The Minutemen and Their World

Bliss took over the role of minister for the town of Concord in 1738, when the previous minister was fired for alcoholism. While a student at Yale, Bliss’ religious views had been influenced by the religious currents of the First Great Awakening, a movement in American Protestantism that prioritized “conversion” through divine grace as the only way of attaining spiritual salvation. As a result of Bliss’ zeal, membership in the church more than doubled. However, many Concordians who had been active in the church bristled at the changes he introduced. These “Old Lights” saw an approach to religion based on inspiration rather than respect for experience and earthly hierarchies as chaotic and destructive, and their objections led to the creation of the “West Church,” a new, unofficial church started by about one-fifth of the town’s citizens whose objections were strongest. The West Church operated from 1745-1760.

Bliss was the first of two Concord ministers to bring the First Great Awakening to the town, and his story shows the way in which large-scale social trends such as this one affected the small and somewhat insular community. Though local concerns were consistently prioritized over other issues, ministers and others who spent time at educational institutions outside the town often served as conduits to bring information and new ideas into the town.