Church of Christ at Dartmouth College

Our History

Our church was gathered in 1771, by the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, who had founded Dartmouth College less than two years before. In the tradition of many churches in Colonial America, Wheelock was simultaneously president of Dartmouth College and pastor of the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College The first members of our church were students and faculty from the college. In Wheelock's words, the founding of the church "was kept as a day of solemn fasting and prayer, on which I gathered a church in this college, and school, which consisted of twenty-seven members."

Old Church, 1907

When our church was gathered in 1771, we were a Congregational church. Shortly thereafter, we became a Presbyterian church for a period of approximately 30 years. We became a Congregational church again until 1957, when a unanimous vote of the membership declared us to be a member congregation of the newly formed United Church of Christ.

Today our members come from a rich variety of denominational backgrounds and thus enhance the diversity we share in our unity in the body of Jesus Christ.

We share in the United Church of Christ's work through our local Grafton-Orange Association, our New Hampshire state conference, and the national General Synod. Ecumenically, we are members of the local clergy association, the New Hampshire Council of Churches, and the National and World Councils of Churches.

Our Covenant

Almighty God, you call us and we do
covenant with you and with one another:

to walk together in all your ways
as you reveal yourself to us;

to give ourselves freely and
without reserve to the ministry
of this church;

to celebrate through worship the
gifts of unity and diversity;

to take up your mission around
the world, striving for justice
and peace;

to care for all people, reconciling
ourselves to them in love.

God gives grace into every human life.

Adopted May 23, 1971
Amended and reaffirmed, February 15, 1976
Amended and reaffirmed, November 1, 1987

Our Open and Affirming Statement

Committed to the call of God as expressed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and guided by our Covenant, the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College declares itself to be an open and affirming congregation. We welcome persons of every race, ethnicity, economic status, age, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation in our common purpose to discern and live according to the will of God. We believe that attitudes and acts of injustice, discrimination, and violence work against the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we accept God’s call to work to overcome these attitudes in ourselves and others. We invite all persons to join in the full life and ministry of this church.

Adopted June 4, 2000