Open & Affirming
The United Christian Church in Lincolnville, Maine is an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. We declare our openness and affirmation to all, especially to those who have suffered prejudice, bigotry, and oppression. God's love is for everyone.
We embrace diversity and affirm the dignity and worth of every person. To that end, we engage and support all people, whoever they may be and wherever they are on their spiritual journey. We intentionally and joyfully welcome people of every race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, physical and mental ability, variety of thoughts and beliefs, socio-economic situation and faith background.
We welcome everyone to share in all aspects of our church life, as we believe that all people are blessed and loved equally by God.
No matter where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
Inclusion Covenant adopted by congregational vote on September 25, 2022
To learn more about the Open and Affirming movement, please visit: https://openandaffirming.org/
Our Mission
SPIRITUAL FORMATION. Our purpose is to foster love of God and love of neighbor within our congregation, within our community, and in our world through worship and programs of spiritual formation for children and adults seeking God’s presence in their lives.
INCLUSIVITY. We are an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ, and membership is open to everyone. Members dedicate themselves to attending the church's worship services, to sharing in the life and work of the church, contributing to its ministries, and supporting the spiritual welfare of the congregation and the community.
COMMUNITY SERVICE. We are stewards of Lincolnville Center’s historic 1820 Meetinghouse. In the adjacent Community Building, we host our own outreach and community service events and also rent out the hall to local groups, individuals, and businesses.
From the Constitution of the United Christian Church, Revised 2024
Denomination
United Christian Church is a member church of the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ. We are a member of the Sunrise Association of the Maine Conference, UCC consisting of Hancock, Waldo, and Washington counties.
UCC United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a distinct and diverse community of Christians that come together as one church to join faith and action. With over 5,000 churches and nearly one million members across the U.S., the UCC serves God in the co-creation of a just and sustainable world.
Maine Conference of the UCC The Maine Conference UCC is home to over 150 congregations spread out across the state of Maine who gather to celebrate, express, and discover our faith.
UCC Land Acknowledgement
The Maine Conference United Church of Christ recognizes and honors the current nations of the Wabanaki Confederacy – the Maliseet, the Passamaquoddy, the Penobscot, the Mi'kmaq – and their ancestor, who have stewarded this land throughout the generations.
We respect the traditional values of the Wabanaki nations, affirm their inherent sovereignty in this territory we now call Maine, and support their efforts for land and water protection and restoration, and for cultural healing and recovery.
Sources:
Osihkiyol (Zeke) Crofton-Macdonald
Wolastoqey Nation
Tribal Ambassador for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians
Maine Indian Tribal State Commission, Tribal Co-Commissioner
Welamukotuk First Nation, Oromocto, NB
Metaksonekiyak, Houlton, ME
U.S. Department of Arts & Culture: https://usdac.us/nativeland
Four Directions Development Corporation: https://fourdirectionsmaine.org/about-four-directions/wabanaki-tribes/
Wabanaki Reach: https://www.wabanakireach.org/
National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)NEEF - https://www.neefusa.org/about-neef
History of Our Church
Our historic meeting house was built in 1820-1821 by Joshua Lamb, who sold subscriptions for family pews. Some of Lamb's descendants still worship here. The building's history is integrated with that of the town, since for many decades, it functioned as both church and public meeting house. Over the past centuries, the church has been associated with several different faith traditions, and often shared circuit preachers with other churches.
Toward the end of the 20th century, the congregation had dwindled to fewer than twenty dedicated souls, and the church was closed for three months in the winter. The pastor at that time was Tacy French. Tacy invited Susan Stonestreet, then a Bangor Theological Seminary student, to preach occasionally. In 1999, Susan graduated from BTS and was ordained here. The congregation called Susan to be our pastor and to keep the church open all year round. Since then the membership has grown to about 100 people, as well as a large online congregation. In recent years we have built an additional Parish Hall, and added the 1960s Community Building to our grounds. The old Sunday School is now "Children's Church," held in the Parish Hall. The Rev. Dr. Susan Stonestreet retired at the end of June, 2017, after eighteen years. In August 2018, the congregation welcomed Rev. Elizabeth Barnum as our settled pastor.
Important Dates in the History of the Meeting House
1802 The Incorporation of the town of Lincolnville
1820-1821 The Meeting House is built by Joshua Lamb
and functions both as public meeting house and as a church with Free Will Baptist affiliation
1933 Affiliated with Congregational Christian Association
1941 United Christian Church is incorporated
1962 Affiliates with United Church of Christ
1971 150th Anniversary is celebrated
1983 Placed on the National Register of Historic Places
1996 175th Anniversary is celebrated
2005 ADA accessible “Margaretta’s Flush” & Parish Hall is built
2019 Ruth Felton Room is completed on the lower level of PH
2021 200th Rededication of the Meeting House
Church Architecture
United Christian Church is considered to be an architectural gem. It is one of only two churches in Maine that feature a raised pulpit in the balcony and front door entrances facing the pews, and one of only two buildings in Lincolnville listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The front entrances meant that latecomers could be observed by all who were already seated, and effectively served as a deterrent to tardiness. The straight wooden pews encourage staying awake. Since 2005, the Church has used the new, ADA-accessible back door to the Parish Hall as an entrance, especially in wintertime; but in warm weather, the old front doors often stand open as well.
At some point in its history, the church received a suspended tin ceiling, similar to one at Tranquility Grange (also on the National Register). The original woodwork and boxed pews have been retained much as they were in 1821. The window panes are 12-over-12, except for the 20-over-20 center window over the front door. A great many of the panes are original, wavy glass. The original front stone steps - not ADA-accessible - have recently been restored.
In 2017 and 2018, with the help of a generous grant, the church has been able to add protective storm windows to the original windows, which are being restored, one by one, by builder Ivan Stancioff.
The Parish Hall
In later decades, there were no such facilities at all nor any
gathering place, other than the large space in the Community Building. In 2003, nonagenarian Margaretta Thurlow (a great-great-great granddaughter of builder Joshua Lamb) declared, "What this church needs is a flush!" After a series of spirited fund-raisers, the church built an addition, designed by architect John Silverio and following standards to keep the Historic Register status.
The building was constructed by Bald Rock Builders and finished in 2005, when we celebrated with an ice-cream social. Margaretta finally had her ADA-accessible flush, the Church has a welcoming ADA-accessible entrance; and the meeting room is used by church and community organizations for small gatherings, study sessions, receptions, and meetings. On Sunday mornings, the room rings to the sound of little voices in Children's Church. In 2018 we realized that we were outgrowing the space as Rev. Barnum joined us; builder Ivan Stancioff and the trustees built a new office on the lower floor, dedicated as the Ruth Felton Room on Pentecost Sunday 2019.
The Community Building was built by volunteers in 1961 on land donated by the church, as a place for young people in town. It provided the only basketball court in town, and was a good place for dances, scouting troops, and other activities for young and old, including, in some years, Town Meetings. The church has used it for large gatherings, receptions, dances and celebrations and events such as the annual Strawberry Festival. AA meets here twice a week, and a weekly Thursday noon Soup Cafe was held here until COVID concerns closed it down
Originally, the building was run by a separate corporation, which was dissolved in 2009 after completion of the new Lincolnville School. Ownership of the Community Building reverted to the Church, as required in the corporation's charter.
After half a century of hard use and minimal maintenance, the old building needed a facelift and TLC. The first stage of a three-phase plan was to renovate the interior, repair the chimney, lower and insulate the ceiling, and install new windows. These changes, accomplished by Oliver Builders, transformed the interior into a wonderful space for events and art exhibits. The second stage, now completed, has been to install a kitchen and ADA-compliant restroom on the main floor, creating a meeting space available to the community, which has been used extensively as envisioned.
The third stage will add equipment, staging, and other amenities to make the building a desirable venue for wedding receptions and similar events. Architect John Silverio as a trustee continues to consult with the Community Building Committee on design and construction as well as the care of the church itself. Come check out the facility as it evolves to fit the growing needs of the community!
Our Minister
Reverend Elizabeth D. Barnum (she/her) became our settled pastor in August 2018. Originally from Connecticut, Rev. Barnum holds a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Divinity from Harvard. She was ordained in 2007 and maintains ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ. She has served in associate minister positions in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Melbourne, Australia, and previously in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where her focus was education and pastoral care.
An educator at heart and before ordained ministry, she taught in secondary schools during and after completing the Program in Religion and Secondary Education at Harvard Divinity School. An advocate for comprehensive sexuality education across the lifespan, she has training and experience teaching all age levels of Our Whole Lives from kindergarten through older adults and is also a trainer of facilitators. Her passion for movement and living an embodied life fuels her spiritual life, and she has been part of the conscious dance community since 2000, trained as a 5Rhythms teacher in 2005, and as an Open Floor teacher in 2016. She has been a contributor to several print collections, including Before the Amen: Creative Resources for Worship, From the Psalms to the Cloud: Connecting to the Digital Age, Grand Rapids Grassroots: An Anthology, and Held: Blessings for the Depths.
Elizabeth also has training, teaching, and implementation experience in Godly Play, a Montessori-inspired method of religious education. When she moved to Maine and began her part-time call at Lincolnville, she also began teaching at a local Montessori school. The combination brings her joy. When not at school or church, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, writing, yoga, hiking in the mountains, and walking by the sea.
Elizabeth curates and leads worship most Sunday mornings and welcomes a diverse array of guest preachers regularly to the Meeting House pulpit. She is available for memorials, weddings, pastoral care, conversation, and visitation. To contact Elizabeth directly, email rev.elizabeth.barnum@gmail.com.
Visit Us
18 Searsmont Road, Lincolnville, ME
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 288
Lincolnville, ME 04850
Office phone #: 207-763-3800
(messages monitored weekly)
How to get here:
From Camden or Belfast, take Route 52 from Route 1 to Lincolnville Center. When you reach a T intersection in Lincolnville Center, turn NORTH on Route 173 (Main Street, becoming Searsmont Road). Stay on Route 173. The Church and Community Building will be on the left side, opposite the Tidewater Telecom office, and next to Tidewater's Garage, 1/10 of a mile from the intersection of the Belfast Road and Route 173.