Ward Hill Church of Christ the King
A Christ-Centered Community of Faith, Hope, & Love
Ward Hill Church of Christ the King is a Congregational church that adheres to the historic Christian faith and proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ. We gather together to worship God and encourage each other to love God and everyone.
You’re always welcome. We invite you to join us!
Our Purpose – “The purpose of this church shall be to unite Christian believers in fellowship for spiritual growth and usefulness, for the winning of souls to Jesus Christ, and for the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through preaching, Christian education, and missionary endeavors at home and abroad.” The Ward Hill Church of Christ Constitution, Article II
Our Covenant – “Having been led by the Holy Spirit to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and to confess him as Lord, and having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do hereby, in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully covenant with one another, as one body of Christ, to lead a life worthy of the Lord and fully pleasing to Him. We promise that we will watch over and counsel one another in the spirit of brotherly love; that we will remember one another in our prayers and aid each other in sickness and distress; and that we will cooperate in the total mission of winning others to Jesus Christ. We further agree by the aid of the Holy Spirit to strive for the advancement and purity of this church; to support and promote its work, spiritually and materially; to attend its worship services and unite in its ordinances, always giving it a sacred priority over all institutions of human origin. We will endeavor to live exemplary Christian lives to study and grow in the knowledge and practice of our faith, and to promote the Christian education of our children in the home and in the fellowship of this church. We also agree that when we move from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of the Word of God.” The Ward Hill Church of Christ Constitution, Article IV
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. – 1 John 4:7-11
Our Affiliation – Ward Hill Church of Christ the King is affiliated with the New England Congregational Christian Fellowship (NECCF) and the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC). Believing in the unity of Christ’s Church, Ward Hill Church also seeks to build relationships with churches of various denominations in the Merrimack Valley and throughout the world.
Our Founding – Parson Jonathan Allen and Deacon William Day of the historic First Church of Christ, Bradford began conducting Sunday services in the Ward Hill schoolhouse in the 1820’s. Rebecca Haseltine and her son George aided the ministry with financial support throughout the years, and the Rev. J.D. Kingsbury provided spiritual leadership. Following the growth of industry and population in the Ward Hill neighborhood, shoe factory owner William Knipe arranged for a new meetinghouse in 1892. In August 1893, the Ward Hill congregation became independent of its mother church and gathered as The Ward Hill Church of Christ. The church has been unofficially known as Ward Hill Church of Christ the King since 2001.
Our Current Minister – Rev. Alex. M. Burgess IV, M.Div., was ordained to Christian ministry at Snyder Avenue Congregational Church in Philadelphia in November 1997 and was installed as parson of Ward Hill Church in October 1998. Parson Alex’s desire is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, which is God’s reconciling love for the whole world, and to provide guidance to people in their Christian worship and service. He is honored to serve the people of Ward Hill Church and loves the City of Haverhill. In addition to his ministry at Ward Hill Church, Parson Alex teaches history and religion to high school students at Bradford Christian Academy.
Parson Alex sings baritone, listens to a lot of music, and watches too many sports. He is a lifelong, die-hard Red Sox fan and enjoys everything about the White Mountains. Parson Alex and his wife Erin have been married for 25 years and have four children: John (24), Helen (19), and twins Andreas and Eva (17).
Parsons of Ward Hill Church of Christ, Congregational
- F. Lincoln Davis 1893-1896
- John C.C. Evans 1896-1897
- Charles Clark 1897-1904
- Roland D. Sawyer 1904-1909
- George H. Credeford 1910-1935
- Winthrop H. Richardson 1935-1940
- Richard J. Schaper 1941-1943
- Arthur M. Norton 1944-1944
- George E. Whittier 1945-1947
- George L. Mossides 1947-1949
- Joseph L. Hunting 1949-1951
- Walter W. Lyon 1951-1956
- Calvin T. Wright 1957-1960
- Glenn C. Bachelder 1960-1965
- Robert Rasche 1966-1966
- Jasper M. Beane 1966-1970
- A. Lawrence Leathers 1970-1981
- William Allen 1981-1982
- Matthew Smith 1982-1993
- Wayne Earl 1994-1998
- Alexander M. Burgess 1998-present
Ward Hill Church of Christ the King 
Ward Hill Church is a wonderful place to worship and fellowship. We are so glad we started attending here last fall.