Welcome to our Church located in the beautiful and historic downtown of Norway, Maine. We are a small congregation of about 35 members but the First Universalist Church has served the community for over 200 years. In 2006 we were officially designated as a Welcoming Congregation by the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Right is a picture of the church on Main Street as you are traveling west.

Our History

In 1799, a group of settlers in the valley of the Little Androscoggin River founded the first church of Norway and one of the first Universalist churches in Maine. They called themselves variously "The First Religious Society " or "The Christian Independents"; and eventually they came to be called the First Universalist Church. They invited the Reverend Thomas Barnes to be their minister. He rode the circuit and came to preach in Norway every fourth Sunday, spending the other three at Universalist societies which had sprung up after the foundation of the First Society.

The picture to the left is our sanctuary including the pipes of our newly restored organ.

For more than one and a half centuries, the official calls for parish meetings were issued to “. . . The Universalists” or “Christian Independents of Norway.” In 1961, the Universalist Church of America merged with the Unitarian Association to form the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and this church became the First Universalist Church of Norway, Unitarian Universalist.

 

We hope you will visit us on a Sunday morning, or find an activity on our calendar you would like to attend. Our minister is The Reverend Richard Beal and our music director is Heather Pierson. Our services are at 11:00 AM on Sunday morning from September through June. We always supply child care and maintain religious education materials to share with our young people. If you like to sing, all are welcome to sing in the choir. Just come at 9:30 and join us at practice.

This is a view of downtown Norway from the First Universalist Church of Norway. It was taken from our belfry during the 9-11 remembrance in 2002.