The Second Congregational Church
of Beverly, Massachusetts

Office hours by appointment only
35 Conant Street, Beverly MA 01915
Voicemail: 978-922-5722
Email: parishadmin@beverlysecond.com

The minister remains available for funerals, memorial services, and weddings on a limited basis, which may be held in the sanctuary. Please email at the address above to coordinate.

Please note: The building is now owned by Lifebridge North Shore. Any building use inquiries will be handled by them.

The history of Second Church goes back to October 24, 1713, when the Colonial Council in Boston approved a petition, setting up the Precinct of Salem and Beverly. At that time, Danvers was part of Salem, and the new Precinct included Ryal Side and the Burley Street area. A year later, on June 8, 1714, a meetinghouse was raised on its present site and in the geographical center of the parish. In spite of the many changes in and additions to the building, the portion comprising the sanctuary still bears the original timbers.; these may be seen when the panels on the cemetery side are opened. There was still no pastor, but on March 29, 1715, the precinct called Rev. John Chipman, who graduated from Harvard in the Class of 1711. Finally, on December 28, 1715, Rev. Chipman was ordained, and fifteen men signed the covenant with him; thus the Church was established. Rev Chipman served for an astounding near 60 years until his death in 1775.

The most significant theological development affecting the church in the early nineteenth century was the rise of Unitarianism. Differences of opinion brought about the division of the church in 1834. The Second Church adopted tenets of Unitariasm and Universalism, and others who preferred an older Trinitarian theology left to form what would be called the Fourth Church nearby, occupying a building across the street from the Conant-Chipman house. In 1866, the two churches reunited as the Second Congregational Society. For many years there was a succession of student ministers; Edmund M. Wylie, called in 1901, was the first settled pastor in some time. By 1904, the parish governance structure dissolved, and the church formally incorporated as the Second Congregational Church in Beverly. The separate Parish House, now part of the enlarged church plant, was built in 1908.

World War I saw a pastor, Rev. Don Ivan Patch, leave for service as a chaplain, as Rev. Hitchcock had done during the Revolution.  The Depression years of the 1930s saw the budget sink to a low of under $5,000. At the conclusion of World War II, Dr. Robert L. Rasche, who had served as a Navy Chaplain, was called as pastor. Then began the rapid growth of the North Beverly community. To meet this challenge, the pastor and church members in the 1950s carried through the doubling of the physical plant. The breaking of the ground, the laying of the new cornerstone, and the setting of the new steeple were key events of the 1950s expansion. By the time of the church’s 250th anniversary in 1963, Second Church had become a vibrant and growing center of community life.

Over the last sixty years, the church deepened its commitments both locally and globally. The building became a constant community hub—home to Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts for a century, AA and Al-Anon groups, after-school programs, local music and theater events, and Christian schools. The congregation expanded its mission work, serving meals and supporting many causes, especially relating to housing and homelessness, and serving as a teaching parish for seminarians. 

After many years of steady decline in the 2000s–2020s, the church followed an intentional path toward legacy building and closing in a meaningful way. After a few years of working together on a plan, the congregation voted to dissolve on November 9, 2025. A celebration of the church's legacy was held on November 16, 2025, and after a final season of Advent and Christmas, the closing worship service of the congregation was held on December 28, 2025. The real estate sale was finalized on September 30, 2026. A caretaker central board of members elected by the congregation continues to steer the work of the congregation through the process of nonprofit corporation dissolution and asset distribution.