History of The Unitarian Universalist Society of Gardner

On November 7th of 1785, at the Third Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Gardner, there was a motion to call upon the citizens to decide upon the hiring of a preacher. The citizens voted to choose a Committee to "hire someone for 4 days preaching". Between the years of 1786 and 1790, it was voted at the annual town meeting to seek out and hire a Preacher. On July 21, 1791, the town called Mr. Jonathan Osgood to serve the Town and the First Parish Church. Mr. Osgood had many duties to perform as a Pastor. He was also a physician and a counselor of those in the town who needed advice. He was said to have taken an active interest in town affairs, wrote to the General Court, the President of tie United States and served on the school committee. He was also a Representative to the Legislature, where he served for 31 years until his death in 1822. 

At that time a variety of religious views were beginning to be influential in the Commonwealth. During Mr. Osgood's 31 years, the town was united as one Church with one Parish and one basic religious belief. In 1824, the Town called Mr. Lincoln Sumner to be their next Pastor. Mr. Sumner served the Town and Parish which were one, until August 11, 1830, when he was dismissed by the town to become the first pastor of the Evangelical Congregational Church and Society. On April 2, 1827, during Mr. Sumner's pastorate of the First Church, the town voted its last vote as Town and Church. After this date the Town and Church ceased to be one.

Between 1827 and 1830 a division came about in the Church. The factions were termed by the Unitarians and the Orthodoxy. Mr. Sumner made a proposal to the First Parish to be dismissed from his duties there. The First Parish was now divided. One portion became The Evangelical Congregational Church and Society and was served by Mr. Sumner. The other portion was Unitarian, but continued to be called the First Parish. The members of the Parish began to talk of taking measures to find and to provide a Pastor in sympathy with their religious views. At the Parish meeting on November 1, 1830, the members voted to call Mr. Jonathan Farr as the new Pastor of The First Parish. He was to stay as long as the majority of the Parish were satisfied with him and he with them. He was ordained on December 9, 1830. He served until July, 1833.

This ended the time of distinct Unitarian Ministries because in April 1846 there was a effort to reunite with the Evangelical Congregational Society. A committee of three members was formed on the part of the First Parish. Their purpose was to united the two Societies. A proposal was made to unite and to refer to the Ministries of the Worcester North Association to recommend candidates to fill the pulpit until the two Societies could find one person to be Pastor. At a meting on December 21, 1846 the Evangelical Congregation Society voted not to be reunited. Reverend Bannister was called to the First Parish. He was described as a "strong Calvinist" and the Church became more Orthodox.

In 1884 the recorded history of the Unitarian Church resumes. It begins with Reverend A.C. Nickerson, who was the pastor of the First Parish in Templeton. He preached to a group at the Gardner Town Hall in January 1884. His sermon had an impact among the people of the First Parish Society. A group formed and on March 27, 1884 drafted proper papers to form their own Unitarian Society. Four officers chose a six member committee to set up a Constitution and By-laws, which were later adopted on October 23, 1884. Officers were also chosen for the Sabbath School. The next meeting was held on March 6, 1885 when a letter was sent to Julian P. Dunn, Esquire (Justice of the Peace) to request the information of a corporation. At a later meeting of March 27, 1884, plans were underway to become a corporation. At a July meeting in 1886, it was decided to call Reverend W.C. Litchfield as the new pastor. On January 25 and 26, 1887, the First Unitarian Church was dedicated. Reverend Litchfield remained until 1892.