Programs & Events

To commemorate Black History Month, the Ridgefield Historical Society will host an illustrated presentation, The Story of Ridgefield’s First Black Church, by Ridgefield resident and educator Christine Johnsmeyer. The event will take place on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ridgefield Historical Society’s Scott House at 4 Sunset Lane, Ridgefield, CT, followed by a reception. In case of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled for Thursday, February 27, at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for members of the Ridgefield Historical Society and $20 for those who aren’t yet members. Tickets are limited, non-refundable, and are expected to sell out quickly. If you’d like to become a member of the Ridgefield Historical Society click here: https://ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org/support-us/membership/ 

Ridgefield’s Goodwill Baptist Church was founded in 1941 by a group of Black congregants living in and around the Town of Ridgefield. For some 30 years, the church made its home on Creamery Lane, a short walk from Main Street. After initially meeting in the First Congregational church, parishioners acquired and dedicated the Creamery Lane building in 1942. The church saw its parishioners live through the war years, the Second Great Migration, the Civil Rights Movement and a tragic spate of assassinations, including that of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The history of the church offers insight into the Black experience and the integral role the Black church plays in the spiritual and cultural life of descendants of the enslaved who embraced Christianity.

Ms. Johnsmeyer is a graduate of Manhattanville College with a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Humanities. Her love for social history and character-driven narratives has been at the heart of her career, beginning with her work for Historic Hudson Valley as a tour guide for Kykuit, John D. Rockefeller’s estate located in Pocantico Hills, NY, followed by her 25 years experience as an English teacher. Her presentation will focus on the details of the church’s founding and its final years, as well as two dynamic pastors of the church, Rev. John Percell Ball and Rev. DeWitt Stephens, who both played integral roles in the church’s life, exemplifying the significance and cultural importance of the Black church in America’s history.

For more information contact: [email protected] or 203-438-5821.

Event photograph: Rev. DeWitt Stevens of the Goodwill Baptist Church.