Church History
On the evening of February 16, 1846, about 25 men
of Cotuit Port, most of them sea captains, met
to consider the possibility of building a spacious
and conveniently located Meeting House at which
Baptists, Congregationalists, and Methodists might
worship together.
Before the evening was out, they
adopted a statement of purpose, indicated the
number of shares each would take at $25 a share,
and decided to build on land owned by Captain Leander
Nickerson at the top of the hill midway between Cotuit
Port and the area known as Highground.
This arrangement
worked so well that, early in the 1870s, the
building was raised to add a lower floor to accommodate
the growing Sunday School and to obtain more space
for community gatherings. In 1879, however, there
was a parting of the ways between the Congregationalists
and the Methodists. The Methodists secured land
at the corner of School and High Streets (the site
of our present church) and on April 5, 1901 the
cornerstone was laid.
A period of calm descended
upon the community and social life seems to have
resumed its former character and pace. But by the
early 1920s, both denominations were apparently
quite willing to consider the desirability of federation.
The explanation most often given for this event
was "to have a church at all, self-supporting
and doing its work properly, cooperation must be practiced."
Whatever
the reasons for federation, those who took
that step in 1923 agreed to disagree, but resolved
to love and serve. The Cotuit Federated Church continues
it’s
affiliation as a Methodist and United Church of Christ
(formerly Congregational) Church welcoming worshipers
of all faiths.
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