Location & Directions
Members' Entrance
Guest Book
About Us
Our Pastor
Contact Us
Come Get to Know Us
Welcome!
Ridgebury Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Ridgefield, Connecticut, offers a relaxed atmosphere for family worship in a quiet rural setting. We invite you to join us any Sunday for Worship at 10:00 AM. After Sunday Services, be sure to make time for coffee and conversation in Shields Hall. We also provide Sunday School and infant care.
We are located in northern Ridgefield near the Danbury town line, 2 miles west of the Danbury Fair Mall and 2 miles south of Interstate 84 ( map ). Find out more about us by reading The Cornerstone - our monthly newsletter, viewing our online calendar, or perusing the many other areas of our site. You can also join our email mailing list and receive announcements of news concerning the Church.
Ridgebury Pageant photos!
Click Here to visit our Events page, where you can see photos from our 2011 Christmas pageant.
Audio sermons are here!
As of January 8, 2012, you can listen to Pastor John's sermons through our web site. Simply select "Listen to Sermons" under the "Our Pastor" menu option, or Click Here .
Who We Are
Ridgebury Congregational Church, UCC, is a church old in years, but young in spirit. A member church of the United Church of Christ , we are an inclusive and welcoming congregation. We strive to be a positive force in the world at large, and seek to create a Christian community focused on love, acceptance, and inquiry into the spiritual and social justice issues of our time.
Covenant And Mission Statement
Our Members' Covenant is an integral part of our Constitution, and also contains our mission statement, shown below in italics:
"We covenant with one another to seek and respond to the Word and Will of God, and to walk together in the ways of the Lord, made known and to be made known to us. We hold it to be the mission of this church that:
Relying on the Holy Spirit to lead us and empower us,
we worship God, and witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
with loving service and commitment to justice and peace.
We pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, and we look with faith toward the triumph of righteousness and eternal life."
Our Statement of Faith:
"This church acknowledges as its sole Head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior. It acknowledges as kindred in Christ all who share in this confession. It looks to the Word of God in the Scripture, and to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to prosper its creative and redemptive work in the world. It affirms the responsibility of the church in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God."
John was born in Grand Island, Nebraska, on August 21, 1962, the first of three children. With his parents and sister he moved to the East Coast when he was three, and grew up in rural New Jersey (yes, such a thing exists). A product of that state’s public schools, John took his undergraduate degree in history with minors in English and education from Rutgers University, intending to follow in both of his parents’ footsteps and build a career in education. After teaching for a time, he entered the business world, working for a number of years in management in the foodservice industry.
Following a period of vocational and spiritual discernment, John entered seminary in 1992, studying for a year at the New Brunswick Theological Seminary in his native New Jersey before going off to Yale Divinity School, from which he received his Master of Divinity. During his time at Yale, John served for two years as parish associate at the First Congregational Church of Branford.
Following his graduation from Yale, John headed north to Boston, where he served in campus ministry, most notably on the campuses of Boston University and Boston College. Also while in Boston, John completed a master's degree in history at Harvard University, with a thesis that examined social, constitutional and political change during the New Deal era, a topic on which he is willing to hold forth at great length at the slightest provocation. (You have been warned!) Shortly after coming to Ridgefield, John completed a Master of Sacred Theology at Boston University.
His family was Lutheran, and John worshipped in that denomination until his high school years, when he came to personal faith thanks to several friends who worshipped in a local Assemblies of God church. After attending that church for several years, John returned to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America briefly at the outset of his seminary years, before finding a spiritual home in the United Church of Christ. Though a latecomer compared to some to the UCC, John has come to appreciate his denominational home for both its rich spiritual and liturgical heritage and its continuing dedication to congregationalism.
Since coming to Ridgebury, John has become involved in a number of Ridgefield civic organizations, most notably the Ridgefield Historical Society. John is a member of the Historical Society's board of directors and has delivered a series of lectures on American and Ridgefield religious history, which may be found on the Historical Society's website. John has also recently begun a Doctor of Ministry program at Regent University, and anticipates receiving his DMin in 2013.
John is single, and when free time permits enjoys music, art and architecture, camping and hiking, animals, swimming, rowing, drawing, and the occasional nap. Despite the twin handicaps of being born in the Midwest and raised in the Middle Atlantic states, John has come to love New England during his graduate school years, and hopes that at some point during next couple of decades he will come to be thought of as, at least, a naturalized immigrant.
Unable to attend a Sunday worship service? Trying to recall something specific from Pastor John's sermon? Or perhaps you wish to tell a friend about his sermon and want to be sure that you restate it correctly.
Here, you can listen to Pastor John's sermons at your leisure. Simply select from the list below (beginning January 8, 2012).
Say hello to Mango! Mango is proud to be a breeding dog for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, and she happily resides at the parsonage with Pastor John. To date, Mango has brought eight pups-in-training into this world.
You will often find Mango at Pastor John's side in Shields Hall. Stop by to say hello to her! Nothing pleases her more than to meet new people. (You will quickly discover that when you meet her!)
Ridgebury Congregational Church is located in Ridgefield, Connecticut, two miles west of the Danbury Mall at the corner of Ridgebury Road and George Washington Highway. Parking is provided at Shields Hall, across Ridgebury Road from the church.
From Ridgefield:
Drive north on North Salem Road, Route 116, approximately 2.8 miles to the high school. Turn right onto Ridgebury Road. Follow Ridgebury Road north to the stop sign at George Washington Highway. The church will be just ahead to your left. The parking lot entrance is on your right just past the church.
From Danbury:
Follow Backus Avenue west from the Danbury Fair Mall. Backus Ave merges with Miry Brook Road just west of the airport, by the FedEx depot. From this intersection, go west on Miry Brook Road for one half mile to George Washington Highway. Take George Washington Highway one mile to its end at Ridgebury Road. The church will be across Ridgebury Road to your right. Turn right, then right again into the parking lot.
From Interstate 84:
Take Exit 1 (Saw Mill Road.) If you’re coming from the east, turn left and go under the interstate. From the west, turn right at bottom of the ramp. Drive 2 miles south to the church. (The road’s name will change to Ridgebury Road along the way.) The parking lot entrance is on your left just before you reach the church.
1707
32 colonists from Norwalk buy 20,000 acres from Chief Catoonah for 100 pounds of Connecticut currency
1709
Colonial General Assembly creates Ridgefield
1731
“New Patent” or “Ridgebury” land acquired from Indians
1737
Ridgefield Town Meeting allows Ridgebury to build on a tract of land laid out for a meeting house (the town had to vote permission to open another worship venue)
1738
Ridgebury congregation begins meeting in the “New Patent Meeting House” (south of the present church)
1743
Ridgebury Cemetery established
1760
Ridgebury Ecclesiastical Society established. In 1960 at Ridgebury Congregational Church’s 200th Anniversary Services, Connecticut Governor Abraham Ribicoff officially recognized 1760 as the congregation’s organizational birthdate.
1762
John Whitlock donates land for “house for public worship of God” to “Dissenting Society in Ridgebury” (There’s no record of who was dissenting from whom or about what!)
1764
Congregation “voted ourselves Congregationals”
1768-9
New church building constructed, 46' x 36', with no plaster, walls, or pews for 24 years!
1777
British, returning to coast from their raid on Danbury, fire upon parsonage
1781
Rochambeau with 6,000 troops encamps at “Ridgebury Meeting House” corner
1790
Phillis, a Negro woman servant, is baptized and admitted as a member of the church
1792, 1816, 1834
Major repairs of church; pews handmade, walls plastered
1800–1850
Throughout the first half of the 19th century, Ridgebury quickly grew into a thriving village with a stagecoach line running from the Whitney home on Old Stagecoach Road to Norwalk, leaving Ridgebury at 2:30 am. Ridgebury had its own post office and general store (right beside the church).
1839
Ridgebury Congregationalists help care for and save the ship Amistad’s 53 Mendi captives of West Africa from being sold as slaves
1844
Another parsonage erected
1851
Present church erected on site of the 1768 building, using materials from 1768 church with no increase in foundation size. This is the current structure, built in Greek Revival architectural style which was a mid-19th century movement to re-introduce the classic lines of ancient Greek temples into the design of everyday buildings.
1870
Railroad arrived to connect Danbury and Ridgefield to Norwalk and New York City. The area slowly converted from subsistence farming to dairy farms supplying the surrounding suburban communities.
1922
Church closed and deserted for a year
1923
Hugh Shields, minister of First Congregational Church (downtown Ridgefield) and a few Ridgebury residents reopened Ridgebury Congregational Church.
1968
Ridgebury Church establishes a community day nursery and a Country Day School
1972–4
Members of the congregation, with help from an architect and professional contractors, convert classrooms into a parsonage and add second floor to Shields Hall
1983
Connecticut State Historic Preservation office nominates Ridgebury Congregational Church to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places, administered by the National Park Service under the United States Department of the Interior
1984
Ridgebury Congregational Church is accepted for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Although this listing “ordinarily excludes properties...used for religious purposes,” Ridgebury Congregational Church receives the distinction of being listed because it is deemed “a religious property deriving primary significance from architectural...artistic distinction [and] historical importance”
2006
State of Connecticut recognizes Ridgebury Congregational Church as major historical site on Rochambeau’s 1781 march from Rhode Island to Yorktown VA. Plaque presented to church.
Ridgebury Congregational Church serves as a beacon of American history and a symbol of continuing faith. This corner, this land, has been witness to the establishment of the United States through peace and war.
The areas religious role dates from the establishment of the New Patent Meeting House in 1738, which was recognized by a Ridgefield town meeting on December 13, 1742. It was formally organized as The Ridgebury Ecclesiastical Society with a congregation of 18 members in January of 1760, and recognized by the colonial Connecticut General Assembly in 1761.
The Ridgebury Pound was authorized at the Ridgefield town meeting in 1737, and was located at the joining of Old Stagecoach and Ridgebury roads. To be officially designated as a Town, an area had to include a church, a school, a meeting house, and a pound. The four elements were closely connected as the minister was often the school teacher, and the school teacher often served as shepherd for the pound. The pound was fenced-in acreage on which the towns 2,000 sheep were kept, along with any domestic animals straying from local farms. Farmers paid to rent the towns sheep for several weeks to graze and fertilize their lands. Strays were reclaimed by paying a fee (25 cents) which in turn was used to finance the schools. Ridgebury in the 1700s usually had five schools with a minimum of nine students each. Students had to bring their own firewood to school.
Ridgebury applied three times to become a town separate from Ridgefield and Danbury, but the two towns, not wishing to lose their land or one of their two General Assembly representatives respectively, repeatedly voted against granting the request.
However, Ridgebury remained quite a self-sufficient neighborhood boasting four taverns (including two Keeler Taverns), two stores, a sawmill, a clothier, a tanner, a blacksmith, two plasterers and a trader with good road access to New York. The tax list for Ridgebury right after the Revolution included 619 head of cattle, 148 horses, 849 sheep, 1,111 acres of farmlands, 2,159 acres of meadows and 3,350 acres of boggy and bushy land. Also taxed in Ridgebury were one chaise, 19 silver watches, 4 metal clocks, 4 wooden clocks, and 232 fireplaces.
Ridgebury industry grew quickly with many hatters and shoemakers. The church clerks records also show that in the late 1800s over a thousand women were employed to finish shirts that were cut out in New York City and brought to Ridgebury for sewing.
Throughout almost 250 years the church has been served by 32 ministers, four of whom served a total of 112 of those years: Samuel Camp (17691804), who is buried in the cemetery with his three wives); Nathan Burton (18211841); William Parsons (18711884, 18891895); and Hugh Shields, who served 39 years from 19231962 while also serving full time at the First Congregational Church of Ridgefield from 19191956. Hugh Shields son, Reed, was buried next to his father in Ridgebury Cemetery in 2006. Many of these ministers were students at or graduates of Yale School of Divinity following in the footsteps of Samuel Camp and Hugh Shields.
In the quiet of this simple frame church and the nearby cemetery you can sense the presence of colonials. Troops from England, France, French Canada and the Colonies have passed by here and have camped both on the land and in the church. Among the famous, Benedict Arnold, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington with the Marquis de Lafayette met here with the Comte de Rochambeau from France; British General Tryon with his Danbury-burning army passed by. Ridgebury was well represented among the 275 Ridgefielders fighting the Revolutionary War, and Ridgebury Cemetery, established in 1743, is the final resting place of 16 Revolutionary War soldiers. One, Thomas Boughton, joined the French troops under Rochambeau as a teamster, and was honored with a cannon salute and graveside homage from the French Ambassador at the 1981 re-enactment of Rochambeaus army encampment at Ridgebury Church. Ridgefield men and women have continued to serve our country faithfully throughout its history: 209 in the Civil War, 171 in World War I, 625 in World War II, and others in Korea, Viet Nam, and the Middle East. Many of these were from Ridgebury.
In the application to the National Register of Historic Places, David Ransom of the Connecticut Historical Commission comments: The church was an important center of community life in Connecticut history and in Ridgefield for many decades, especially during the years until 1818 when it was taxpayer-supported. In Ridgebury, the importance of the churchs location as the activity center was strengthened by the fact that the general store and post office were next door, to the north. The corner of Ridgebury Road and George Washington Highway both religiously and commercially was the center of the community....the white church on its country corner...makes an important contribution to the historic and architectural character of the community.
- Josette Williams, RCC Historian
News items are available for download. Just click below on the item you're interested in reading.
These news items are in Adobe's portable document format (PDF), which will allow you to view and print them with all of their original formatting preserved. Adobe offers free PDF viewing software (Acrobat Reader) for most computers.
Rev. Heeckt talks about history of religion.pdf
heeckt_history_series_continues.pdf
History of Religion in Ridgefield.pdf
Minister to give lecture on Colonial churches.pdf
Ridgebury Church will bury time.pdf
Ridgebury Congregational Church Preservation.pdf
Ridgebury Congregational Church embarks on preservation project.pdf
This portion of our site provides an opportunity for you to view editions of our monthly newsletter, The Cornerstone . For visitors wishing to learn more about our Ridgebury Congregational family, what better way than to peruse the writings of our Deacons, minister, and other members of our congregation!
Cornerstone_2011-01.pdf
Cornerstone_2011-02.pdf
Cornerstone_2011-03.pdf
Cornerstone_2011-04.pdf
Cornerstone_2011-05.pdf
Cornerstone_2011-06.pdf
CnrSt 7-11.pdf
CnrSt 9-11.pdf
CnrSt 10-11.pdf
CnrSt 11-11.pdf
This portion of our site contains anything from upcoming events (such as special church services, tag sales, etc.) to snapshots of previous events. Please check back for updates!
In the meantime, we do provide several ongoing events that may interest you...
Adult Discussion Groups
Ridgebury Congregational Church offers two adult discussion groups each week, both of which are open to visitors:
For more details about our happenings, be sure to view our monthly newsletter, The Cornerstone , or visit our online calendar . And of course, please Contact Us if we can be of assistance.
2011 Christmas Pageant
A few snapshots from our 2011 Christmas pageant. The Ridgebury Church kids (and teachers, of course) put on a wonderful performance!
Automatically scrolls.
Click on center image to enlarge.
Ridgebury Congregational Church embarks on preservation project
By Bill Lucas, Ridgebury Church Member
"Our little white church sure needs a face lift!” was the observation made by an astute nine year old member of the Ridgebury Congregational Church’s Sunday School.
On this particular Sunday, she could not sit in her regular seat in the meetinghouse — the church building — because of some plaster falling from the water-logged ceiling. This has since been resolved with a complete, new roof.
The meetinghouse embodies so much of Ridgefield’s heritage and Connecticut’s history that it deserves more than spot repairs so we started this project to preserve its structural integrity and to restore its appearance. The goal is to ensure the integrity of our meetinghouse for the next 50 years.
The congregation was founded in 1760 and built its first meetinghouse before the Revolutionary War at the crossroads of Ridgebury Road and George Washington Highway. Before the Civil War, the congregation re-built its meetinghouse in the same spot; this is the building in which members worship today. It contains many elements from the 1762 building, including original structural timbers and interior woodwork.
The meetinghouse is one of the very few Connecticut meetinghouses that retain their original appearance without subsequent additions. It is the oldest religious building in Ridgefield and nationally recognized as being a classic example of the Greek Revival style. It is the landmark at the heart of the Ridgebury area.
For all these reasons, in 1984 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, one of few Connecticut religious buildings, and still the only church in Ridgefield so honored.
To protect this architectural gem while making needed improvements, the congregation consulted the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. It then hired Paul Bailey, LLC, of New Haven, award-winning experts in historic preservation, to evaluate the structural integrity of the meetinghouse and to develop a plan for its preservation and the restoration of its interior.
To pay for this evaluation, the congregation raised funds internally and secured a matching Historical Preservation Technical Assistance Grant from the Connecticut Trust.
The project is divided into three phases, costing $179,000 which is projected to be completed in three years. The congregation hopes to provide 50% of the total project cost.
Phase One includes insulating the meetinghouse walls, attic and crawl spaces with spray-in and cellulose foam to reduce the moisture transfer that causes the peeling of the paint and wallpaper, and installing a modern fire alarm system. This was done in the first week of April.
Next, the circa-1970 vinyl wallpaper will be removed from the interior walls, the mid-19th century plasterwork on the walls and ceiling will be repaired and skim-coated, and the interior walls and ceiling will be repainted. This phase of the project will cost approximately $50,000, toward which the congregation has already committed $25,000.
In Phase Two, to further improve the insulation of the structure, the meetinghouse’s energy-wasting, original, single pane windows will be replaced with new, custom, energy-efficient, double pane Bi-Glass windows. These Low-E insulated glass windows will preserve our church’s historic appearance while dramatically improving its energy efficiency as it withstands the rigors of New England’s climate. This phase will cost $64,000.
In Phase Three, the meetinghouse’s electrical system will be upgraded before installing an integrated air-handling system, including a dehumidifier function, which will best insure that the structural integrity and the restored interior of the building will be preserved in outstanding condition for decades to come. This phase of the project will cost approximately $65,000.
The congregation is actively seeking the involvement of foundations, organizations and individuals and has already submitted multiple grant applications and have received some favorable responses.
For additional information on this preservation project and how individuals can help, call the church office at 203-748-2806 or visit ridgeburychurch.org.
The United Church of Christ, or UCC, is a worldwide community of faith that seeks to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.
One of the most diverse Christian churches in the United States, the UCC was founded in 1957 as the union of several different Christian traditions, among them New England Congregationalism. From the beginning of our history we have been a church which affirms the ideal that Christians do not always have to agree to live together in communion. The motto of the UCC, T hat They May All Be One , is Jesus' prayer for the unity of the church.
Like the Congregational Church before it, the UCC stresses freedom of conscience among believers and requires no tests of faith, and has no creed to which members must swear. The UCC has only a general Statement of Faith.
The UCC is much more than historical orthodoxy. We are:
The core belief central to the mission of the UCC can be expressed as simply as this:
"In essentials, Unity;
In nonessentials, Diversity;
In all things, Charity."
The UCC is an open and inclusive denomination, focused on the welfare of all human beings on Earth. We believe in the responsibility of all members to ponder and reinterpret Scripture for each new generation. The following is as true today as the day it was first uttered:
There is yet more light and truth
to break forth from God's Holy Word.
Pastor John Robinson
Final Address to the Mayflower Pilgrims, 1620
For more information on the United Church of Christ, please visit their website at http://ucc.org .
Do you have a special church memory that you'd like to share with other visitors to our site? Have you recently attended a Ridgebury Congregational Church worship service for the first time and would like to share your experience?
Well then, this is the place to put pen to paper, so to speak. We would love to hear your feedback!
Please take a moment to jot down your thoughts and comments, and be sure to read what others have written, too!
Trying to get in touch with us? We've made it easy by providing several options.
By mail or in person:
Ridgebury Congregational Church
605 Ridgebury Road
Ridgefield, CT 06877
Phone: (203) 748-2806
Fax: (203) 748-3568
Email: Office_RidgeburyChurch.org
or
The Rev. John Heeckt: Pastor_RidgeburyChurch.org
Voice-mail and e-mail are checked daily during the business week.
You can also reach us using the contact form to the right.
Welcome to the area of our Web Site designed just for you - a fellow Ridgeburian!
Here, you will find information such as a contact list for various committees and positions within the Church, and more. Is something missing? Let us know!
Use the links below to navigate to the desired page, or simply use the arrows at the bottom of this window.
Church Email List
To locate a church department or committee email address, please click on the icon below. You will need Microsoft Word to view the document.
church email list.doc
Making a donation to Ridgebury Church is not only much appreciated, but very easy. Whether a weekly donation or for a specific program or event, Ridgebury Church members have the option to donate funds through our web site.
Thank you for supporting Ridgebury Congregational Church!
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Please check back!
Events & Such
Photos
Newsletter
In the News
Ridgebury Church History
United Church of Christ
Meetinghouse Preservation Project
Pastor John Heeckt
Listen to Sermons
Mango - our Church Dog
