About Us
About Us
Rye Congregational Church (RCC) sits on Meeting House Hill in the center of Rye, NH, a quaint New England Seacoast town of approximately 5,700 residents and boasts four State Parks/beaches. Rye is approximately an hour from Boston, MA and Portland, ME, and minutes from historic Portsmouth, NH.
Rye was first settled in 1623 and named for Rye, Sussex, England. The first church was built on Meeting House Hill in 1726, rebuilt in 1755, and 1837. In 1959, the church was destroyed by fire, rebuilt and reopened on Easter Sunday 1961. Next door to RCC is the Rye Town Hall, built in 1839 as a Methodist Church, sold to the Town in 1873 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.
Rye Driftwood Garden Club, Rye Art Study, Rye Historical Society, Seacoast Knitters, and AA meet regularly at our church. Several exercise and yoga classes and other events sponsored by the Town of Rye also use our facilities.
We have a wonderful group of volunteers who sit on the Church’s various committees, serve as Deacons, sing in the Church choir and teach Sunday School. Our Sunday School is well staffed with excellent teachers who not only teach on Sunday morning, but also organize unique events for the children such as Christmas pageants, movie nights, ice skating, game nights, bowling and summer pool parties.
About Our Pastor
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Luke 24:27
Rye Congregational Church is very pleased to welcome our Senior Pastor, Jonathan D. Conant to Rye Congregational Church Rev. Conant was born and raised in Portland, ME and heard God’s call to pastoral ministry at the age of 15. He attended Gordon College where he met his wife Jennifer, a fellow music major and a gifted mezzo-soprano. They attended Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary while living in a two-bedroom apartment with their three children. Pastor Jon graduated with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Counseling, and believes Jennifer earned those degrees along with him. After 12 wonderful years of worshipping, learning, growing, and finally ministering as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
We Walk Together
With God!
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Luke 24:27
Rye Congregational Church is very pleased to welcome our Senior Pastor, Jonathan D. Conant to Rye Congregational Church Rev. Conant was born and raised in Portland, ME and heard God’s call to pastoral ministry at the age of 15. He attended Gordon College where he met his wife Jennifer, a fellow music major and a gifted mezzo-soprano. They attended Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary while living in a two-bedroom apartment with their three children. Pastor Jon graduated with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Counseling, and believes Jennifer earned those degrees along with him. After 12 wonderful years of worshipping, learning, growing, and finally ministering as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
“From one man, He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined that times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:26-27.
