Newton Highlands Congregational Church Celebrates 150th Anniversary

NEWTON, MA — Historic Newton Highlands Congregational Church (NHCC), located at 54 Lincoln Street, is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2022 with a historical timeline and a series of community events.

NHCC is known for its focus on mission, spending 10 percent of its annual budget on mission activities and giving, the 20-year tenure of its highly respected and influential pastor Rev. Dr. Kenneth Baily, and its vibrant Christian education program, overseen by Ms. Wendy Donnell.

“I am delighted to be part of NHCC during this momentous anniversary,” Baily said in a statement. “This amazing moment in our history, and having so many of us together, is the very definition of momentous.”

“This parish has been at the heart of the Highlands for the exact same years that the Boston Globe and the Arnold Arboretum have been open,” he added. "All along, Newton and our nation are in our hearts, so we move forth in faith and action and service, as long as we can. Plus, who doesn’t like stopping for free ice cream now and then?"

Community events marking the 150th anniversary are as follows:

• Sunday, Oct. 2: 150th anniversary party featuring live music, an ice cream truck, and children’s activities, including crafts and a photo booth
• Saturday, Oct. 15: Walking tour of Newton Highlands co-sponsored byHistoric Newton
• Sunday, Dec. 4: Christmas carol sing with organ and piano music

In honor of the milestone anniversary, church members will be collecting and donating 50 blankets to Welcome Home, a home goods pantry in West Newton.

NHCC was formally organized on June 24, 1872. A new chapel was built and the first minister installed in October 1872. In 1905, NHCC decided to replace its first meeting house, a wooden structure, with a larger stone building, at a cost of about $65,000. The current building was dedicated on Oct. 7, 1906.