The First Parish Unitarian Church of Hubbardston, Mass., was founded in 1770. There had been worship in Hubbardston at least as early as 1767. The covenant establishing the church was signed by six residents of the town and the new pastor, Nehemiah Parker (1742-1801). Parker, who was from Shrewsbury, Mass., graduated from Harvard in 1763, and served as pastor in Hubbardston until 1800. Parker was succeeded in 1802 by David Kendall (1768-1853), who was also a Harvard graduate. Kendall was dismissed by the congregation in 1809 for reasons including his preaching of Calvinistic doctrines.
The third minister was Samuel Gay (1784-1848) of Dedham, Mass., who came to the office in 1810. During Gay's ministry there were growing doctrinal disagreements among the congregation. Dissatisfaction with Gay's Calvinistic preaching led to the founding of the First Restoration Society in 1821. This group of anti-Calvinists grew in size, and in 1827 the church split into the Calvinistic Society (later Evangelical Society) with Gay as minister, and the Congregational Society as the town church, with Abner D. Jones ( - ) as minister. The town church called itself the First Congregational Church, and gradually became Unitarian in its doctrines and affiliation.
From the description of Records, 1770-1970. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 207133594
