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About Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Our History
Christ Community Presbyterian Church began as a three-family Bible study in September 2001 in Simsbury. God had relocated two families from the south and led them to worship at the Presbyterian Church of Manchester (PCM), some 40 minutes away. At PCM they met another couple who had been moved to Avon after living in Manchester for fifteen years. As an extension of God’s kingdom in the Farmington Valley, PCM began a Bible study with the three families in September, led by Pastor Mark Scholten.
In January 2002 the three families became the church plant “launch team.” They developed an identity (Farmington Valley Reformed Fellowship), a vision statement and created a web page. The vision was “to establish a PCA church in the Farmington Valley.“
A public Bible study began in April, in a town hall conference room. By June, the three families grew to eight and with encouragement and financial support from Manchester and the denomination’s local presbytery, the families created and distributed a church plant profile.
In the fall of 2002 God used his servant Preston Graham, a pastor and church
planter in New Haven, to challenge the launch team’s vision, and in December
the group lifted their eyes from their Farmington Valley vision and crafted this
broader vision statement: To initiate a PCA church planting movement
impacting the metro region of Hartford and the Western part of Connecticut,
beginning with establishing an anchor church west of the Connecticut River.
By January 2003, the launch team had interacted with eight pastors,
predominately young, seminary graduates with 3-5 years of experience. None
completely “fit” the profile which sought an experienced pastor prepared for
intellectual battle in this religiously skeptical, highly educated, affluent area.
Believing He was redirecting their plans again, the team invited a young,
heavily-recruited, church planting school graduate, to visit the area. The visit
was favorable but the candidate needed time to consider other opportunities.
Meanwhile, out on the barrier island of St. Simons, Georgia, an experienced
church planter and articulate senior pastor, Allen Baker, and his wife Wini, were seeking God’s will for the next phase of their ministry. They had served for 10 years at Golden Isles Presbyterian Church and started two other churches and a Christian school. He was often the key-note speaker at mission conferences in the US and overseas. But they believed their gifts could be used in a different, broader context now. What would the Lord have them do to minister the good news of Christ: go overseas, stay in the US, go to an established church, start another church, and in what context and where?
As they prayed during the fall of 2002, Wini remembered meeting Preston Graham while visiting a friend in New Haven during the summer. In passing, Pastor Graham mentioned the church planting opportunity in Hartford. In January 2003, Al called Preston for more details, then Al called the launch team and emailed his resume. The launch team saw an experienced pastor, prepared for intellectual battle and an evangelist.
attending. Services were moved to the American School for the Deaf chapel in September 2003. The first morning worship service was September 14, with 41 attending. Twelve families were committed to the work and mission of “to promote a Biblical vision of authentic Christianity by planting churches – throughout Connecticut – where people delight supremely in God.”
Today in 2009, the congregation of Christ Community Presbyterian Church meets for worship at the West Hartford Town Auditorium, where weekly attendance averages 150. In addition, the church coordinates fellowship for its members and friends through an array of community groups for individuals, couples and families, covenant groups for men and women, youth group and special gatherings, including a multicultural dinner every fall to coincide with our annual missions conference, musical presentations, and community outreach events. We praise God for His faithfulness to us.
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In 2003, 12 families were committed to the work and mission “to promote a Biblical vision of authentic Christianity by planting churches – throughout Connecticut – where people delight supremely in God.
The Bakers believed God may have been calling them to the northeast, once a bastion of belief, and after a visit the area in late January – punctuated by two blizzards – and much prayer, the Bakers accepted the challenge. In February, Al recruited a music minister, youth director and college ministry director; in March, Al and the families selected the name Christ Community Presbyterian Church, and in June, Al relocated to New England.
The first worship service was held on Sunday evening, August 17, 2003, in the Chapel of First Church of Christ, with 61
