First Church in Lynn, Mass
Adopted January 1837

Transcribed and submitted
by Chris Reichert

To help transcribe or submit information, please e-mail Shaun Cook.

...The first church in Lynn was organized in 1635, and of course has now been in existence a little more than 200 years. The ministers of this church for the first century after its formation were men of sterling talents, of thorough and complete education, of distinguished piety and of sound evangelical sentiments. But after the middle of the eighteenth century there seems to have been a decline as to the evangelical character of the doctrines preached here, till the way was finally prepared for the settling of a Unitarian minister. And this decline was attended with a corresponding decline of the strength of the church. And its members at one time were so reduced that only three male members were left. There three were Deacon John Burrill, Deacon Nathaniel Sargent and Col. John Mansfield. - After having been brought to the brink of ruin by such influences, an evangelical minister was settled in 1818. Since which time there had been a gradual, and considering the obstacles, a very encouraging increase. The early records of the church have lost. The names of most of the members of the church admitted for the first century are lost; and the record of admission, for some time after that, is very imperfect. It is presented in these pages with as much correctness as the nature of the case admits. The ministers which have been settled here from time to time, are as follows:

The following person have been Deacons in this church. The loss of part of the records prevents our giving a complete list.

The following is a List of the Members of the Church, carried back as far as the records now in possession will admit’ and subject to unavoidable imperfections and error, owing to the imperfection of the records. The date of admission, when known, is prefixed to the name; and the date of admission placed after the name. Those dismissed to other churches have the name of the church to which they were recommended; and those which joined by letter form other churches, have the name of, the church from which they came, appended to their names. All who have not the name of a church from which they came, joined by a profession of their faith. Those marked with a star (*) died while members of this church, whether the time of their death is stated or not. The dates of admission between 1778 and 1794 are not known.