The Baptists (Free Will) first came into notice in this town during the pastorate of Rev. Josiah Thacher over the Congregational church. These Baptists were by other people then called New Lights. They had many preachers — no one officiating long in Gorham. They were very earnest men. A number of these, calling themselves Baptists, in 1780-1, afterwards became Shakers, some Friends, and some Methodists. Samuel Brown, John and William Cotton, James McCollister (McCorison,) Amos and Lemuel Rich, Jacob H. Clements, some of the Freemans, were among the earliest and most active members of the Baptist Society in its early days in Gorham. Many became disaffected to " the Standing Order," as the Congregationalists were then called, and protested against paying Parish taxes, and probably some nominally joined the New Lights for the sole purpose of evading taxation ; the larger part were undoubtedly conscientiously opposed to Congregational doctrines and polity. The enthusiastic New Light chose to preach for himself. He talked much against ministers being qualified to preach by book learning, and disdained the idea of studying for the ministry, contending that God would choose and qualify his own preachers. Their numbers in Gorham increased rapidly ; they held meetings, and leaders soon showed themselves. They became much excited ; every one. who chose, became a public speaker, to exhort men and expound the Scriptures. They publicly denounced the paid clergy. Their speakers were often vociferous, their meetings sometimes disorderly ; their converts frequently violent in their gesticulations ; whirling around and swooning were not unusual in their meetings. They were decided in their opposition to finery or ornament in dress and fashionable amusements. Like most sects in their early days, they had their eccentricities ; but they were sincere and devout, and time and " the sober second thought" moulded them into an orderly and respectable religious society ; and so they have remained.

The first Free Will Baptist church in this town was organized, and their first meeting house built at Fort Hill, where they still have a house for worship. This denomination has two other houses for public worship in town, one at Little Falls village and one at White Rock neighborhood. They have had many clergymen to preach ; and quite a number of Free Will Baptist ministers have been natives of Gorham. Among the most prominent was Rev. Clement Phinney, a grandson of Col. E. Phinney. Elder Benjamin Randall, the father of the denomination in this country, occasionally preached here ; so did Elder Weeks, Elder Joseph White, Elder John Buzzell, and others.

They tried year after year to induce the town to exempt them from paying ministerial taxes ; they became so numerous and powerful that the town at length listened to their petitions. And .at a legal town meeting, held on the 14th day of June, 1781, the following vote was passed : " Voted, All the inhabitants of Gorham, who are of a different denomination to the Congregational, are to be excluded paying any future charges towards supplying the Desk in Gorham Meeting house, only upon bringing a certificate from the heads of either of the opposite societies, in Gorham, called Baptists, in two months from this date." Within the prescribed time, and on the town book is this record : " The following is a list of the persons in Gorham, who call themselves Baptists, according to their own return, given in to the Selectmen, agreeable to a vote passed the 14th of June, 1781."

"To the Selectmen of Gorham — Gents: — These may certify, that the persons, whose names are in the following List, are in our opinion, cleared from paying to ye support of ye Congregational Ministry in the town, both by law, and agreeable to a vote of the town passed sometime in June last, they attending our meeting, and desiring their names to be entered in the certificate to yourselves."

[There follows a list of 65 men.]

These persons were exempted from payment of ministerial taxes for a few years, but others, who it was said did not get certificates or who did not hand them to the Selectmen seasonably, were still assessed, and the matter was again brought into the town meetings; and an article was in a warrant for a town meeting in 1787, " To see what method the town will take with sundry persons that think themselves aggrieved in paying ministerial taxes, and whether they will excuse a whole or a part of them?" The town chose Edmund Phinney, Esq., Austen Alden, George Lewis, James Phinney, and Nathaniel Frost, to report on that matter at an adjourned meeting. This Committee held several meetings and finally made the following Report: —

"We, the subscribers, beg leave to report to the town as follows, viz.: We have met a committee of those called the Anabaptist Society in Gorham, and heard all they had to offer. Patiently and Candidly, and are of opinion that if any person in Gorham of that Society, or of any different denomination from the Congregational, who is a public Protestant teacher of Piety, Religion, and Morality, agreeable to the Constitution, should produce a certificate, or List, to the Town, of any number of persons, (Inhabitants of Gorham?) who are, in his opinion, conscientiously of his Society, and do constantly attend upon Instruction, that in that case we would recommend to the town to exempt all those persons from paying to any Congregational minister in said Gorham." The town passed a vote in accordance with this Report, but it was too strict for those who wished to use a Baptist name merely to avoid paying a ministerial tax. The officiating Baptist clergyman or teacher would not certify that those persons, who only occasionally attended their ministrations and in their daily life did not exhibit any decided religious opinions, or lead virtuous lives, were "conscientiously of their Society.”

In a town meeting called in November, 1788, there was an article in the warrant "To see if the town will exempt any person or number of persons in Gorham, (being of the Baptist Denomination) from paying taxes to a Congregational minister in Gorham." And another article was "To see if the town will vote that Mr. James McAllister shall be discharged from paying any State, County, or Town taxes in Gorham, on account of his being a Baptist minister."

The Town would not consider these requests, but dismissed both articles.

In 1789, there was an article in a warrant for a Town meeting, "To see if the Town will vote that the Baptist Society be set off by themselves, in order that they may be incorporated into a separate Parish."

The Town meeting dismissed that article.

In February 1790, a Petition, signed by George Thomes and about 60 other male citizens of Gorham, was presented to the General Court, praying to be incorporated into a separate Parish, stating that they had erected a house for public worship, and had a public Teacher, and had assembled and steadily kept up public worship for seven years, and did not and could not conscientiously attend upon the instructions of the Congregational minister; yet the Town of Gorham assessed them, and distrained their property to support the Congregational worship.

Notice was ordered on this petition, returnable at the next General Court. To this petition the Town made no objection, and the petitioners and their associates were made a separate Parish. The following named persons have been Free Will Baptist preachers in Gorham: — Daniel Hebard, James McCollister, Samuel Hutchinson, Clement Phinney, Andrew Rollins, James M. Buzzell, and some others.

There have been, and still are, a few Calvinistic Baptists, Unitarians and Universalists; but they have never had stated preaching, or a church organization in the place.

From A History of the Town of Gorham, Maine by Josiah Pierce, 1862; pp. 75-80, 84

The locality known as White Rock, owes its name to a large boulder, which used to stand on the hill, in the field nearly in front of the present White Rock church. It was a large white rock, some ten or twelve feet in height, with a sloping top, and formed a conspicuous object for miles around. Against this rock the Indians, stopping here to rest on their way from Sebago Pond to the salt water, used to build their fires to cook their meat. Later, when the white men had penetrated the forest, and begun to cull out the larger trees for masts, which they hauled to Stroudwater, there was a "mast camp" built here around the rock. Still later, when lumbering had become more of a business, and the teaming began to penetrate still further back into the country, it was the custom to rest and bait the cattle on the flat top of the hill near the white rock, while their owners prepared their own food over a fire kindled in the same old place against the rock. Capt. John Sturgis, on whose farm the rock lay, finally decided to destroy it; but he said afterwards, that he never in his life was so sorry for any act of his, and that the moment after the powder exploded and the stone flew to pieces he would have given anything to have been able to put it back as it was before. But the deed was done, and the old landmark gone forever. The inhabitants of this neighborhood for some years were obliged to attend church, and to send their children to school, at Fort Hill; but somewhere about 1805 a schoolhouse was built, which stood nearly opposite the old Edward Libby house. About 1812 a Methodist meeting house was built here, which was located on the Hurricane road, a little to the east of where the present White Rock school house now stands. It was never finished, and after being used in an incomplete state for some years was taken down in 1825 and moved to the "Johnson neighborhood." The Baptist meeting house here was built in 1839.

The Baptist meeting house at White Rock was built in 1839, and dedicated in June, 1840. It has since been twice remodelled. This society in 1854 took the name of General Baptist. Among other preachers, they have had Mr. Twort, Elder Maddox, Milton Pratt, and Mr. Fultz.

Williamson says, (Hist, of Maine, Vol. i, p. 569), the Baptists first made their appearance in Maine, A. D. 1681, when several persons in Kittery embraced their doctrine. William Screven, who was an Englishman, was one of the first and most prominent. He became a leader. He was fined ten pounds for the first offence, and ordered to cease teaching and preaching. He refused compliance. Finally a church of eight members was embodied, Sept. 25, 1682. The next year Mr. Screven, with the members of the church with their families, removed to Cooper River, So. Carolina. This is said to have been the only instance of religious persecution within the State. The old Colonial laws of Massachusetts were rather severe on the Baptists and Quakers. Fines, whippings and imprisonments were used, but these laws were never enforced with anything like stringency in the District of Maine.

As a further point of interest, on June 13, 1854, Berry's shoe shop, which stood near the White Rock church, and near the house of Capt. Sturgis, was burned. Capt. Sturgis and his son Benjamin, while helping to remove property from the burning building, were both severely burned by an explosion of camphene. The son recovered, but his father died on the following day, the 14th, aged 49. His widow married George Hammond of New Gloucester, and died in that town, Sept. 14, 1887, aged 77.

From Hugh McLellan's History of Gorham, Me., 1903; pp. 210-11, 270, 782-783

On September 12, 1940, the White Rock Free Baptist Church marked the one hundredth anniversary of its organization by Elders John Buzzell and Jonathan Clay. The church building was constructed in 1839, and dedicated the following year.

During the past fifty years, the church has continued to serve the community as a place of worship, led by several faithful ministers.

The death of Rev. Fred A. Groesbeck in April 1945 concluded his eighteen-year pastorate during which he had unselfishly served the community. Mr. Groesbeck is still remembered for his deep concern and compassion for all people.

Rev. Ernest Roberts was next to serve the church, coming originally from the New England Evangelistic Association. During his tenure, a period of change and growth began. The Sunday school and the young people’s group were reorganized, and an annual daily vacation Bible school was started. It was also during this time that the first renovations were made on the interior of the building, with the exception of electricity, which had been installed in 1939.

A long-standing uncertainty regarding the property boundary lines was finally settled when adjoining property owners, Edna Skillin and Arthur Wing, each deeded a strip of land to the church. Later, in 1964, additional land and a house were purchased from Mrs. Skillin. The house was then moved, creating the present vacant lot between the church and Route 237.

During the pastorate of Rev. James Waugh, excavation was begun on a cellar under the church. This project, which was carried out over a period of several years, ultimately resulted in a full basement with Sunday school rooms, kitchen facilities, dining room, and bathrooms.

In 1959 a house lot on the North Gorham Road was donated for a parsonage by Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Partridge. With a building fund, a small mortgage, volunteer labor, and much faith, work was begun; by mid-1960, Rev. Norman Brydon and his family moved into the new parsonage.

The past fifty years have been marked by growth and increased activity in the church. Regular support of discipling and all other projects has been carried on with tithes and donated funds. The eleven ministers who served during this time each in some way furthered the work of the church; and many made contributions to the long-term benefit of it.

[Miss Edith McCauley researched and wrote this from the church records. The article was included in Fifty Years of Gorham, 1936 to 1986 by Edna F. Dickey, 1986]

Pastors: 1927 to Present

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