Top 10 Oldest Protestant Churches in America: How Many Have Stayed Faithful vs Become Woke? (Part 2)

Graphic designer Joshua Barzon recently shared a countdown of the top 10 oldest Protestant churches in America. Given that they all would have been founded by godly men and women with conservative ideals and a biblical foundation, we wanted to see how many of them have remained in the faith after hundreds of years, or how many have gone off the rails into rank heresy and progressivism.

Here are the top 5 oldest churches (see here for churches 6-10)

#5 First Parish, Dorchester, MA (1630)

Covenanted in England before sailing, this congregation organized upon arrival in Massachusetts Bay, making it one of the colony’s founding churches. Called home by Calvinist Puritans, First Parish was one of the five churches that founded Harvard College.

They became Unitarians in the mid-19th century, where they are now proud Unitarian Universalists after merging with the latter in 1961.

They’ve gone through four lead ministers in the last 5 years and presently have no lead minister.

#4 First Church in Boston (1630)

Established by John Winthrop’s Puritan colony, this church exemplified the “city upon a hill” ideal that influenced early New England’s religious and social landscape. John Cotton served as one of its early leaders. In the 18th century, Rev. Charles Chauncy, who pastored the church for six decades, became known for his opposition to the emotional fervor of Jonathan Edwards during the Great Awakening. In the early 19th century, the congregation shifted from Trinitarianism to Unitarianism.

Today, as a Unitarian Universalist congregation led by Rev. Dr. Stephanie May, the church serves an aging community. Its website describes its mission: “As a Unitarian Universalist congregation, ours is a religion that cherishes freedom of mind and conscience, affirms the worth and dignity of every person, and cares for the world. We seek inspiration from lived experience, from both ancient wisdom and modern thought, and from music and the arts. We seek to live our faith through service and action.”

#3 – First Parish Church in Salem (1629)

Founded as the first Puritan congregation in Massachusetts Bay, this church saw some of its early members entangled in the infamous Salem Witch Trials after Rev. Nicholas Noyes, a minister of the church, fueled the hysteria and oversaw the excommunication and execution of his church members Rebecca Nurse and Giles Corey, who were condemned as witches. Today, the congregation has embraced Unitarian Universalism and is led by Rev. Danielle Garrett. According to their website:

# 2 – Collegiate Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, NYC (1628)

Established by Jonas Michaëlius in New Amsterdam, this Dutch Reformed congregation is the oldest continuously operating Protestant church in North America. As part of the Reformed Church in America (RCA), it now operates four campuses—Fort Washington Church, Marble Church, Middle Church, and West End Church—each offering distinct ministries.

According to their website, these campuses are “unified in social justice, affirmation, and spiritual growth.” The church’s 58th Senior Minister since its founding 400 years ago is Rev. William Critzman, who is openly gay and ‘married’ to his ‘husband.’ As noted in his church biography:

# 1 – Jamestown Church, Plymouth (1607 + later renovations)

Jamestown Church, built by early Pilgrims, is the oldest Protestant church in America. The original structure, erected in 1607, burned down a year later and has been rebuilt six times in nearby locations. (The above image is a resconstruction of the Second Jamestown church of 1610)

The current reconstruction, completed in 1907, incorporates remnants of the 1639 brick structure—the only surviving structural remnant of the original Jamestown colony. Now part of the Historic Jamestown cultural heritage site, it is owned by Preservation Virginia. While there is no active congregation, nearby Anglican congregations occasionally hold services there.

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