This month, we enter a season of Thanksgiving—a time to reflect on what we’ve achieved and how we can give back. While the holiday often evokes thoughts of food, family, and a pause before Christmas, it’s also a good time to ask “what does Thanksgiving mean to the church?”
This summer, I began digitizing our church archives (much of it handwritten), spanning 175 years of community service. They reveal our role in launching Albany’s Red Cross chapter (1916), responding to health crises such as tuberculous (1909) and polio (1920s), leading early dialogues on racial justice (1940s) and women’s rights (1928), and even embracing new technologies as Albany adopted electricity (1890s) and later saw its first movies at the Harmanus Bleeker Hall (1921).
One of our most enduring legacies is interfaith collaboration. In 1912, First Congregational helped found Albany’s Inter-Church Federation, fostering dialogue across denominations. Through the early 20th century, we joined with churches citywide for annual Thanksgiving services and summer worship in city parks and shared sanctuaries. Partners included Second Presbyterian, First Methodist Episcopal, Madison Avenue Reformed, the Cathedral of All Saints, Congregation Beth Emeth and the First Unitarian Society. You can see the program for one of these services in the image below.
In 2025, we’ve continued our interfaith work. For over a decade, First Congregational has served on the NNORC (Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) board alongside Jewish Family Services, St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, and the Parish of Mater Christi.
More recent, we’ve been pleased to welcome Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church into our building. After their heating and structural issues left them without a meeting space, we offered our sanctuary for their Sunday services. Between services, we share coffee fellowship in Palmer Hall and have invited them to join us in celebrating our annual events.
As Thanksgiving approaches, let us reflect not just on what we’re grateful for, but on how each of us might use our gifts to build bridges, serve others, and strengthen our community.
Happy Thanksgiving,
John Dennehey, Church Moderator