, he studied Divinity at Vanderbilt University and at Yale. At his request the custom of holding an installation service with the New Haven Association was revived. Rev. Johnson’s pastorate was notable with a substantial growth of membership and finances. Most notable: Sunday School enrollment reached an all-time high (It was also over 500 in the 1950’s.), RANKING OUR CHURCH AMONG THE TOP 5 SUNDAY SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY, according to former Historian Ed Chase. Rev. Johnston’s resignation, due to ill health, was accepted with regret.

+ Read more

Rev. Dr. Roy Boaz (1889-1963) was extensively educated with 2 degrees in education and a M.A., he served in the Army in WWI. He married into part ownership of a large family-owned fruit business and was encouraged to become an ordained preacher in the Church of the Brethren, and served 4 years as Principal of a Brethren academy, and in addition, preached extensively. Taking a leave of absence in 1928, he entered Yale Divinity. He became a student Assistant at our Church, and entered a Ph.D. program. Upon Rev. Johnston’s resignation, he was asked to serve as Acting Pastor, and soon was called as our Pastor. He completed his Ph.D. and dissertation in 1939: “Study of the Faith and Practice of the First Congregational Church, West Haven, 1719-1914”*. His Pastorate was during the Depression, and he faced major reduction in Church income. With his business and education experience, Dr. Boaz was able to rally the Congregation to meet the economic crisis. He became active in Rotary here, even reaching International Governor for Connecticut and Western Mass. He resigned in 1941 to become Executive Secretary for the new Pittsburgh Christian Council, then a campus minister, and later returning to the family owned Dove Orchard Co., where he also served as a part-time interim in local churches.

• from which much of the “Book of Ministers” was taken.

+ Read more

Rev. Dr. Gerald Jud (1919-2019) was the son and grandson of Evangelical pastors, he served as a part-time pastor in one of his father’s former Texas churches after graduating from Baylor in 1940. After graduating from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1943, he came to Yale Divinity, and served as Student Assistant at our Church until 1946, when he became Senior Pastor here. He received his Ph.D. from Yale in 1950. He had been so diligent in his duties here, with wisdom beyond his years, while maintaining a notable scholarly record at Yale, he was the immediate and unanimous choice of the Pastoral Supply Committee – the youngest in over a century - upon the resignation of Rev. Hinkelman. He met and married his wife Esther when both were at Yale Divinity – they were a strong team – and their daughter Carol was the first child born in the parsonage in many years. Esther drowned in a boating accident while visiting West Haven in 1961 – hence the Esther Stuermer Jud Memorial Hymnal.

Rev. Jud’s ministry was innovative, loving, and profoundly inspirational. He formed study groups that helped people meet life’s problems in Christ’s spirit, as well as Lenten home meetings. He began the tradition of holding periodic retreats. He developed the Colony System to further strengthen the spirit of togetherness, which he called the Beloved Community. His development of his Yale Student Assistants was widely recognized, with many of them making important contributions to ministry. His Ph.D. being in the psychology of religion, counseling became increasingly important in his ministry. His sermons were “spell-binding,” as well as scholarly.

The great test of his leadership and inspiration was the rebuilding of the Steeple, destroyed by the hurricane in 1950, despite many financing and construction difficulties. He achieved not only a better and more beautiful structure, but a more united community better able to do God’s work. He also inspired the initial work in raising funds and building the Education Building. In his time, our Church had 1500 members and 500 in the Sunday School.

From 1960 to 1975 he served in high positions in the UCC, as well as positions in the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Through these years he became increasingly interested in the Human Potential movement and since 1975 operated the Shalom Mountain Retreat Center, and since about 1990, the Timshel Center for the Study and Practice of Mysticism until shortly before the time of his death in 2019 at the age of 100. He authored 7 books and coauthored 6 books and many articles on church and culture.

He had planned to attend church here, give a mini-sermon, and have lunch on June 3, 2018, at age 99, but had to cancel due to last minute illness.

+ Read more

Rev. Ernest Bodenweber (1925-present) was raised in Cleveland, he was educated at Denison U. and Andover Newton Theological Seminary (B.D. 1952) and was a Research Fellow at Yale in 1976. Through early inspirations and experiences, he began to recognize his gift for ministering to others. He married Dorothy in 1955 and they had 2 daughters. He spent the first half of his career ministering in 3 churches in Mass., before becoming Associate Minister here in 1969, and for nearly 20 years thereafter, the longest serving Minister at our Church since 1900. From 1971, he served as Pastor or co-Pastor with 2 other co-Pastors ‘til 1988. In 1978 to 79, his “2nd Hour” program produced a group called the “Earth Stewardship,” which he encouraged to form a coalition called the “Concerned Citizens for Bradley Point” of 1979, which petitioned the Harbor Mist Restaurant to accept Mayor Johnson’s “Compromise Plan,” which is to this day the legal basis of the Bradley Point Park. In 1977, his wife, very active in the Church, died suddenly and was greatly grieved. He married Muriel in 1982, daughter of former Deacon Harold Bone. Bodie’s spiritual, Christ-like, and genuine ways inspired the loyalty, love, acceptance and support of the people of this Church. In spring 2019, he pleasantly surprised the “Friends and Fellowship” group for lunch at Church on the way to visit our Church’s oldest member – 30 years after retiring!

+ Read more

Rev. Timothy Benson (1949- ) was raised in Danbury, CT, he graduated from Albion College and Andover-Newton Seminary, and was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1975. Pastor Benson attended several other seminary programs and holds added certifications. From 1976 to 1988, he pastored 4 New England Congregational churches, including Seymour Congregational from 1981 to ’87, before coming here as Senior Pastor, with his wife Lori, in 1988, the first to hold that title since the mid-1970’s. They had 3 boys. In West Haven, he served on the Clergy Association and both the West Haven Interfaith Housing Taskforce and Emergency Assistance Taskforce. Long-Range Planning, adoption of the Mission Statement, and celebration of our 275 Year took place. Soon after the departure of the second of 2 outstanding Ministers of Christian Education, Rev. Benson departed to be pastor of the UCC church in Holliston, MA.

+ Read more

Rev. David Stickney – (1944 - ) was born in Lancaster, PA, Dave grew up in Georgia and later the Boston area, since his father was in the Army. After graduating from college, he entered Andover Newton Theological School in 1968 and graduated in 1971. He met his wife Jane while at Andover, were married in Connecticut, and daughter Heather was born in 1975. Dave and Jane, an Episcopal Vicar, ministered in Torrington, Higganum, other churches, and special service agencies, as well as many years as counselor and designer of many conferences at Silver Lake Conference Center. He served here as Interim Associate Pastor from Sept. 1995 to Dec. 1998.

+ Read more

Rev. Steven Langehough, Senior Pastor, despite 100 Pastoral Search committee meetings, this former military Chaplain was deemed unsuited for our Church and was relieved of his duties by vote of the Congregation.

+ Read more

Rev. Susan Murtha, Interim Pastor, was healing and thoughtful. Pastor Susan initiated the Ministry Team concept to better set and achieve goals for professional staff. She was affective in finding ways for opposite sides to work together. She oversaw the Mission Plan process adopted by the Congregation in Nov. 2015.