Who We Are
​Our Future

We believe that many in our community, in Milton and beyond, could find sustenance and comfort in our congregation. We want to make our presence known in ways that call our neighbors to join us, and to make them feel at home, nurtured and encouraged, when they answer. That is the future we envision.

There is so much detail in this congregational packet about our history, our strengths, our challenges and our aspirations that this point could be easily lost. 

We want so much: 

•More opportunities to connect with each other
•More engagement in the greater community
•More unified approaches to social justice
•More of a common thread among our activities
•More cross-pollination among silos of activity 
•More adult Religious Exploration 
•More stimulating worship
•More kinds of music
•More kinds of people
•More people in the pews
•More money in the plate
•More members that stay
•Less burnout

What a list, and there’s more. But if we look closely at what we want, it all boils down to two things. We want our congregation to make a difference in the world, and we want to be an even stronger caring and welcoming community for all who seek comfort and spiritual growth.

We were fortunate to have had a highly respected and much loved minister for ten years. She helped us discover what kind of congregation we want to be and set us on a path toward it. But we do not at all expect our next minister to be her clone or to do things the way she did them.

We want a partnership with a new minister that will open our hearts to possibilities we do not even know exist. We want to be nurtured, encouraged, and challenged. One of our members has often said that First Parish is the best-kept secret in Milton. We want to welcome a minister who will help us spill the beans and become the best known blessing in town, a minister who will help us build a congregation where anyone who wants to join us will know they have found a home.

Our Past

The first Meetinghouse in Milton was built sometime between 1650 and 1660 as our Puritan ancestor’s house of worship as well as the town's public meetinghouse. The town maintained the property and paid the minister's salary. At the time Milton was called Unquity, still a part of Dorchester and thus the church was the First Parish of Dorchester. 

In 1662, the Town of Milton incorporated, legally separating from Dorchester. Ten years later, the Second Meetinghouse was built, the Parish was organized, and ten men subscribed to the covenant. Rev. Peter Thacher became the first settled minister and served the congregation for 47 years. A man of many gifts, he was regarded as an able preacher and a sound advisor in both religious and secular matters throughout Massachusetts Bay Colony. His dedication to the well being of the community was evident – he preached to the native Ponkopoag Indians in their language and, with some medical know-how, he served as the Parish's only physician. 
























As population increased and a more centralized church was needed, a third Meetinghouse was constructed in 1728 near the site where our present church stands. By 1771 this structure was in need of major repairs and the Parish again voted to build another Meetinghouse. The Revolutionary War delayed these plans, but in l788 the fourth Meetinghouse was dedicated. This structure is our present day Meetinghouse, though it faced more...
Our Present 
An Historical Tour of First Parish


First Parish Milton, 535 Canton Avenue, Milton, Massachusetts 02186 ~ Email: office@fpmilton.org ~ P:617.698.6329 ~ http://fpmilton.org/
First Parish in Milton is a caring, welcoming congregation with aspirations of improving the world around us. There is a prevailing sense of community at the core of the parish, which extends to members and FP Staff alike, and a strong commitment to meeting the personal needs of members and friends during times of need.  

We enjoy fellowship with one another. We have recently reinstated our annual harvest supper, and over the years we have held holiday gatherings, dances, potluck dinners, craft nights, film nights, Seders, coffee house style music events, and an annual chocolate auction. 

We are not entirely focused on ourselves, though. The parish has a history of social action  and there is a 
widespread wish for the congregation to broaden its outreach to the larger community. A high percentage of our congregation is very active in civic affairs as individuals, but some of us seek a more unified presence within our community. 

There are strong commitments among different groups of congregants focused on religious explorations for children and youth, music, caring for one another, and social action. Each of these areas has a core of people who are passionate about them, and individuals sometimes dedicate themselves to more than one. However, if there is a unifying strand among these areas, we have not articulated it or adopted it.

We engage in and enjoy a variety of of spiritual practices including prayer, meditation, yoga, pagan celebrations and connecting with the natural and creative world. Buddhism, Humanism, and Protestant Christianity were most often cited in our survey as faith traditions important to us, but our most commonly shared religious belief is that more....