The First Congregational Church of Greenwich

What The First Congregational Church of Greenwich does

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich is a historic United Church of Christ congregation chartered on May 10, 1665 by the Connecticut General Assembly, making it the oldest institution in Greenwich, CT and the entity that effectively founded the township by providing its first Orthodox minister. Operating from the historic Meetinghouse at 108 Sound Beach Avenue in Old Greenwich, CT, the church delivers weekly Sunday worship at 10:00 AM, summer beach services at Greenwich Point, and continuous digital streaming via YouTube, Facebook, and phone. The 14-employee staff (two reverends, a Minister of Music, planned giving director, finance administrator, and lay staff) supports a portfolio of ministries including children's, youth, and adult programming, a music program with five vocal and handbell choirs, pastoral care, sacramental rites (baptism, weddings, memorial services), and two on-site adjacent operations: the First Church Preschool and the Rummage Room thrift shop.

The church generates revenue entirely from voluntary contributions through six distinct streams: a $750,000 Annual Giving Campaign goal for 2025-2026, one-time online donations via the ACS/MyFirstChurch portal, securities transfers, endowment fund income (used for building maintenance), planned giving vehicles (wills, bequests, Donor Advised Funds), and special project gifts. The endowment serves as the emergency reserve. The organization is governed by a Church Council and ministerial staff, holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and is designated "Open and Affirming" within the UCC denomination.

Name

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich

Legal name

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich

Website

https://fccog.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich is a 360-year-old United Church of Christ congregation in Old Greenwich, CT offering weekly worship, music programs, faith formation, pastoral care, and preschool services to its members and surrounding community, funded entirely through member donations and an endowment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Worship Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Childcare Centers (EDACAAAN)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Pastoral care
• Faith formation
• Church music ministry
• Congregational community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Old Greenwich

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Giving Campaign / Member Tithes and Offerings: Members are asked to participate annually in the Giving campaign to fund the church's annual budget covering programs, ministry, outreach, staff salaries, and day-to-day operations. The annual giving goal is $750,000 per the 2025-2026 campaign cycle. All donations are tax-deductible.
2. One-Time Donations: Members and visitors can make one-time contributions via credit card through the MyFirstChurch (ACS) online giving portal.
3. Securities Transfers: Donors can transfer securities to the church; the Finance Administrator (Greg Girolamo) facilitates stock transfer forms.
4. Endowment Fund: Income from the Endowment Fund is used for building maintenance annually; the fund itself serves as the church's emergency reserve. Gifts, bequests, and reinvestment policy keep the fund healthy.
5. Planned Giving / Wills and Bequests: The church offers planned giving vehicles including wills, bequests, and Donor Advised Funds for long-term charitable giving with tax advantages. Philip Wentworth serves as Director of Planned Giving.
6. Special Gifts and Project Support: Members and supporters can contribute to special projects such as air conditioning the Meetinghouse or installing the Liftovator, as well as ongoing programs through 'angel' support.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich is a historic United Church of Christ congregation chartered in 1665 that delivers weekly Sunday worship services (in-person in the Meetinghouse and via livestream), sacramental rites, pastoral care, music ministry, and faith formation programs for children, youth, and adults. The church supplements its core worship and ministry offerings with auxiliary community-facing services including the Rummage Room thrift shop and the on-campus First Church Preschool, all supported by an annual giving campaign, planned giving program, and endowment fund.

Product overview

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich is a historic United Church of Christ congregation founded in 1665, offering a unified portfolio of worship, spiritual formation, music, and community service programs. The church's core offering centers on weekly Sunday worship services (in-person at the Meetinghouse and online via streaming) supported by a comprehensive sermon media archive. Music ministry is a significant component featuring vocal choirs (Chancel Choir, Youth Choir) and handbell ensembles (Palmer Handbells, Silverthorn Handchimes). The church provides pastoral care services, sacramental rites (baptism, weddings), children's and youth programming, and operates auxiliary services including the Rummage Room thrift shop and First Church Preschool. Financial engagement is facilitated through online giving via ACS/MyFirstChurch, annual giving campaigns ($750,000 goal), and planned giving programs. The church's digital presence includes sermon video/audio archives organized by series, topics, speakers, and scripture references.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and notable.

• Yale Divinity SchoolminorOthers · 24 May 2026Guest preacher Morenike Oyebode from Yale Divinity School delivered the May 24, 2026 worship service sermon on 'Guard Your Mind.'
• United Church of Christ — 35th General SynodnotableOthers · 10 July 2025The 35th General Synod of the United Church of Christ was held in Kansas City, MO from July 10-15, 2025. Church staff including Reverend Cydney Van Dyke attended, with Khaleigh Laicher serving as a voting delegate for the second time. General Synod is the national legislative body of the denomination where the church discerns and takes action on spiritual and moral issues.
• United Church of Christ (UCC) Musicians AssociationnotableOthers · 10 July 2024The UCCMA was founded at this church in 1982 with Jayson Engquist (church organist from 1982-1984) as Founding President. The church hosted the UCCMA annual convention in July 2024, organized by Dr. Craig Scott Symons, Minister of Music. This is a denominational association for musicians within the United Church of Christ.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Old South Church in Boston: Historic United Church of Christ congregation founded in 1669, serving downtown Boston with comparable worship, music, and community-outreach programs. Closest analog in denomination, heritage, and program breadth.
• First Parish in Cambridge: Historic Congregational/UCC congregation in Cambridge, MA with worship, music, children's, and youth ministries operating on a similar model to First Church Greenwich's intergenerational programming.
• Marble Collegiate Church: Historic mainline congregation in midtown Manhattan with comparable Sunday worship, music ministry, pastoral care, and community-outreach programming; similar urban-affluent demographic profile.
• Riverside Church: Historic interdenominational congregation in NYC with a large multi-program offering including worship, music, social-justice outreach, and faith formation; comparable in programmatic depth and scale of operations.
• Christ Church Greenwich: Historic Episcopal parish in Greenwich, CT operating in the same affluent Fairfield County market with comparable worship, music, formation, and outreach programs; direct local peer for member and donor share.

Broad incumbents

• Trinity Church Wall Street: Well-endowed historic Episcopal parish in lower Manhattan with extensive real estate holdings, music programs, and outreach. Larger and more diversified but directly comparable as a heritage mainline congregation with an investment-style endowment model.
• United Church of Christ (National): National denominational body of which First Church is a member congregation. Comparable as the broader institutional ecosystem that supports the church's denominational affiliation, governance, and shared mission work.

Others

• National Council of Churches: Ecumenical umbrella organization of which UCC and First Church are part of the broader network. Comparable as an adjacent faith-based nonprofit institution engaged in collective advocacy and mission work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@firstchurchgreenwich
• Facebookfacebook.com/FCCOGCT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-first-congregational-church-of-greenwich

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The First Congregational Church of Greenwich