The history of the First Trinitarian Congregational Church of Scituate began in a secret house church in the Southwark borough, near Kent, of London in the early 1600s. The King of England was also the head of the Church of England and did not tolerate dissenters (a threat to his royal authority): they were arrested and put in prison. Nevertheless, dissenters in house churches confessed to each other their faith in God and “covenanted to walk together in all God’s ways as he had revealed or should make known to them.” They formed a Congregational Church to manage their own church’s affairs, rather than allow a bishop to do so. The royal authorities arrested many of the Southwark church members and imprisoned them for two years, except the leader of that secret house church, the Rev. John Lothrop, was imprisoned much longer. After his wife died and his children were sent to the poor house, he was freed but required to leave the country in 1634.
The Rev. John Lothrop and 30 of his followers sailed for Boston in 1634, then made their way to Scituate, settled before 1628 by a few men of Kent who had moved north from Plymouth. The Scituate Congregational Church was gathered and the Rev. John Lothrop installed as minister in December 1634, becoming the fourth church in Plymouth Colony. The First Meeting House was built in 1636, the year the town was incorporated. Church members at first paid their pastor from what they produced. The early pastors also subsistence farmed, but New England soon adopted the European practice of government church support and paid the pastors through taxes.
After the Revolution, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights established separation of church and state, so government financial support of any church was prohibited. Massachusetts enforcement came by court decision in the early 1800s. With the 1825 split between the more numerous Scituate Unitarian Parish members (holding the property since taxes had paid for its upkeep as well as its pastors) and the Trinitarian Church members, the Trinitarians were faced with building a new church without government support. In 1826 they built the present church on donated land, with construction paid by 21 subscribers. The sign on the front of the building: The Sixth Meeting House, 1826.
After many lean years, the church grew following World War II and the suburbanization of Scituate. The steeple has been rebuilt, the building renovated and an office and classroom wing added, but most importantly, mission giving to the local community and the world have increased. Scituate Seniors come weekly to a lunch prepared by members at the church. Monthly the church prepares and serves dinner at Mainspring, a Brockton homeless shelter. The church is active in Appalachian Service Project (which involves students in repairing houses in Appalachia) and hosts its meetings. The church music program is outstanding and includes young people, both in the choir and as ensemble or solo performers, including jazz. As a congregation, our commitment is to use our Time, Talent, and Treasure to support our church and benefit humanity.