Tickets on Sale for Church Benefit

On September 16, a church institution reaching back centuries will join a musical tradition decades in the making when the First Congregational Church welcomes the Chane Gang, led by Bishop John Bryson Chane, to Nantucket to perform classic rock and Chicago blues for its “Rock the Restoration” celebration. Tickets to this benefit are on sale now at 508-228-0950, and the $50 price includes bbq and beverages to enjoy along with the live music.

For nearly three hundred years, the First Congregational Church has served as a pillar of the Nantucket community, offering programs to meet the diverse needs of a constantly changing island. Its iconic steeple welcomes ,people to the island as they round Brant Point, and their tower climb offers unmatched views.

Built in 1725, the Old North Vestry is one of the oldest church buildings in America that is still in use. The Summer Church was erected more than a century later in 1834. Over the years, the church buildings have been home to individuals and organizations that have been integral to the history of Nantucket, including the Ladies Union Circle, the oldest continuous women’s circle in the United States, formed in 1846. During the Great Depression, the first theater group on Nantucket, the Whalers’ Little Theater Group, was formed in the Congregational Church. During the years following World War II, Nantucket high school students marked their graduation with a ceremony in the Summer Vestry.

Today Nantucket’s First Congregational Church is still a gathering place and host to cultural, educational, and social service programs and activities on the island.

In 2015, members launched a capital campaign to fund the renovation and preservation of church buildings. The benefit held on Saturday, September 16 at 6:30 pm will help fund the half million still needed to reach their $3 million dollar goal. Call to buy tickets or visit their page on eventbrite.com.