First Church in Jaffrey, organized in 1780, is starting its 243rd year with a new settled minister in the parsonage and a new slate of officers, including a moderator who is a descendant of the church’s first minister – the Rev. Laban Ainsworth, who served from 1782 until his death in 1858 at age 100. His 76-year ministry holds the record for an American minister.
The congregation held elections at its annual meeting Jan. 30 at the red brick church on the Jaffrey Center Common on Laban Ainsworth Way, adjacent to the 1775 Jaffrey Center Meetinghouse.
The new moderator is Sam Greene, a descendant of Ainsworth who succeeds Carol Hess. The new treasurer is Annie Gordon, succeeding Janet Grant. Rounding out the new slate of officers is the new clerk, Nancy Elder-Wilfrid, who succeeds Sylvia Hamilton. Each will serve a two-year term. All are from Jaffrey.
In other elections, Grant was elected to a three-year term as trustee, while Pamela Hill was selected to a two-year term and Roy Lake and David Bliss were chosen for one-year terms. Continuing to serve as trustees are Thomas Warren and Daniel Wilfrid. Lake is from Rindge, Warren from Dublin and all others are from Jaffrey.
The new minister, the Rev. Steve Miller, in his second sermon, encouraged the congregation to imagine, like a prophet, what the future holds for the church.