In honor of Black History Month, the Ridgefield Historical Society welcomed guests on Feb. 26. 2025 for a powerful and illuminating presentation by Ridgefield resident and educator Christine Johnsmeyer on the history of Goodwill Baptist Church, Ridgefield’s first Black church. Held at the Scott House, the program traced the church’s founding in 1941 by a small group of Black residents who sought not only a place of worship, but a spiritual and cultural anchor within a predominantly white community. Johnsmeyer detailed how the congregation first met at Ridgefield’s First Congregational Church, whose pastor, Rev. Hugh Shields, and parishioners offered both space and financial support to help the fledgling congregation acquire and dedicate its own building on Creamery Lane in 1942.
Through archival research, census records, and contemporary newspaper accounts, Johnsmeyer explored the leadership of Rev. John Percell Ball and Rev. DeWitt Stevens, two dynamic pastors whose lives connected Ridgefield’s story to broader currents in American history. Rev. Ball later became a prominent civil rights leader in Norwalk, serving on the Common Council, helping establish a Human Relations Commission, and advocating for expanded opportunities for Black residents. Under Rev. Stevens’ leadership in the late 1960s, the congregation even pursued plans to construct a new church in memory of Martin Luther King Jr., reflecting the era’s urgent call for racial justice. Joyful music, spirited worship, and a deep commitment to faith sustained the congregation during decades marked by World War II, the Great Migration, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Ultimately, the church’s closure in the early 1970s reflected larger demographic and social realities. With a very small Black population in Ridgefield and barriers to housing and economic opportunity, sustaining a separate Black congregation proved increasingly difficult. As Johnsmeyer emphasized, however, the Goodwill Baptist Church’s brief but meaningful presence offers vital insight into Ridgefield’s past and honors the resilience, faith, and contributions of the town’s early Black residents. The Ridgefield Historical Society is pleased to share the recording of this important program here.
