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Formed in 1853 with the gift of 56 books from its owners' personal collections, the Congregational Library now holds 225,000 items documenting the history of one of the nation's oldest and most influential religious traditions.

Library Hours

Monday - Friday

9 am - 5 pm

Library Closings

Labor Day

Board meeting

Columbus Day

Sep 6

Sep 13

Oct 11

14 Beacon St  •  Boston, MA  02108

617-523-0470

What's New

Updated member resource - Growing Deeper Roots, part 2
August 2010

Last month, we launched the first part of Peggy Bendroth's popular Growing Deeper Roots class as a video seminar. Part two is now available, along with its accompanying timeline and additional reading materials for those so inclined. These new sections cover the 19th century evolution of both the Congregational and Christian denominations, including the Revival movement, westward expansion, missionary societies, abolition, and more.

If you have a member account already, sign in and continue learning. If you are a member of the library, but don't have an account yet, email the webmistress to set one up. And if you're not a member yet, please consider becoming one.
New resource - ABCFM FAQ
July 2010

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, one of the earliest and most prolific missionary organizations in American history. To aid our researchers, we've put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions and tips to help find American Board materials in our online catalog.

This guide can be helpful for scholars looking for information about the American Board itself, specific mission stations, or individual missionaries. We hope it will be of use to many of you.
New member resource - Growing Deeper Roots class
June 2010

Many of our local scholars have participated in Peggy Bendroth's three-week seminar on Congregational history, Growing Deeper Roots. But even more of you live far away and can't attend in person. So now we've created an online version for our members, along with timelines and recommended reading. There is a preview video on our YouTube channel, and the first part is available now, with two more coming over the Summer.

If you have a member account already, sign in and start learning. If you are a member of the library, but don't have an account yet, email the webmistress to set one up. And if you're not a member yet, please consider becoming one.
Virtual tour video
June 2010

If you've never been to the Congregational Library in person but would like to have a look around, you're in luck. We've put together a brief video that contains a tour of the library, as well as an introduction to our history, resources, and services. Take a few minutes and see what you've been missing.
Call for papers on the ABCFM
June 2010

Attention scholars! If you're doing research on the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, you might want to consider submitting a paper to the bicentennial conference that we will be hosting this September in association with Bentley University and the Boston Theological Institute.

For details and contact information, please see our Program & Workshop schedule.

Upcoming Events

Conference on the Bicentennial of the ABCFM
Saturday, September 25, 2010

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, we are hosting a conference in association with Bentley University and the Boston Theological Institute to discuss the history of the ABCFM, its missionaries, schools, and converts.

If you would like to attend, see our Program & Workshop schedule for details.

Seventh Congregational Symposium
Thursday, October 28, 2010

We’re pleased to be co-sponsoring the next Congregational Symposium with the Center for Congregational Leadership at Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan. The theme for this year is "Leading from the Wilderness: Challenges and Opportunities in the Postmodern World".

See our Program & Workshop schedule for more information.