Three centuries on Benefit Street.
A congregation that reads carefully, sings the old hymns properly, and has been arguing about the sermon over coffee since before the Republic.
A thinking church, and an old one
Old First has stood on Benefit Street since 1723. The building has burned once, been rebuilt twice, and hosted more town meetings than anyone has counted. The congregation is smaller than it was in 1850 and considerably more curious.
We take scripture seriously enough to disagree about it out loud. Expect a sermon with footnotes, a hymn you may not know, and a conversation afterward that assumes you can hold your own.
Ministries
Full list
Choir & Music
A robed choir of thirty, plus the 1878 tracker organ.
Adult Forum
Sunday at 9:15 — history, theology, and current questions.
Benefit Street Pantry
Wednesdays and Saturdays, open to the neighbourhood.
Calendar
Lecture: The 1723 Charter
A local historian on the founding documents, with the originals on display.
Choral Evensong
Sung by the full choir, followed by sherry in the parlour.
Sermons
Visit
Metered parking on Benefit; free in the College Hill garage on Sundays. Ramp entrance on the north side.