Connecticut

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See Branches of Plymouth Brethren to explain abbreviation types (although in short: OB (& TW-P) are Halls & Chapels within the "open brethren" (although GH's (generally) maintain a separate network from the Chapels). EB/TW/TW-N are "Careful" Brethren (similar to OB Halls), and BC are (generally) independent community churches with early or indirect PB influence, and will (usually) not consider themselves "Brethren").  AA/CA refers to assemblies of African or Caribbean origin, or predominant demographic, although all ethnicities are overly welcome in any assemblies.

The above primer link expands on the abbreviations, and also contains introduction to this (and other) sheets within the overall History. There have been scores of branches with their own distinctive networks and strengths within the history of the PB, and many branches continue to flourish today, and while no assembly or gathering is identical to the others, each is thought to maintain a fervent desire for simplicity in gathering around the Lord Jesus, though practices and secondary doctrines may vary culturally and/or preferentially as autonomous (yet inter-dependent) local churches.

Assemblies are sorted geographically, and will, D.V., eventually have further history within. Red links on Brethrenpedia are presently undeveloped, and blue links contain data. Appreciate patience with our progress, and if you'd like to help, please contact any of the editing team, preferably via social media. Also see Connecticut history for more on the OB history.

North Central CT (Hartford metro)

Hartford County

Bristol

  • Bristol Gospel Hall, CT (Italian OB) +1936-1990+; (OB) +1985?-2022?+
    • @ 8 Dudley St. +1936+; 89 N. Main St. +1941-1943+; 16 Summer St. +1947; 54 Talmadge St. 1948-1990+; home of Nick Dalfino ?-present;
    • c/o Antonio Barbati +1936-1943+; Damiano Colella +1947-1955; Domiano Colella 1956-1963; Carmelo Ferraro 1964; D. Cristofero 1965; Caomelo Ferrone (sic?) 1966-1968; Carmelo Ferraro 1969-1990+; Nick Dalfino ?-present; Nick left this assembly for Hartford Gospel Hall in the 1940's or 1950's, then the TW's, then returned to Hartford.

Enfield

Hartford

  • Hartford Gospel Hall, CT (OB) 1910's-1990+
    • Charter Oak Gospel Hall 1985-1990+
    • @ 435 Park St. +1927+; 51 Whitmore St. +1933+; 1st floor, 53 Whitmore St. +1936-1947; 49 Charter Oak Ave. 1948+; 53 Whitmore St. +1950+; 464 Farmington Ave. +1954-1966; 685 Broad St. 1967-1984; 49 Charter Oak Ave. 1985-1990+
    • c/o N.J. Reager @ 86 Seymour St. +1927+; Nick Vendetta @ Windsor +1936-1982; Matthew J. Brescia 1984-1990+;
  • Prospect Bible Chapel, CT (OB) Late 1800's/1909-2022+
    • Gospel Hall Society 1920's-1934; Scripture Truth Church 1934; Prospect Gospel Chapel / Hartford Gospel Chapel 1934-1983; Prospect Bible Chapel 1983-present;
    • @ City Mission buildings, 234 Pearl St. +1904+; Asylum St. 1907+; Room 10, 17 Haynes St. +1927+; 576 Prospect Ave. 1934-present;
    • c/o Duncan M. Surgenor +1927-1936+; William H. Surgenor +1941+, +1947-1948+; George McGee +1950-1954; Alexander Brown 1955-1963, 1966-1979 (@ Hartford 1955-1963; @ Wapping 1966-1971; @ Vernon 1972-1979); Thomas E. Woods @ Manchester 1980-1990+
    • Elizabeth Smith Wilson (Mrs. T. Ernest Wilson) was commended from this assembly to Angola, as were Gordon Reager & Neil Dougal, evangelists.
    • 1904 meeting times: Sun Morn 10:30am; Sun Aft Sunday School & Bible Class 12:15pm; Sun Eve 7:30pm Wed Eve Prayer & Address 7:45pm

Manchester

  • Manchester Gospel Hall, CT (OB) 1905/1909-2022+
    • South Manchester Gospel Hall 1925-1936+
    • @ Salvation Army, Spruce St.; old Town Hall, Center & Main St.; 415 Center St. 1921/1925-present;
    • Founders from Scranton, PA: James McCormick, Thomas Eckle, William Emerson;
    • c/o James Serpliss @ 129 Summer St. 1909-1930's+; William G. McBride +1936-1962; Everett S. Glenney 1963-1976; Joseph L. Jassie 1977-1990+


Newington

  • Newington Gospel Hall, CT (Italian OB) 1928-1996; (English OB) 1996-2022+
    • Hartford Italian Assembly Hall 1928-1996;
    • @ 464 Farmington Ave. +1933+, 73 Windsor St. +1936+; 57 Albany Ave. +1941-1948+; 49 Charter Oak Ave. +1950-1975/1983; 345 E. Cedar St. 1996-present;
    • c/o G. DeLuca +1936+; Joseph DeLuca +1941-1954; Matthew Brescia @ West Hartford 1955-1967; Matthew J. Brescia @ Windsor 1968-1981;
    • also see NGH's website
    • Matt Brescia's father, George Brescia, was saved in 1921 at Philadelphia, fluent in both Italian and English, and joined the assembly in Philadelphia initially. Around 1928, a crowd of Italians (40-50) were saved in tent meetings in Hartford, and blessing was granted from brethren in Philadelphia to start an Italian hall in Hartford, of which George Brescia was involved, along with his twin brother Joe, and another brother Matt. Another would be Mike Magnal. At some juncture, the assembly became half Italian-speaking, and half English-speaking, and by 1996, services were completely in English.

Suffield

Middlesex County

Middletown

  • Middletown Meeting Room, CT (EB) +1896+; +1903-1905+; (TW) +1923+
    • c/o Miss Trantum +1896+; Mrs. Farrow +1903-1905+; Miss Elizabeth Butcher +1923+

Tolland County

Somers

Stafford

Northeastern CT

Windham County (Worcester/Boston metro)

Brooklyn

Woodstock

Northwestern CT

Litchfield County (NYC metro

Litchfield

New Milford

Terryville

  • Terryville Gospel Hall, CT (OB) +1911/1977-2022+
    • Waterville Gospel Hall +1927-1950+; Waterbury Gospel Hall +1954-1970+
    • @ Thomason Ave. & Boyden St. +1936-1950+; Spencer & Phoenix Ave. +1954-1970+; 36 N. Main St. ?-present;
    • c/o William Batterton +1927-1968 (@ Waterville +1927-1956+, @ Terryville +1958-1968); Abram Vandenbush @ Terryville 1969-1970+
    • also see TGH's FB

Thomaston

Torrington

  • Torrington Gospel Hall, CT (Italian OB) +1927-1973+
    • @ 12 John St. +1936+; 22 Clark St. +1941-1954; 410 Migeon Ave. 1955-1973+
    • c/o A. Rakyta +1927-1943+; Richard Irvine @ Scoville Hill +1947-1950+; David L. Swanney @ Great Barrington, MA +1954-1958; Victor Illuminati 1959-1973+
    • After this assembly closed the believers transferred to Brookville & Terryville.

Southeast CT

New London County (Norwich/Hartford metro)

Groton

  • Groton Bible Chapel, CT (OB) 1919-1970+ (BC) ?-2022+
    • Afternoon S.S. 1919-1920; Groton Gospel Hall 1920-1949; Groton Gospel Chapel 1949-1973; Groton Bible Chapel 1973-present;
    • @ 452 Thames St. 1919-1949; 81 Poquonnock Rd. 1949-1961; 66 Tollgate Rd. 1962-present;
    • founding correspondent: Herbert R. MacKenzie 1919-1948+; William Ward +1950+; John B. Campbell @ Mystic +1954-1958; William Ward 1959-1972; R.J. Campbell @ Gales Ferry 1973-1990+;

Southwest CT

Fairfield County (NYC metro & Stamford metro)

Bridgeport

  • Bridgeport Gospel Hall, CT (OB) +1904-1982
    • @ 441 Bishop Ave. +1927-1982
    • c/o Samuel Rainey @ Stratford +1927-1972; J.S. Boyd 1973-1974; Alexander MacPherson @ Stratford 1975-1977;

Brookfield

  • Brookfield Gospel Hall, CT (OB) +1936/1969-2022+
    • Danbury Gospel Hall (Italian OB) +1936-1968
    • @ 10 1/2 Maple Ave. +1936+; 253 Main St. +1941-1947; 203 Main St. 1948-1964; Masonic Hall, 337 Main St. 1965-1968; 23 S. Main St. (?) 1969; 23 South Ave., Danbury (?) 1970-1974; 164 Pocono Rd. 1975-present;
    • c/o A. Pizzo @ Danbury +1936-1974; Jack McGrath @ Northville, New Milford 1975-1990+
    • also see BGH's website

Greenwich

Newtown

  • Neighborhood Bible Fellowship, CT (OB) 1973-1980
    • @ Newtown High School Library, Route 34, 1973-1978; 18 Settlers Lane, Sandy Hook 1979-1980
    • c/o Frank Lyon 1973-1980

Norwalk

  • South Norwalk Gospel Chapel, CT (OB) 1952-1995
    • @ home of Cliff & Isabel Foley (19 Overbrook Lane, Darien (?)) 1952+; 50 Lexington Ave. 1962-1970+
    • founders: David Ward & Harold Harper
    • c/o Clifford P. Foley 1952-1990+

Stamford

  • Stamford Gospel Hall, CT (OB) +1936-1948+
    • Stamford Assembly of Believers (OB) +1936+
    • @ 366 Atlantic St. +1936+; 39 Worth St. +1941-1948+
    • c/o Frederick McIlvenne +1941-1943+; Walter Stewart +1947-1948+

New Haven County (NYC metro)

Branford

  • Branford Bible Chapel, CT (OB) 1973-2022+
    • hive from West Woods Bible Chapel, known by 1979 as present name.
    • founders: Joseph & Andrea DePino
    • @ Branford trailer 1972; Branford home 1972; gun club; local armory; home of Harold Hardisty, 120 Chestnut St. +1975; 57 Hillcrest Ave. 1976-1978; Branford Academy on the Green, corner of S. Main & Montowese 1979-1988; public schools; 212 Branford Rd., North Branford 1991-present;
    • c/o H.M. McCaulley 1975-1989; Bruce Fafard 1990+;

Cheshire

  • Cheshire Bible Chapel, CT (OB) 1979-2022+
    • hive from West Woods Bible Chapel
    • @ Cheshire Grange Hall, Wallingford Rd., Cheshire Center +1981-1986; 1103 Waterbury Rd. 1987-1990+
    • c/o Jack Spender @ North Haven +1981-1985; Paul F. Caron @ Southington 1986-1990+

Derby

  • Derby Meeting Room, CT (EB) +1896-1908+
    • c/o Carl Lutters +1896-1905+; Jas. P. Clarke +1896-1905+; John A. Griffith +1908+ (formerly @ Seymour, CT);

Hamden

  • West Woods Bible Chapel, CT (OB) 1931-2022+
    • North Haven Gospel Hall (Whitney Avenue Gospel Hall) 1931-1936; New Haven Gospel Hall (Newhall Street Gospel Hall) 1936-1954; Christian Believers Assembly 1955-1961; West Woods Bible Chapel 1962-present;
    • @ Whitney Ave., North Haven 1931-1937; 165 Newhall St., New Haven 1936-1943+; 449 Newhall St., Hamden +1947-1961; Alice Peck School auditorium, Shepard Ave. & Hillfield Rd. 1962-1963; 165 Hillfield Rd., Hamden 1964-present;
    • c/o George Thomson +1936-1950+; Otto George @ North Haven +1954-1983; George Thomson @ Milford 1984-1987;
    • West Woods Bible Chapel was a 1961 hive from New Haven Gospel Hall, the latter of which continued until 1963 with George Thomson, Jr. of Milford as correspondent.

New Haven

  • Westville Bible Chapel, CT (OB) 1976-2022+
    • hive from West Woods Bible Chapel
    • @ home of Ralph Kirchhofer 1976-1978; 44 Burton St. +1978+; Edgewood Club, 201 Alston Ave. 1978-present;
    • founders: Jack Spender, Ralph and Lunda Kirchhofer, Peter and Pam Herndon, Dill and Katie Ewen, and John and Karen Cramm.
    • also see WBC's website

North Haven

Seymour

Waterbury

  • Waterbury Christian Fellowship, CT (OB) 1997-2022+
    • founders: Paul & Maria Forcucci, Jack & Ruth Spender, John & Foida Monroe, & Juan Torres;
    • @ home of Paul Forcucci 1997+; Sheraton Hotel; 1 Dube Ln. ?-present;
  • Waterbury Italian Gospel Hall, CT (Italian OB) +1936-1970+
    • @ Grove & Cooke St. +1936+; 284 Bank St. +1941-1943+; 22 Saving St. +1947; 53 Spencer Ave. 1948+; 18 Spencer Ave. +1950+; 53 Spencer Ave. +1954-1969+
    • c/o Marciano Stango +1936-1950+; Rocco Possidento +1954-1963; Anthony Orsini @ Walcott 1964-1970+
    • merged with Waterbury Gospel Hall in 1977 and relocated to Terryville.
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