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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260429T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260429T140000
DTSTAMP:20260611T113634Z
CREATED:20260401T083657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260611T113634Z
UID:14621-1777467600-1777471200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:About Biblical Church Governance: Biblical Principles for Being and Leading Local Churches
DESCRIPTION:There are basic biblical principles for local churches across all times and cultures. Stephen Gammon has studied this guidance over nearly five decades of ministry—as a pastor’s son and grandson\, overseer of churches\, denominational leader\, military chaplain among diverse faiths\, and through interdenominational ties regionally\, nationally\, and internationally. His experiences show that applying biblical governance principles yields positive results\, while ignoring them brings hard consequences. \nThis book summarizes key principles for being and leading local churches\, including biblical “photos” of how Jesus views His Church—like the architect’s blueprints for building it. Churches thrive when concepts of Headship\, Leadership\, and Membership are understood and applied. It also covers historic faith convictions in biblical governance\, with some cautions for leaders. Each section includes questions for personal reflection or group discussion. \nDrawing from congregational ministry and affiliations within the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC) in the USA and internationally in the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship (WECF)\, Gammon has also added an addendum on Practicing Biblical Congregationalism. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nRev. Dr. Stephen A. Gammon\, a third-generation pastor\, holds degrees from Barrington College\, Bethel Theological Seminary\, and Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served as a local church pastor in New England\, was a U.S. Navy Chaplain for 27 years\, and was Conference Minister of the CCCC from 2003-2011. He has also spent 20 years on the leadership team of the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship. He has authored four books\, all with Aneko Press. Married to Helen for 50 years\, they have been blessed with three children and four grandchildren.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/about-biblical-church-governance
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks,Contemporary Congregationalism
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/BibChurchGovCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260425T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260425T160000
DTSTAMP:20260426T013653Z
CREATED:20260311T132845Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260426T013653Z
UID:14345-1777125600-1777132800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:NEHH@20 Open House: A Celebration of NEHH at 20 Years
DESCRIPTION:This program of reflection and conversation at 14 Beacon celebrated twenty years of the New England’s Hidden Histories (NEHH) project. NEHH began at the CLA in 2005 to preserve some of the oldest manuscript Congregational church records in New England. Today\, it has grown into a digital archive with 130\,000 digital images and over 26\,000 pages of transcription\, representing a broad and diverse collection of early American voices. \nThe afternoon included a discussion of the digital exhibition\, NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities\, which highlights the work of scholars\, church historians\, and transcribers who have contributed to the project and uncovered new histories in the process. There was also a roundtable discussion of the past\, present\, and future of NEHH; a viewing of original NEHH materials; a tribute to participating churches and archives; and cake and refreshments.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/nehh20-open-house
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:CLA History,NEHH,NEHH@20
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NEHH20AnnivCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260417T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260417T130000
DTSTAMP:20260417T191955Z
CREATED:20260323T103600Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T191955Z
UID:14468-1776427200-1776430800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Architectural Tour of Congregational House
DESCRIPTION:This tour with CLA Executive Director Dr. Kyle Roberts explored the architectural history of Congregational House\, the home of the Congregational Library & Archives for over 125 years. \nDesigned by the Boston-based architectural firm of Shepley\, Rutan\, and Coolidge (now Shepley Bulfinch)\, the eight-story Georgian-Federal style building opened in 1898 to house the various national agencies of the Congregational faith. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places\, the building is owned by Faros Properties\, a private landlord\, and home to multiple non- and for-profit organizations. \nThe tour began in the lobby of 14 Beacon Street and explored the famous bas reliefs on the outside of the building and the various plaques in the lobby before going up to the historic Reading Room to look at original materials documenting the long history of the building. These monthly collection tours connected residents of Beacon Hill and the greater Boston region with original\, rarely seen materials in the CLA’s collections. \nThanks to the generosity of the Beacon Hill Civic Association\, these programs are offered completely free of charge to the public.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/architectural-tour-congregational-house
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:CLA History,Tour
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Apr26Carousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260416T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260416T183000
DTSTAMP:20260417T191627Z
CREATED:20260312T105232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T191627Z
UID:14349-1776360600-1776364200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:"The Shot Heard Round the World": A Sacred Rebellion Virtual Tour
DESCRIPTION:This special virtual tour of the Congregational Library & Archives’ exhibition\, Sacred Rebellion\, with Executive Director Dr. Kyle Roberts and New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director and Sacred Rebellion curator Dr. Tricia Peone honored the 251st anniversary of the Battles of Concord and Lexington. \nBy the time the American Revolution began\, many Congregationalists had embraced a theological justification for war and revolution. They believed that God favored them and that their cause was a morally justified\, sacred rebellion. Through sermons\, books\, poems\, songs\, and letters\, Congregationalists shared their stories\, reflected on their moral obligations to each other\, and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. But consensus was elusive\, and implementation proved difficult and unsatisfactory to many\, especially those on the margins. \nThis interactive tour was hosted on Zoom\, with registration limited to a small group of attendees. Participants saw Revolutionary-era treasures from the collections; heard stories about how Congregationalists experienced the period leading up to\, during\, and immediately following the war; had opportunities to ask questions; and reflected on what this pivotal event means 250 years later. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Kyle Roberts was appointed the Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives in 2022. He received his BA in American Studies from Williams College and his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to the CLA\, he was Associate Director of Library & Museum Programming at the American Philosophical Society and Associate Professor of Public History and New Media and Director of the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities at Loyola University Chicago. \nA scholar of Atlantic World religion\, print\, and library history\, he is the author of Evangelical Gotham: Religion and the Making of New York City\, 1783-1860 (Chicago\, 2016)\, the co-editor\, with Stephen Schloesser\, of Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits\, Women Religious\, American Experience 1814-2014 (Brill\, 2017) and\, with Mark Towsey\, of Before the Public Library: Reading\, Community\, and Identity in the Atlantic World\, 1650-1850 (Brill\, 2017). \nKyle is an accomplished public historian and digital humanist whose collaborative projects include the Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project\, the Maryland Loyalism Project\, and Dissenting Academies Online: Virtual Library System. In addition to being the consultant for numerous digital and public history projects\, he sits on the executive committees of the American Catholic Historical Association\, the New England Historical Association\, the Urban History Association He is on the editorial and advisory boards for American Catholic Studies\, Early American Studies\, and portal. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early New England\, particularly the history of magic and witchcraft\, and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals\, books\, blogs\, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/shot-heard-sr-tour
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories,Sacred Rebellion,Tour
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/SRApr26TourCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260414T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260414T140000
DTSTAMP:20260601T090059Z
CREATED:20260317T092132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260601T090059Z
UID:14393-1776171600-1776175200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Empire of Print: Evangelical Power in an Age of Mass Media
DESCRIPTION:This virtual book talk featured Dr. Sonia Hazard\, author of Empire of Print: Evangelical Power in an Age of Mass Media. \nEmpire of Print offers a fresh account of evangelical power by uncovering how the American Tract Society (ATS) leveraged print media to spread its message across an expanding nation. One of the era’s largest media corporations and a pillar of the benevolent empire\, the ATS circulated some 5.6 billion printed pages between its founding in 1825 and the eve of the Civil War. \nIt wasn’t just the volume of materials that mattered—it was the sophisticated media infrastructure that evangelicals developed for their message to reach readers\, coast to coast. Media infrastructure refers to the material assemblages that work below the surface of media content\, including the format of publications\, the avenues of their movement\, and the circumstances surrounding their reading. As a non-coercive yet effective form of power\, infrastructure shaped how\, when\, and why readers engaged with evangelical texts. \nWhile showing how the ATS became a formidable force in American society during the nineteenth century\, Empire of Print opens larger questions about the entanglements among people\, things\, texts\, and institutions\, the dynamics of power in a media-saturated world\, and the salience of race\, class\, and region in the distribution and reception of media. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Sonia Hazard is an assistant professor of religion at Florida State University\, focusing on religion and media in nineteenth-century US history. Supported by the National Humanities Center\, her current projects include studies of missionary collecting and Cherokee religious printing. Hazard also co-directs the collaborative research initiative More-than-human Religion. She was a research fellow at the Congregational Library & Archives in 2017.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/empire-of-print
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/EmpirePrintCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260410T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260410T130000
DTSTAMP:20260413T121130Z
CREATED:20260306T093904Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260413T121130Z
UID:14224-1775822400-1775826000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Faith in Crisis: Boston Congregationalists and the Great Depression
DESCRIPTION:In October 1929\, the stock market crash triggered the worst depression in US history. Across Boston\, members of multiple faith communities looked to religion to help them weather the crisis. Believers drew on the spiritual\, social and material resources available to them as members of religious communities; and faith leaders used denominational newspapers to advocate for the needy. \nIn this hybrid lunch and learn presentation\, CLA Research Fellow Dr. Evelyn Sterne explored their stories\, with a special focus on Congregationalists and the research she has conducted at the Congregational Library & Archives. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Evelyn Sterne is a Professor of History and Director of the Center for the Humanities at the University of Rhode Island\, where she specializes in the history of religion and immigration in the late nineteenth- and twentieth-century United States. She is the author of Ballots and Bibles: Ethnic Politics and the Catholic Church in Providence\, and The House of David: Salvation\, Scandal\, and Survival in a Modern American Commune. She is currently working on a book about religion in Boston during the Great Depression.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/faith-in-crisis
LOCATION:Hybrid
CATEGORIES:CLA Research Fellows,Lunch & Learn
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FaithCrisisCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260325T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260325T140000
DTSTAMP:20260520T083413Z
CREATED:20260227T120341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260520T083413Z
UID:12833-1774443600-1774447200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:The Salem Witch Trials and the Digital Archive
DESCRIPTION:By far\, the records related to the Salem witch trials are the most viewed resource in the New England’s Hidden Histories (NEHH) digital archive. The original manuscripts in the Salem Witchcraft Trials Records\, 1692 collection were digitized as part of the NEHH project with our project partners\, the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum. These documents\, which had not previously been digitized and were not available online\, were found in the Phillips Library’s collection in 2017 by members of the CLA and Phillips Library staff. \nThis program featured a conversation with NEHH Project Director Dr. Tricia Peone and Dan Lipcan about digitizing records of the Salem witch trials and their ongoing interest to researchers and the public. \n  \nThe Congregational Library & Archives is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the New England’s Hidden Histories (NEHH) project with this program series and the digital exhibition NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities. Find out more on our website. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDan Lipcan is the Ann C. Pingree Director of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum. He leads a talented staff charged with stewarding the library’s extensive and varied collection\, and has curated or co-curated several exhibitions at PEM. Previously\, Dan was Associate Museum Librarian at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is a member of the Grolier Club\, the Colonial Society of Massachusetts\, and the Art Libraries Society of North America. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early New England\, particularly the history of magic and witchcraft\, and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals\, books\, blogs\, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/swt-digital-archive
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:NEHH,NEHH@20
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SalemNEHHCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260320T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260320T130000
DTSTAMP:20260323T105338Z
CREATED:20260304T143624Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T105338Z
UID:14156-1774008000-1774011600@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Women's History Collections Tour at the Congregational Library & Archives
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Tricia Peone\, New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director\, led this tour at 14 Beacon that explored the lives of women in early New England. \nThe Congregational Library & Archives holds important collections of women’s religious writings such as diaries\, letters\, books\, and church records from Massachusetts in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This tour explored some highlights from these collections\, including letters written by a woman during the 1775 siege of Boston\, a 250-year-old manuscript music book\, religious testimony from an enslaved woman\, and a diary from the 1740s. \nHeld in the CLA’s historic reading room at 14 Beacon Street\, these monthly collection tours connected residents of Beacon Hill and the greater Boston region with original\, rarely seen materials in the CLA’s collections. \nThis event ran from 12 to 1 pm\, beginning with a short talk by Tricia Peone\, followed by plenty of time for browsing items from our collections and asking questions. \nThanks to the generosity of the Beacon Hill Civic Association\, this program was offered completely free of charge to the public.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/womens-history-collections-tour
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Tour,Women's Voices
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MarTourCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T143000
DTSTAMP:20260505T080909Z
CREATED:20260224T205214Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T080909Z
UID:12258-1773925200-1773930600@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:The Oxford Handbook of Puritanism
DESCRIPTION:This virtual program celebrated the new Oxford Handbook of Puritanism\, a collection of over thirty essays by leading scholars on both sides of the Atlantic with new research on all aspects of English and North American puritanism. The volume includes such far-ranging topics as the geographies and chronologies of Puritanism\, theology and practice\, politics\, society\, culture\, and modern representations. \nHandbook editors Ann Hughes and Frank Bremer began the virtual program by talking about why puritanism continues to matter culturally and academically. Contributor Rachel Adcock talked about her role on the contributions of women to shaping puritanism\, and Emerson Baker shared his research on witches in puritan culture. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Ann Hughes is retired from Keele University\, where she worked as Professor of Early Modern History. Her research has focused on the political\, religious\, and cultural implications of the English civil war or Revolution of the mid-seventeenth century. My most recent concerns have been with in print culture and modes of communication\, preaching\, gender\, and the complex engagements of men and women with the parliamentarian war-time state. Publications include Gender and the English Revolution (London\, 2011); Gangraena and the Struggle for the English Revolution (Oxford\, 2004); and a co-edited edition of the works of Gerrard Winstanley (Oxford\, 2009). \nDr. Francis J. Bremer is Professor Emeritus of History at Millersville University of Pennsylvania and has been a visiting fellow at Oxford and Cambridge universities in England and Trinity College in Dublin\, Ireland. He is a former Board Member of the Congregational Library & Archives. He has published over two dozen books on puritanism in the Anglo-American world\, including John Winthrop: America’s Forgotten Founding Father\, Puritanism: A Very Short Introduction\, and Lay Empowerment and the Development of Puritanism. A fully revised\, 50th anniversary edition of The Puritan Experiment: New England Society from Bradford to Edwards will be published this year. \nDr. Rachel Adcock is Reader in English Literature at Keele University\, UK. Her research focuses on seventeenth-century women’s writing\, Dissenting writing and culture\, and textual studies\, with a particular interest in the recovery of historically overlooked female writers. She has published widely on women’s contributions to shaping early Puritan theology and practice and her book\, Baptist Women’s Writings in Revolutionary Culture\, 1640-1680 (2015)\, was shortlisted for the Richard L. Greaves Prize in 2016. She is co-Editor of the journal Bunyan Studies: A Journal of Reformation and Nonconformist Culture and has served on the International John Bunyan Society committee for ten years. \nDr. Emerson “Tad” Baker is a professor of History at Salem State University and has previously served as vice provost and dean of the graduate school. He is the author or co-author of six books on the history and archaeology of early New England\, including A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience and The Devil of Great Island: Witchcraft and Conflict in Early New England. Baker has served as consultant and on-camera expert for historical documentaries and TV shows for networks ranging from PBS and TLC to Smithsonian and the History Channel.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/oxford-handbook-puritanism
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks,Congregational Story,Women's Voices
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HandbookPuritanCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T140000
DTSTAMP:20260624T130839Z
CREATED:20260212T104443Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260624T130839Z
UID:10339-1773147600-1773151200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:CSI Goes Digital: The Management and Preservation of Your Church's Digital Files
DESCRIPTION:ACCESS VIDEO TRANSCRIPT + RESOURCES \nIn the not-too-distant past\, church meeting minutes were likely recorded on a pad of paper\, a notebook\, or a bound record book. But today\, meeting minutes and other records are likely to be produced on a computer. But how do we manage these records so that they do not get lost\, corrupted\, or deleted? How do we prepare electronic documents for long-term preservation? And what are some best practices for digital file management in churches and other organizations? \nCLA archivists Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy led this Church Stewardship Initiative workshop focused on the management and preservation of digital files. Zachary and Billy discussed common file types and how to ideally preserve documents. They also shared their advice on how to manage files and folder structures within an organization\, as well as how to integrate digital files into an existing records management program. Finally\, they discussed the best practices for digital preservation with an eye towards what is actually feasible for churches and small organizations. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nZachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University\, with a concentration in archives management\, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA\, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive\, the Vassar College Special Collections\, the Harvard Law School Library\, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017\, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018\, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management\, digital archiving\, audio/visual preservation\, and archives management. \nBilly McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services\, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives\, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access\, collection management\, processing of complex materials\, and facilitating research.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/csi-digital
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Archives,CSI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/CSIDigital400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260305T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260305T183000
DTSTAMP:20260306T095628Z
CREATED:20260224T210157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260306T095628Z
UID:12263-1772731800-1772735400@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Mary Counce's Boston Massacre: A Sacred Rebellion Virtual Tour
DESCRIPTION:This special virtual tour of the Congregational Library & Archives’ exhibition\, Sacred Rebellion\, with Executive Director Dr. Kyle Roberts and New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director and Sacred Rebellion curator Dr. Tricia Peone marked the 256th anniversary of the Boston Massacre. \nSacred Rebellion highlights the stories of Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts who believed God favored the patriot cause\, yet debated questions of liberty\, loyalty\, and the legacy of the American Revolution. Mary Counce (1735-1801) wrote about her experiences living in Boston during the American Revolution\, including an original poem about the Boston Massacre. We will explore her little-known writings\, as well as other materials at the CLA\, such as sermons about the Boston Massacre and its aftermath. \nThis interactive tour was hosted on Zoom\, with registration limited to a small group of attendees. Participants saw Revolutionary-era treasures from the collections; heard stories about how Congregationalists experienced the period leading up to\, during\, and immediately following the war; had opportunities to ask questions; and reflected on what this pivotal event means 250 years later. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Kyle Roberts was appointed the Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives in 2022. He received his BA in American Studies from Williams College and his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to the CLA\, he was Associate Director of Library & Museum Programming at the American Philosophical Society and Associate Professor of Public History and New Media and Director of the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities at Loyola University Chicago. \nA scholar of Atlantic World religion\, print\, and library history\, he is the author of Evangelical Gotham: Religion and the Making of New York City\, 1783-1860 (Chicago\, 2016)\, the co-editor\, with Stephen Schloesser\, of Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits\, Women Religious\, American Experience 1814-2014 (Brill\, 2017) and\, with Mark Towsey\, of Before the Public Library: Reading\, Community\, and Identity in the Atlantic World\, 1650-1850 (Brill\, 2017). \nKyle is an accomplished public historian and digital humanist whose collaborative projects include the Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project\, the Maryland Loyalism Project\, and Dissenting Academies Online: Virtual Library System. In addition to being the consultant for numerous digital and public history projects\, he sits on the executive committees of the American Catholic Historical Association\, the New England Historical Association\, the Urban History Association He is on the editorial and advisory boards for American Catholic Studies\, Early American Studies\, and portal. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early New England\, particularly the history of magic and witchcraft\, and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals\, books\, blogs\, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/mary-counce-sr-tour
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories,Sacred Rebellion,Tour
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SRMar26TourCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260225T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260225T140000
DTSTAMP:20260416T130151Z
CREATED:20260209T170020Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T130151Z
UID:9489-1772024400-1772028000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Exploring Hidden Histories in Church Records: A Virtual Roundtable with FCC Fairfield and FCC Natick
DESCRIPTION:As more churches begin to critically examine their records\, many find that they have had members of their congregations who were either enslaved\, enslavers\, or participated in the dispossession of Indigenous lands. Researching\, understanding\, and reckoning with these histories has an impact on congregations and communities. \nIn this roundtable discussion\, New England’s Hidden Histories (NEHH) Project Director Dr. Tricia Peone talked with members of the First Church of Christ in Fairfield\, Connecticut and the First Congregational Church in Natick\, Massachusetts – two churches who have participated in NEHH and engaged thoughtfully with what their churches’ records have revealed about the past. \n  \nThe Congregational Library & Archives is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the New England’s Hidden Histories (NEHH) project with this program series and the digital exhibition NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities. Find out more on our NEHH@20 webpage. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nJacque Paige is a 30+ year member of First Church Congregational\, Fairfield\, CT. She served as Moderator and Treasurer and then moved up to cleaning out closets as she worked on some long overdue renovations at the church. The closets held a treasure trove of church history.  Organizing those documents led to the First Church Racial Justice Pathway holding a town-wide event recognizing the ten enslaved people “owned” by First Church pastors in the late 1600s and early 1700s. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early New England\, particularly the history of magic and witchcraft\, and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals\, books\, blogs\, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science. \nRita Skog is a Deacon and Chair of the Outreach Board and has been a member of First Church Congregational Fairfield for over 30 years. As a member of the Racial Justice Pathway\, she became aware of the early church and town’s history with slavery. This led to the Pathway’s decision to recognize and acknowledge First Church’s legacy of enslavement and find a way to honor those individuals whose unpaid labor supported and enriched the community. As an Open and Affirming Congregation in the United Church of Christ\, identifying\, revealing and acknowledging the church’s role in the enslavement of ten individuals was a spiritual journey that the congregation had to undertake. \nRev. Cindy Worthington-Berry has been the pastor of First Congregational Church of Natick\, MA since Oct. 2023. She was drawn to the congregation in part because of the way they had begun wrestling with the history of the church in relation to the Indigenous community in Natick. Cindy grew up in the United Church of Christ and has been thinking about church history since she was 17\, when she helped her mom write a book celebrating the 250th anniversary of her childhood church.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/hidden-histories-church-records
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Congregational Story,Diverse Voices,NEHH,NEHH@20
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/HHChurchesCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260220T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260220T130000
DTSTAMP:20260225T111104Z
CREATED:20260225T111026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260225T111104Z
UID:12389-1771588800-1771592400@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Black History Collections Tour at the Congregational Library & Archives
DESCRIPTION:Join CLA Librarian\, Meaghan Wright\, for a lunchtime tour of items in the Congregational Library & Archives’ collection that document the Black Congregational and Afro-Christian experience. \nHeld in the CLA’s historic reading room at 14 Beacon Street\, this first in a series of monthly programs connects residents of Beacon Hill and the greater Boston region with original\, rarely seen materials in the CLA’s collections. \nThis event ran from 12 to 1 pm\, beginning with a short talk by Meaghan Wright\, followed by plenty of time for looking and asking questions. \n  \nThanks to the generosity of the Beacon Hill Civic Association\, this program was offered completely free of charge to the public.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/feb26-collections-tour
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Tour
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/FebTourCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260217T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260217T140000
DTSTAMP:20260325T135726Z
CREATED:20260208T121454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260325T135726Z
UID:7551-1771333200-1771336800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:The Story of Bob: The Life and Times of Rev. Robert W. Wood
DESCRIPTION:This program celebrated the launch of The Story of Bob\, a new biography of Rev. Robert (Bob) W. Wood by Steven C. Law. Based on Law’s extensive interviews with Wood\, the biography tells the story of a pathbreaking religious leader. \nFrom “the greatest generation” comes the true story of a World War II veteran and ordained minister whose public advocacy for social justice was segmented from his private life as a gay man. The biography of Robert W. Wood is the captivating story of a man before his time\, who strove to live and love authentically and advocated for the gay community in church and society. \nBob Wood was a trailblazer in the LGBTQ rights movement\, Active in the Mattachine Society\, he published his book Christ and the Homosexual in 1960 under his own name at great risk. Wood participated in protests against the federal government’s ban on gay employees. He pushed the United Church of Christ to embrace the cause of gay rights—a struggle that ultimately led to the formation of the UCC’s Open & Affirming Coalition. \nToday\, the pursuit of living “more fully and authentically” is a quest that crosses terrains of social influences and self-image\, intersecting with political strains for liberation and well-being. As authoritarianism swells its censorship of LGBTQ stories and bodies\, The Story of Bob remembers the work of resistance against similar terrains strewn with legal landmines that restricted who could be fully themselves\, and how\, and where. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nSteven C. Law is a writer whose work bridges faith and cultural engagement. His commitment to compassionate storytelling enriches The Story of Bob with insight and empathy. Steven Law holds degrees from Campbell University and Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School\, where his focus was Christian ethics and social policy. As an ordained pastor\, he served rural and urban churches before studying creative writing with C. Michael Curtis. Chief among his accomplishments are 45 bliss-filled years with Dr. William “Donald” Stroud\, with whom he created Découvert Fine Art\, an art gallery specializing in European Master drawings. He is the founder and president of the Law Stroud Foundation.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/story-bob
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks,Contemporary Congregationalism,Diverse Voices
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/StoryBobCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260212T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260212T140000
DTSTAMP:20260318T145413Z
CREATED:20260209T165747Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T145413Z
UID:9487-1770901200-1770904800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Exploring Cotton Mather’s Curiosa Americana
DESCRIPTION:Our 2026 Cotton Mather Lecture featured a roundtable with scholars Dr. Reiner Smolinski\, Dr. Ken Minkema\, and Andy Juchno\, editors of a new critical edition of Cotton Mather’s Curiosa Americana letters. \nThis volume presents the first complete\, scholarly edition of Curiosa Americana\, offering transcriptions and annotations that illuminate Mather’s contributions to natural philosophy. His observations—ranging from smallpox inoculation and germ theory to “monstrous” births and marine volcanoes—capture the dynamic interplay between science\, religion and colonial identity. \nAccompanied by a substantial introduction\, the collection situates Mather within the broader networks of the early modern Republic of Letters\, challenging long-held assumptions about the intellectual landscape of colonial America. Essential reading for scholars of early modern science\, intellectual history\, and Atlantic studies\, this work restores Mather’s letters to their rightful place in the history of transatlantic knowledge production. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Reiner Smolinski has spent most of his academic career in researching and publishing about early American literature\, history\, and Puritanism. As the General Editor of Cotton Mather’s 10-volume Biblia Americana (2010–) www.matherproject.de\, he has guided a team of eight scholars in editing colonial America’s first commentary on all books of the Bible. Most recently\, he has co-edited with Kenneth Minkema A Cotton Mather Reader (Yale\, 2022) and with Kenneth Minkema and Andrew Juchno\, Cotton Mather’s Curiosa Americana: Scientific Letters to the Royal Society (Durham University\, IMEMS Press\, 2025). He is currently trying to finish his new biography with the working title “Cotton Mather: The First American Polymath.” \nDr. Kenneth P. Minkema is the Editor of The Works of Jonathan Edwards and Director of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University\, with an appointment as Research Faculty at Yale Divinity School. He is an advisory board member of the New England’s Hidden Histories project at Congregational Library & Archives. \nAndrew Juchno is a doctoral student in history at Boston College. His work examines the intellectual life of early America.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/exploring-curiosa-americana
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks,Congregational Story,Cotton Mather Lecture,NEHH
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CuriosaCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260128T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260128T140000
DTSTAMP:20260311T112823Z
CREATED:20260209T165542Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T112823Z
UID:9485-1769605200-1769608800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Revolutionizing History: From Textbook to Transcription in New England’s Hidden Histories
DESCRIPTION:The community-building New England’s Hidden Histories (NEHH) transcription project has drawn the participation of diverse segments of the population from professors to public school teachers\, and from scholars to genealogists. \nParticipants in the hands-on process of transcribing have shared the excitement of discovering previously unknown facts: women in the early Republic who contested church practice\, congregations vehemently challenging slave-owning pastors\, men and women of color who left first-hand accounts of their lives\, daily details preserved in letters and diaries\, and many more. In schools\, transcribing primary sources has re-inspired pedagogy and revolutionized how students learn history. \nIn this talk\, Helen Gelinas\, NEHH Director of Transcription\, and a few volunteer transcribers explored the process the NEHH project uses to make history accessible to all through transcription. \n  \nThe Congregational Library & Archives is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the New England’s Hidden Histories (NEHH) project with this virtual event series and the digital exhibition NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities. Find out more on our NEHH@20 webpage. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nHelen Gelinas has been the Director of Transcription for New England’s Hidden Histories for 13 years\, instructing and guiding volunteer transcribers and editing their work for online publication at the Congregational Library & Archives. She transcribed and assisted in annotating three books of Cotton Mather’s Biblia Americana\, Vol. 5\, while a graduate student at the University of Tübingen. She is a PhD candidate in American Studies at the University of Heidelberg\, working on her dissertation entitled\, “The Spirit and the Bride: Female Parity\, Prophecy\, and the Power of the Pen in the Works of Cotton Mather.”
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/revolutionizing-history
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:NEHH,NEHH@20
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/RevHistoryCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260120T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260120T140000
DTSTAMP:20260630T125239Z
CREATED:20260209T143539Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260630T125239Z
UID:9183-1768914000-1768917600@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Acquisitions Afternoon 2026: Uncovering Treasures from Revolutionary America
DESCRIPTION:This special virtual event with Dr. Philip Mead marked the launch of the CLA’s 2026 Adopt-a-Book program. \nThe Congregational Library & Archives’ collection began in 1853 when eight donors contributed items from their personal collections that they believed to be important to understanding and interpreting the Congregational story. 173 years later\, the CLA’s collection numbers over 225\,000 print and manuscript works\, many of which were donated from private collectors. The collection continues to grow each year. \nHistorian\, curator\, and a collector and dealer of antiques\, books\, and manuscripts\, Dr. Philip Mead shared fascinating stories about overlooked books and manuscripts from the era of the American Revolution that he uncovered at auction\, antique and books shows\, and in private collections. He also discussed the painstaking research\, the necessary persistence\, and sometimes the serendipity involved in locating materials from the Revolutionary era still in private hands. \nLearn more about Adopt-a-Book 2026 at congregationallibrary.org/adopt-a-book. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Phillip Mead is the owner of Mead Americana\, an antiques and ephemera business specializing in Colonial and Revolutionary American militaria\, books\, paper\, and personal objects. Mead holds a PhD in early American history from Harvard University. Before starting his business\, Mead was Chief Historian and Curator of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia (MoAR)\, where he worked from 2011 – 2024\, shaping the new museum’s award-winning galleries and collections. He is lead guest curator of MoAR’s 2025-2027 flagship exhibition for the 250th of the United States\, the Declaration’s Journey and he is the co-author of Among His Troops: Washington’s War Tent in a Newly Discovered Watercolor and\, with Benjamin Lincoln\, Jr.\, Essays by “The Free Republican\,” 1784 – 1786.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/acquisitions-afternoon-2026
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Public Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AA26Carousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251216T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251216T143000
DTSTAMP:20260225T103340Z
CREATED:20260225T103340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260225T103340Z
UID:12376-1765890000-1765895400@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Christmas with the Puritans: A Festive Virtual Program
DESCRIPTION:This program celebrated the Christmas season by exploring the history of puritan objections to this holiday. Puritans famously banned Christmas in Massachusetts in 1659\, and they are often portrayed as joyless\, solemn\, and severe. However\, we don’t often hear a nuanced explanation of their grievances with Christmas or the more complicated history of their influence on early American culture. \nDid seventeenth-century puritans really hate holiday fun\, or are they misunderstood? In this talk and collections tour\, Dr. Tricia Peone examined rare manuscripts and books in the CLA’s collection and discussed how Christmas was celebrated (and not celebrated) in early New England. Attendees learned more about Christmas in seventeenth-century New England and the evolution of the holiday into the one we know today. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early New England\, particularly the history of magic and witchcraft\, and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals\, books\, blogs\, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/christmas-puritans-virtual2
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Congregational Story,Public Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/XmasPuritansCarousel-NEW400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251215T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251215T130000
DTSTAMP:20260225T103648Z
CREATED:20260209T143109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260225T103648Z
UID:9175-1765800000-1765803600@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Archives Behind the Scenes: The Historic Connecticut Conference Collection Project
DESCRIPTION:The Congregational Library & Archives recently added over 150 linear feet of material from the Historic Connecticut Conference. The collection was given to the CLA by the Southern New England Conference\, UCC (SNEUCC) and supported by grants from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation\, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation\, and the Missionary Society of Connecticut. \nThe collection documents three hundred years of religious\, cultural\, and social history from across Connecticut\, the country\, and the world\, but has been privately held\, disorganized\, and largely inaccessible to researchers until recently. \nIn this hybrid lunch and learn program\, Historic Connecticut Collection Project Archivist Anne Woodrum talked about the work she began in July 2025 under the guidance of Archivist Billy McCarthy with the goal of processing the material into a completed finding aid. Anne looked back on the first six months of her work\, shared takeaways from her initial processing plan\, showcased interesting highlights from the collection\, and discussed how she plans to spend the next six months processing these unbelievably valuable records. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nAnne Woodrum joined the Congregational Library & Archives staff as the Historic Connecticut Conference Project Archivist in July 2025. She holds a BA in English from Washington College\, an MS in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management from Simmons College\, and an MA in English from UMass Boston. Before joining the CLA\, she worked as a Project Archivist at The Trustees of Reservations\, where she arranged and described the records of the Boston Natural Areas Network\, and at the Concord Public Library\, where she conducted a special collections survey project. Anne also has experience providing reference services at Brandeis University\, Salem State University\, and the Boston Public Library.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/archives-behind-scenes
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Archives,Lunch & Learn
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/WoodrumLLCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251211T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251211T190000
DTSTAMP:20260225T103035Z
CREATED:20260225T103035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260225T103035Z
UID:12374-1765474200-1765479600@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Christmas with the Puritans: A Festive Virtual Program
DESCRIPTION:This program celebrated the Christmas season by exploring the history of puritan objections to this holiday. Puritans famously banned Christmas in Massachusetts in 1659\, and they are often portrayed as joyless\, solemn\, and severe. However\, we don’t often hear a nuanced explanation of their grievances with Christmas or the more complicated history of their influence on early American culture. \nDid seventeenth-century puritans really hate holiday fun\, or are they misunderstood? In this talk and collections tour\, Dr. Tricia Peone examined rare manuscripts and books in the CLA’s collection and discussed how Christmas was celebrated (and not celebrated) in early New England. Attendees learned more about Christmas in seventeenth-century New England and the evolution of the holiday into the one we know today. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early New England\, particularly the history of magic and witchcraft\, and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals\, books\, blogs\, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/christmas-puritans-virtual
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Congregational Story,Public Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/XmasPuritansCarousel-NEW400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T190000
DTSTAMP:20260225T102607Z
CREATED:20260209T143302Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260225T102607Z
UID:9178-1765387800-1765393200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Christmas with the Puritans: A Festive Program at the Congregational Library & Archives
DESCRIPTION:This program celebrated the Christmas season by exploring the history of puritan objections to this holiday. Puritans famously banned Christmas in Massachusetts in 1659\, and they are often portrayed as joyless\, solemn\, and severe. However\, we don’t often hear a nuanced explanation of their grievances with Christmas or the more complicated history of their influence on early American culture. \nDid seventeenth-century puritans really hate holiday fun\, or are they misunderstood? In this talk and collections tour\, Dr. Tricia Peone examined rare manuscripts and books in the CLA’s collection and discussed how Christmas was celebrated (and not celebrated) in early New England. Attendees learned more about Christmas in seventeenth-century New England and the evolution of the holiday into the one we know today. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early New England\, particularly the history of magic and witchcraft\, and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals\, books\, blogs\, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/christmas-puritans
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Congregational Story,Public Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/XmasPuritansCarousel-NEW400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251203T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251203T140000
DTSTAMP:20260225T102054Z
CREATED:20260209T165259Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260225T102054Z
UID:9483-1764766800-1764770400@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Newport Gardner’s Anthem: A Story of Slavery\, Struggle\, and Survival in Early America
DESCRIPTION:This virtual book talk with Dr. Edward E. Andrews focused on his new book that explores the remarkable life of Occramer Marycoo\, an enslaved African who went on to become one of early America’s most important Black leaders. \nIn the mid-eighteenth century\, Marycoo was taken from West Africa to Newport\, Rhode Island\, where he was forced into racial bondage and given a name that symbolized the power that his new city and new enslaver held over him: Newport Gardner. In this powerful book\, Edward E. Andrews pieces together newspaper articles\, church records\, letters\, and Gardner’s own writings to tell the story of his life. \nAfter acquiring his freedom via a winning lottery ticket in 1791\, Gardner became a kind of Founding Father for Newport’s free Black community. He established and led several Black benevolent organizations that helped the community navigate the complicated waters of freedom as Rhode Island slowly began the process of emancipation. He became a popular educator to young Black Newporters\, and also emerged as a key religious figure\, serving as a long-standing pillar of Newport’s First Congregational Church and later founding an independent Black church in the 1820s. His final act was leading a group of about three dozen Black New Englanders to Liberia\, in hopes that a new start in Africa would be better than the discrimination they faced in America. \nA richly textured account\, Newport Gardner’s Anthem tells the story of a forgotten Black leader while exploring the new\, but tragically limited\, opportunities for formerly enslaved people in the post-Revolutionary world. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Edward E. Andrews is Professor in The Department of History and Classics at Providence College. A scholar of early American history\, his work focuses on questions of race\, religion\, and slavery in early America and the Atlantic World.  His first book\, Native Apostles: Black and Indian Missionaries in the British Atlantic World\, was published by Harvard University Press in 2013. His new biography\, Newport Gardner’s Anthem: A Story of Slavery\, Struggle\, and Survival in Early America\, was recently released by Cornell University Press.  It tells the story of an important but forgotten African leader in early New England.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/newport-gardners-anthem
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Book Talks,CLA Research Fellows,Diverse Voices
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NewportGardnerCarousel400.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T140000
DTSTAMP:20260226T101811Z
CREATED:20260209T142915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T101811Z
UID:9170-1763557200-1763560800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:“The Just and Good Governor of the World:” John Hancock’s Congregationalist Roots and Religious Commitment
DESCRIPTION:This talk was given by Dr. Jeffrey M. Griffith\, editor of the upcoming multi-volume Papers of John Hancock\, a publication of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts\, as well as the curator of thousands of letters authored and received by John Hancock on the publication’s companion website\, JohnHancockPapers.com. \nIn his talk\, Dr. Griffith focused on John Hancock’s Congregational roots and how he invoked religious traditions throughout his life. The Governor’s grandfather\, father\, and uncle were all Congregational ministers and – until tragedy befell the family – the third generation John Hancock would likely also have been a town minister. \nAfter John’s uncle and aunt adopted him\, the burgeoning social leader built upon their life-long commitment to various meetinghouses. Whereas his guardians fulfilled specific needs for individual congregations\, John envisioned his contributions on a scale that impacted entire communities. By providing land\, bells\, and building materials\, meetinghouses across New England emerged and stood as a testament of Hancock’s devotion to religion. \nAs Hancock emerged as a political leader on the local and continental stage\, he promoted and participated in religious traditions ranging from Election Day Sermons\, to Days of Fasting\, and Days of Thanksgiving. Each of these events anchor current events that sought to tout God’s role in both his personal life and the community’s circumstances and efforts. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Jeffrey Griffith wrote his dissertation on Massachusetts Election Sermons from 1763-1793\, which studied how ministers used the annual tradition to interpret the events that pushed Massachusetts from a loyal colony to a free-and-independent Commonwealth. Named the editor of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts’s upcoming multi-volume Papers of John Hancock publications\, which will curate thousands of letters authored and received by John Hancock across four decades\, and which are currently spread across over dozens of repositories and collections.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/just-good-governor
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/JGGovernorCarousel400_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251113T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251113T180000
DTSTAMP:20260226T101552Z
CREATED:20260209T142724Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T101552Z
UID:9168-1763053200-1763056800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Sacred Rebellion Virtual Exhibition Tour
DESCRIPTION:Back by popular demand\, this encore virtual tour of the Congregational Library & Archives’ new in-person exhibition\, Sacred Rebellion\, was hosted by Executive Director Dr. Kyle Roberts and New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director and Sacred Rebellion curator Dr. Tricia Peone. \nBy the time the American Revolution began\, many Congregationalists had embraced a theological justification for war and revolution. They believed that God favored them and that their cause was a morally justified\, sacred rebellion. Through sermons\, books\, poems\, songs\, and letters\, Congregationalists shared their stories\, reflected on their moral obligations to each other\, and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. But consensus was elusive\, and implementation proved difficult and unsatisfactory to many\, especially those on the margins. \nThe interactive tour was hosted on Zoom\, with registration limited to a small group of attendees. Participants viewed Revolutionary-era treasures from the collections; heard stories about how Congregationalists experienced the period leading up to\, during\, and immediately following the war; had opportunities to ask questions; and reflected on what this pivotal event means 250 years later. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Kyle Roberts was appointed the Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives in 2022. He received his BA in American Studies from Williams College and his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to the CLA\, he was Associate Director of Library & Museum Programming at the American Philosophical Society and Associate Professor of Public History and New Media and Director of the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities at Loyola University Chicago. \nA scholar of Atlantic World religion\, print\, and library history\, he is the author of Evangelical Gotham: Religion and the Making of New York City\, 1783-1860 (Chicago\, 2016)\, the co-editor\, with Stephen Schloesser\, of Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits\, Women Religious\, American Experience 1814-2014 (Brill\, 2017) and\, with Mark Towsey\, of Before the Public Library: Reading\, Community\, and Identity in the Atlantic World\, 1650-1850 (Brill\, 2017). \nKyle is an accomplished public historian and digital humanist whose collaborative projects include the Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project\, the Maryland Loyalism Project\, and Dissenting Academies Online: Virtual Library System. In addition to being the consultant for numerous digital and public history projects\, he sits on the executive committees of the American Catholic Historical Association\, the New England Historical Association\, the Urban History Association He is on the editorial and advisory boards for American Catholic Studies\, Early American Studies\, and portal. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science. \n  \nFunded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/sacred-rebellion-virtual-exhibition-tour-f25
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories,Sacred Rebellion
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T140000
DTSTAMP:20260226T101019Z
CREATED:20260209T142517Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T101019Z
UID:9166-1762952400-1762956000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Armenian Congregationalism: Past\, Present\, and Future
DESCRIPTION:In this virtual talk\, Rev. Dr. Haroutune Selimian explored the historical and theological foundations of Armenian Congregationalism\, with particular focus on how the community has persevered through crisis. Drawing from church archives\, the Armenian Evangelical press of the 19th and 20th centuries\, and his own experience as pastor of the Bethel Church in Aleppo\, Selimian reflected on the enduring convictions that have shaped Armenian identity: congregational polity\, the authority of Scripture\, local witness\, and the call to faithful resilience. \nArmenian churches have walked through genocide\, exile\, war\, and systemic marginalization. Yet\, the values at the heart of their Congregational tradition\, freedom of conscience\, covenantal fellowship\, and Christ-centered service\, have not only survived but deepened. Selimian shared how these values continue to sustain his ministry in Syria today\, especially amid the overlapping crises of displacement\, economic collapse\, and regional instability. \nThis talk also looked forward. How can a small\, war-torn church continue to be a living theology of presence? How can they remain rooted in their biblical convictions while adapting to the future needs of their people and region? Selimian hoped to offer not only historical insights\, but also a theological framework and practical testimony that resonate with Congregationalists around the world. \nThis event was co-sponsored by the Theological Commission of the International Congregational Fellowship. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nRev. Dr. Haroutune Selimian is a scholar-pastor who has led the Armenian Evangelical Bethel Church of Aleppo since 1993. He serves as President of the Armenian Protestant Community in Syria and holds a PhD in historical sciences from Yerevan State University. His academic work focuses on the 19th-century Armenian Evangelical movement\, and he actively engages in interfaith and ecumenical dialogue across the region. A graduate of Near East School of Theology and McCormick Theological Seminary\, he is Moderator of the International Congregational Fellowship and a key voice for peace building\, theological reflection\, and bridge-building amid displacement and crisis.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/armenian-congregationalism
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Congregational Story,Contemporary Congregationalism,Diverse Voices
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251107T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251107T140000
DTSTAMP:20260226T100739Z
CREATED:20260209T142337Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T100739Z
UID:9164-1762507800-1762524000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:The Archives Edit: A Workshop in Arranging Your Church’s Archive
DESCRIPTION:One of the core principles of archival theory is arrangement\, the process by which archivists create physical and intellectual order out of a collection. Led by the CLA’s archivists\, Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy\, this workshop introduced participants to the concepts of physically and intellectually arranging a church’s archive through a combination of instruction\, demonstration\, and hands-on activities. \nWhile intellectual and physical arrangement are separate tasks with different outcomes\, they are inextricably linked together and form the backbone of archival processing and accessibility. Physical arrangement is the process of safely housing\, labeling\, and ordering physical materials\, while intellectual arrangement is the process of creating an inventory that maintains connections among objects and logically orders them into a hierarchical list. \nThe workshop was designed for those tasked with keeping\, preserving\, and making accessible a church’s valuable records. Zachary and Billy discussed core archival principles in detail and give examples of how those concepts may be applied to church records collections of all shapes and sizes. Topics covered included how to arrange a collection of seemingly disparate materials into useful broad categories\, how to identify relationships among various items in your collection\, and how to identify or recreate a collection’s original order. \nParticipants left the workshop with an understanding of the principles of arrangement and concrete next steps for how they may apply those principles to their own collections. \nThis program was part of our Church Stewardship Initiative (CSI). Find the videos of past virtual workshops and free resources on our CSI webpage. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nZachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University\, with a concentration in archives management\, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA\, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive\, the Vassar College Special Collections\, the Harvard Law School Library\, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017\, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018\, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management\, digital archiving\, audio/visual preservation\, and archives management. \nBilly McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services\, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives\, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access\, collection management\, processing of complex materials\, and facilitating research.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/archives-edit-f25
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Archives,CSI
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T200000
DTSTAMP:20260414T125440Z
CREATED:20260209T142134Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260414T125440Z
UID:9162-1761764400-1761768000@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities Digital Exhibition Launch
DESCRIPTION:ACCESS VIDEO TRANSCRIPT + RESOURCES \nFor twenty years\, the New England’s Hidden Histories project at the Congregational Library & Archives has been digitizing\, transcribing\, and providing free online access to early New England Congregational church records. Since 2005\, this landmark project has grown into a digital archive with 130\,000 images and over 26\,000 pages of transcription\, representing collections from 160 historic New England churches. Working in partnership with libraries\, archives\, museums\, churches\, and other cultural institutions\, the project team has uncovered valuable\, and too often overlooked\, firsthand accounts that preserve the voices of early New Englanders. \nIn this virtual event\, curators Dr. Richard Boles\, Associate Professor of History and the Interim Director of Religious Studies at Oklahoma State University\, and Dr. Tricia Peone\, Project Director of New England’s Hidden Histories\, launched a new online exhibition to celebrate the project’s milestone anniversary. NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities showcases the work of scholars\, church historians\, and transcribers who have contributed to the project and uncovered new histories in the process. The exhibition explores the important research that has come from this archive and its impact on community histories of New England. Learn more about the making of the online exhibition\, the history and evolution of the NEHH project\, and the curators’ favorite stories from the archives. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Richard Boles is an Associate Professor of History and the Interim Director of Religious Studies at Oklahoma State University. His first book\, Dividing the Faith: The Rise of Segregated Churches in the Early American North\, was published by New York University Press. It examines the transition from racially diverse churches during the early eighteenth century to separate African American and Native American congregations by the early nineteenth century in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. His most recent publication appears in the just-released Routledge History of Religion and Politics in the United States Since 1775. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early New England\, particularly the history of magic and witchcraft\, and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals\, books\, blogs\, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/nehh20-virtual-launch
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:NEHH,NEHH@20
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T140000
DTSTAMP:20260301T114255Z
CREATED:20260209T141709Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260301T114255Z
UID:9159-1761051600-1761055200@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:The Bicentennial of the American Unitarian Association and Congregational History
DESCRIPTION:ACCESS VIDEO TRANSCRIPT + RESOURCES\nOn the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the American Unitarian Association\, Dr. Dan McKanan\, Ralph Waldo Emerson Unitarian Universalist Senior Lecturer at Harvard Divinity School and editor of A Documentary History of Unitarian Universalism (Skinner House Books\, 2017)\, joined us for this fascinating virtual talk. \nThe founding of the American Unitarian Association in 1825 was the culmination of a generations-long family quarrel within the Congregational churches of Massachusetts. Many Unitarian Universalists today remember it as the beginning of a theological journey that would lead away from both Congregationalism and Christianity as a whole. But the Unitarian founders understood themselves as custodians of the best traditions of their puritan forebears. They hoped to spread the puritan values of learned ministry and congregational independence across the United States\, while paring away the excesses of Calvinism and revivalism. \nAnd even as their theology diverged\, their organizational habits ran in parallel with those of their more orthodox siblings. Both groups were prolific founders of schools and reform societies that transformed their nation\, even as both groups lagged behind their Baptist and Methodist cousins in the struggle for hearts and minds. This bicentennial is thus an opportunity to reflect on the shared legacies of Congregationalism. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Dan McKanan is the Emerson Senior Lecturer at Harvard Divinity School\, where he works closely with students preparing for Unitarian Universalist ministry and with scholars of Unitarian Universalism from around the world. He is the author of six books\, including Prophetic Encounters: Religion and the American Radical Tradition\, and the editor of the two-volume Documentary History of Unitarian Universalism.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/aua-bicentennial
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Congregational Story
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T140000
DTSTAMP:20260526T085941Z
CREATED:20260209T141506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260526T085941Z
UID:9155-1760533200-1760536800@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Finding an Archival Home:  Understanding the Accessioning Process
DESCRIPTION:ACCESS VIDEO TRANSCRIPT + RESOURCES \nChurches\, both active and engaged in the legacy process\, may find themselves needing to partner with external repositories to properly steward their important historical records. \nThe process of working with repositories to donate materials can be surprisingly complex and time intensive for both the donor and repository. Every archive\, library\, and museum has their own unique accessioning workflow and rules for collecting\, so when the stewards of church records understand the overall process\, they are able to set realistic expectations when working with both repositories and church administrators. \nThis virtual workshop with the CLA’s archivists\, Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy\, explored the accessioning process from start to finish with an eye towards setting expectations for donors and best practices to follow when working with external repositories. Zachary and Billy will also discussed the gift agreement\, a document that legally transfers physical ownership; explored how to talk about copyright and other legal rights with a repository; and offered a peak behind the curtain at the CLA’s accessioning procedures. \nThis program was part of our Church Stewardship Initiative (CSI). Find the videos of past workshops and free resources on our CSI webpage. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nZachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University\, with a concentration in archives management\, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA\, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive\, the Vassar College Special Collections\, the Harvard Law School Library\, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017\, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018\, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management\, digital archiving\, audio/visual preservation\, and archives management. \nBilly McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services\, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives\, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access\, collection management\, processing of complex materials\, and facilitating research.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/finding-archival-home
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Archives,CSI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://congregationallibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ArchivalHome400.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T140000
DTSTAMP:20260227T113555Z
CREATED:20260227T113328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T113555Z
UID:12813-1760446800-1760450400@congregationallibrary.org
SUMMARY:Spirits in the Stacks: A Ghostly Virtual Tour
DESCRIPTION:Feeling spooky? This program\, offered both in-person and via Zoom\, featured chilling tales of the macabre as NEHH Project Director Dr. Tricia Peone guided guests through the haunted history of the Congregational Library & Archives. \nAttendees heard ghost stories drawn from the 400-year history of Congregationalism and learned why the CLA has collected occult literature. They viewed rare books and manuscripts from the CLA’s collections\, including seventeenth-century books on ghosts and witchcraft\, nineteenth-century pamphlets on vampires and seances\, and twentieth-century haunted house sermons. \nThis interactive tour began with a discussion of puritan belief in ghosts and the invisible world\, including works by Boston ministers Increase and Cotton Mather that continue to shape the way people understand these topics. Dr. Peone explored the legacy of New England’s supernatural landscape and how this history continues to affect us today. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early New England\, particularly the history of magic and witchcraft\, and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals\, books\, blogs\, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/spirits-stacks-virtual
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Public Programs
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