In 1925, the Baptist and Congregational churches were a short walk away from each other in Edgartown. While different denominations, both faced similar obstacles — declining worshippers and finding ordained ministers.
For logistical reasons, the two churches decided to come together, merging into the Federated Church of Martha’s Vineyard. However, the change was reluctant, with neither congregation willing to fully shed its religious distinctions.
Although they now worship together, the Baptists and Congregationalists at that time still maintained their separate identities by keeping individual records.
A century later, on Sunday, members of the Federated Church gathered enthusiastically in the morning to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the decision to come together under one house of worship. Churchgoers met outside of what was the old Baptist Church, now a privately owned home on School Street. The group then walked to the former Congregational Church building and current Federated Church on South Summer Street, while singing a hymn, “Blest Be the Tie That Binds.”
“It’s kind of sad for some people, but to have been federated with two different traditions together for 100 years, feels like something to be proud of, especially in a world where it seems like there’s so much division and so much separation,” the Rev. Dr. Mark Winters, minister of the Federated Church, told The Times.
Winters delivered a sermon Sunday, titled “Clothing Ourselves,” about how people, like the Edgartown Baptists and Congregationalists, can eliminate inner divisions and inequalities through a shared connection to God.
“Being clothed in Christ means we are peers, equal to each other,” he said. “One hundred years ago, some Christians here at Edgartown began a journey that maybe didn’t happen instantly, but over time they remembered that when we clothe ourselves in Christ, there is no Baptist and Congregationalist.”
Winters also urged the crowd to apply the principle outside of church. His sermon comes at a polarizing time for the country. Just days before, federal agents had arrested some 40 people on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket as part of a larger immigration crackdown. Following the raid, faith leaders on the Island, including Winters, signed a letter denouncing the actions as immoral, saying the federal government did not follow due process.
Winters reaffirmed his call for unity to his congregants on Sunday: “If we clothe ourselves with Christ, this means there is no citizen or immigrant. There is no Islander or wash-ashore. There’s no year-rounder or seasonal residents.”
Winters also clarified that this unity doesn’t mean that people should shed their individual identities, but rather the exclusion caused by their differences. “We don’t deny or erase our identities or backgrounds, but we cover over the things which used to give us status or privilege,” he said. “We cover over the causes for feeling left out or separate, and we remind ourselves and everyone around us that all of us are one in Christ, which means all of us belong.”
On Sunday, Winters told The Times that he had been inspired to commemorate the 100th anniversary after seeing a list of ministers in the church’s vestibule, and after consulting with church historians. He said that although people were upset about the merger at the time, it’s an occasion to celebrate in the present day.
Last summer, the Federated Church’s congregation voted unanimously to become an Open and Affirming church, meaning that they accept people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Winters said that the Baptists’ and Congregationalists’ shared tradition of tolerance laid the groundwork.
“We’ve already recognized that we may not have the same interpretation as a person sitting next to us in a pew, and yet we’re already in covenant to be in relationship together, to walk through our lives together as brothers and sisters in Christ,” he said.
Herbert Ward, a church historian, said that the Federated Church continues to welcome people of all faith backgrounds. “There’s Baptists, there’s Methodists, there’s people who are Lutherans. We have one family who is Jewish. We have people who are Catholics. It’s a church that embraces anyone who wants to come to church,” he said.
Jeanne Staples, a fine artist for the Granary Gallery in West Tisbury, enjoyed Winters’ sermon.
“I always appreciate Mark’s take on things, where he gives perspective and connects meaning in a thoughtful way to give us additional nuancing and dimension to the [biblical] events,” she said.
During Sunday’s service, Dianne Durawa presented a pair of forks, one engraved with “Baptist” and the other with “Cong. Church,” dating to before the time of the merger. She said she enjoyed revisiting the Federated Church’s history.
“I thought it was fun repeating what they used to do back in the olden days and walking from the old Baptist Church location over to the Federated [Church] singing. It was a beautiful day,” she said. “It serves as a good reminder of where we’ve come from, and I think it’s really valuable to reflect on that history and to know that you’re a part of that history.”
Ward said that celebrating historical events like the 100th anniversary reminds members of the church’s origins. “There were hard times with the church, and there were times that there was a lot of money. Through the ups and downs, the economic changes, and all the changes that have occurred in the past 100 years, we still believe the same core things, and we still meet together to worship those things,” he said.
