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Foundational Moments

Standing on Their Shoulders

Foundational Moments in the Life of Our Church

We devote ourselves to the love, obedience, and service of Jesus Christ; to walk in his ways now known, or hereafter to be made known to us, whatever it may cost us, according to our best endeavor, the Lord assisting us. (1897)

We stand on the shoulders of so many members who have taken action to answer need.

Our faith and our commitment to living out God’s word is constantly growing as we strive to increase our understanding of what it means to be a Christian—to live the promise that, in Their eyes, we are all created in God’s image.

It is always our challenge to build upon that commitment to the community that surrounds us, seeking where we can next be of service.

Below, we’ve compiled a few examples of how our faith has led to action.

How Our Faith Led to Action

In the late 1960’s several members of the Women’s Fellowship saw a need for a special education school, as one did not exist in the Midcoast. Led by Rita Elliot, who became Director, and with the full support of Rev. Don Henderson, the church became home to The Henderson School from 1967 to 1986, when special needs education became part of the public school system. Hundreds of delightful, eager young people attended classes in our Sunday School rooms and benefited from the love, care and direction they experienced.

In 1963 the congregation purchased 63 Washington Street, a boarding home, to serve older residents who did not require the degree of care associated with a nursing home but who could no longer live independently. The mission was to provide a home-like setting where an elderly person could live graciously. It was considered a high-risk proposal but one that addressed a definite need in the community. FCC sold the house to its Board of Directors in 1999.

In 1984, church secretary Barbara Lannamann started a small food pantry in her office at the church. Eventually this food pantry grew into the Camden Area Christian Food Pantry, an ecumenical organization that serves Camden, Rockport, Lincolnville, Appleton, Hope, Union, Washington, and Searsmont.

We also remember Barbara’s stash of gently used clothes ready to go to anyone who needed them; quietly given, quietly accepted. That act of generosity led to the creation of the SOS Room, which today carries out the same mission for our neighbors in the community.

Affordable used clothing, along with the opportunity to raise funds to support local non-profits inspired Beryl and Eric Charlton to lead an effort to establish a used clothing shop in 1994. Today Heavenly Threads thrives, each year giving tens of thousands of dollars back to the community while being a welcoming shopping experience for all who enter.

In 2001 the congregation committed overwhelmingly to dedicating $500,000 of an unanticipated bequest to serve the people of Knox County and Lincolnville who find themselves in financial crisis for any number of reasons. While that initial funding has long since been depleted, the generosity of so many others continues to sustain the project.

An editorial in the Camden Herald, challenging the community to reach out to those who might need a warm meal, spurred the creation in 2005 of SOUP’S ON, a weekly soup luncheon served during the colder, darker months of the year, October through March, at the church. Organized by the Charltons and a team of dedicated volunteers, the lunches offered guests two soups, bread and dessert. Soup’s On was both food for the body and food for the soul as the lunch became a community within itself, providing friendship, support, and lighthearted good times to the 60–90 diners who joined us each week for fifteen years. Soup’s On was halted by the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020. After careful consideration post-pandemic, the volunteers concluded that the soup lunch structure was not sustainable. Seeking a less labor-intensive offering to fill the winter-season void, Cake and Community emerged in January 2024 from these thoughtful deliberations.

And in 2013 we looked at all that we had done over the years to ensure that this is a welcoming place for everyone. We asked: Are we living up to our message?

No matter who you are, or where you are on Life’s Journey, you are welcome here today, and every day.

The resulting study and deep reflection of what it means to be an ONA church led to a congregational vote to become an Open and Affirming Church of the United Church of Christ in September, 2013. Today our staff and our congregation mirror that commitment to be truly welcoming and accepting of all walks of life, to anyone who walks through our doors. This gift doesn’t just offer God’s welcome, it’s an invitation to our entire community to be transformed.

The Bigger Picture

Camden UCC is proud to be part of the United Church of Christ and the Maine UCC Conference, with whom we partner in God’s movement for love and justice.