The First Congregational Church of the Old Religion is a congregation of the old Native European religion, also called the Wicca or Witchcraft. Members of the church get together to celebrate the ancient festivals that mark the natural cycles of the year. Some of our religion has been transmitted through oral tradition that is thousands of years old. It is the mission of our church to rediscover the lore and practice that were lost in the persecutions of the middle ages. Some of the rediscovery or recreation was done in the 20th century and some continues to this day. We are creating a new culture that echoes the pagan villages of the past. Members of The Church meet for the ancient festivals days of Imbolc, Beltain, Lughnassad, and Samhain, and also the solar events, solstices and equinoxes. We observe these festival times with feasting, fun, pleasure, and sometimes by going on a weekend retreat together. We practice the Old Ways in our lives, based on love and acceptance of the earth and ourselves as fundamentally good. Click here for a history or myth of the old ways. Click here to read our Wiccan word definitions and usage.

Wicca is a religion and a way of life based on the natural cycles of the Earth, and the natural cycles of human life. We celebrate the events of the natural cycles, such as full and new moons, equinoxes, and solstices, to attune ourselves to the Earth's rhythms. Being in tune with the Earth helps us to feel and rejoice in our physical and spiritual reality as part of the good Earth. Wicca is one of the few nature religions to have survived the spread of christianity. For hundreds of years, christianity and pagan ways coexisted; christianity spread mostly in the cities and paganism continued to flourish in the countryside. Then in the late middle ages the conflict between these two ways exploded into Witch hunts. Practice of the Old Ways was almost eradicated; much lore and history were lost. But the oral tradition persisted despite persecution.

The Old Ways have survived, changed by time and local practices and the genius of those through whom they have come to us. And now at the turn of the twenty-first century, the Old Ways survive and change still. We have a vision of a new culture based on joy and trust, rejecting the fear and shame that permeate American culture. We work to create this culture by changing ourselves, by living daily in a way that demonstrates acceptance of our bodies and our connections with the Earth. We do not try to convert others, trusting them to find their own paths. But we love our path. We believe that the ancient pagan way of life is the natural spiritual path of all beings.

The Church is concerned with helping members to identify and shed the internalized values of the surrounding culture, values that we have each inherited to some extent, often without being aware of them. American culture operates on values that oppress the human spirit and repress human feelings. American law often codifies christian morality. Literature, movies, and popular songs express the perspectives of a culture founded on a religion whose values are radically different from paganism in general and from Wicca in specific. Even such an apparently basic concept as "right" versus "wrong" stems from the black-and-white thinking of monotheistic religion. In many ways, pagans are an occupied culture. We seek to create a culture with different values, a culture based on acceptance of human needs and feelings, a culture focused on enjoyment of life. The Church is formed around a coven, which is the group of Priests and Priestesses trained in theology and religious leadership according to traditions of our religion, and dedicated to the work of The Church. Members of The Church who are interested in becoming clergy of our religion may apply to the coven. All members are expected to contribute their energy, work, and resources to The Church according to their abilities. We respect the confidentiality of members and participants. Names of individuals and activities at rituals are not revealed outside The Church without specific permission.

For much of the history of Wicca the religion was organized into secret "covens" or meetings of the clergy, similar to religious seminary groups. The coven structure still dominates Wicca, however there is a large and growing number of people who think of themselves as Wiccan but do not participate in a coven as clergy of our religion. The First Congregational Church of the Old Religion, Incorporated, is structured as a church with a core of clergy in a central coven. At the present time, the summer of 2003, the Church holds only a few rituals and meetings for lay members and guests. However as we grow we want also to recognize and welcome lay membership in the church. Lay members would be welcome to participate with the church at most Sabbats and outings such as attendance at regional pagan gatherings.

The following are some values we seek to incorporate in our lives that differ from those of the surrounding culture:

Wicca is an initiatory, mystery religion. A mystery is something that has to be experienced, and cannot be described. Wicca is an oathbound, magick-using, pagan religion and priesthood. Wicca is one of the old religions of pre-christian Europe. It is a continuation, or perhaps a recreation of the prehistoric Old Ways that were practiced by native peoples in the lands of our ancestors. According to Wiccan myth, it has been transmitted by oral tradition since Neolithic times, and augmented in historic times. Wicca is a nature religion, focusing on reverence for the Earth and all Her creatures. It is also magickal and shamanic. We try to live in love and harmony with all of the beings of the Earth. We explore feelings, intuition, and mystery as well as ideas. Wicca believes that divinity is immanent -- is in all things, including each person. We understand divinity as Goddess and God -- feminine and masculine. Our church honors the balance between God and Goddess, between Women and Man, between male and female. We object to those who place either above the other. Wicca is a positive, ethical religion with a complex system of moral and ethical values. Our primary rule is to listen to the Spirit within, and do as we will. Wicca is a joyful religion. We sing, dance, feast, and celebrate.

Wicca is not authoritarian. We have no gurus, popes, messiahs or scripture. Wicca is not christian. We do not believe in original sin, guilt, sacrifice, redemption, resurrection, or bodily shame. We are not New Age, Buddhist, nor feminist, not channeled, not proponents of modern western culture. Wicca is not devil worship. We do not recognize Satan, who is a demigod of another religion. Wicca is not a profit-making enterprise. There are no fees or charges for rituals or classes. We have no paid ministers. Wicca does not proselytize or attempt to convert others; however, we believe that the ancient ways are more congruent with basic human nature than other religions.

Many people today erroneously confuse Wicca with a left leaning political movement. This confusion has been promoted by a few "neo-pagan" authors, such as Starhawk, who have written some of the more popular books. In our view, Wicca is an initiatory, mystery religion, not a political movement. Gerald Gardner, who brought Wicca into the public knowledge, was politically conservative. Other Wiccan leaders have been politically liberal. But Wicca is neither. Wicca is not inherently anti-business, anti-industry, anti-nuclear power, anti-family, anti-hunting, or anti-war, though some Wiccans support those political views. Wicca are Republicans, Democrats, Socialists, and Libertarians. Many have liberal views on some political issues and conservative views on other political issues. Wicca is a religion based on the old Gods and the old ways of pagan peoples. The First Congregational Church of the Old Religion does not support or oppose partisan political groups and agendas. We are a religious body in celebration of the old Gods and old ways of pagan people.

In the last half of the 20th century most Wiccan congregations consisted of limited covens of dedicated people. The model was that every Wiccan is a Priest or Priestess to himself or herself, and covens offered training and practice somewhat equivalent to the religious seminary of other religions. As Wicca has grown rapidly we now find that there are many people who want to participate in our religion at a level below that of a Priest or Priestess. Some people are new to the religion, have read a few books, and need to experience Wiccan ways for a while without a serious commitment in the clergy. Some people have busy lives, families to raise, work to do, and want to participate in religious activities when their busy lives permit. Some people want to know that there is someone to call for special occasions in their lives, to celebrate rites of passage, bless babies, formalize weddings, and someone to talk to in times of stress. Not everyone wants to be a Priestess or Priest, but many want to have a church where they can be a member.

We will accept lay members who have compatible beliefs and want to be associated with a Wiccan church. For lay members we can provide a level of belonging in the local community. We sometimes hold educational discussion meetings on Wiccan theology and philosophy. Lay members may also receive invitation to occasional Sabbat participation, invitation to annual events, some level of pastoral counseling, rites of passage such as weddings, baby blessings and funerals, and a religious connection for your life. Lay members are encouraged to make some annual financial contribution to support the work of the church depending on their financial status. Please consider the following description before contacting us regarding membership in the church.

From time to time the First Congregational Church of the Old Religion sponsors a weekly discussion group led by an experienced Wiccan Priest or Priestess. The discussion group is for those new to Wicca to ask questions and learn about our religion. There are many things you can't really learn from reading books.

Use the e-mail link below and let us know that you want to participate.

A Wiccan coven consists of Priests and Priestesses of our religion and those studying for the priesthood. Like other religions, joining the clergy requires a serious commitment, although there is an initial period of study prior to entry into the priesthood. We are willing to accept a limited number of sincere members who have compatible beliefs or who desire to learn and be initiated into our religion. Please consider the following additional specifics before contacting us regarding possible membership in the coven.

Click here to read more about the coven, requirements for members, question and answers, and the process to join.