The building hasn’t changed. The address is still 29 Huntington Street. The Greek Revival columns still rise majestically. The tower still stands tallest among New London’s historic churches.
But inside, something new is happening. A new generation is gathering. The gospel that Jabez Swan preached in 1849 is being proclaimed again to a community that desperately needs to hear it.
On The Rock Community Church maintains affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention and affirms the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 as its doctrinal statement.21 The mission is clear: “To bring new life to New London, Connecticut, with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”22
The Journey Comes Full Circle
Think about the arc of this story:
In 1801, Nehemiah Dodge helped secure religious freedom by writing to Thomas Jefferson. That freedom made it possible for churches of all kinds—including those with faulty theology—to exist without government interference.
Around 1820, Dodge used that very freedom to establish Universalism in New London, planting a congregation that built an impressive church in 1843.
By 1849, financial reality forced that building into Baptist hands, where it would serve gospel ministry for 175 years.
In 2025, the building that rose from Dodge’s Universalist ministry has been replanted as On The Rock Community Church—proclaiming the same biblical gospel that the Danbury Baptists believed when they wrote to Jefferson in 1801.
The building is the same. The address hasn’t changed. But the mission has been renewed.
What This Means Today
On The Rock Community Church isn’t just another new church trying to make it in New England. It’s a congregation with roots that stretch back to the founding era of American religious liberty. It occupies a building that has witnessed 175 years of births and deaths, conversions and baptisms, weddings and funerals, joys and sorrows.
The granite outcrop that supports the building hasn’t moved since 1843. More importantly, the Rock on which the church is built—Jesus Christ himself—hasn’t moved either.
This matters for several reasons:
First, it’s a reminder that God’s purposes prevail. The Universalists built the most impressive church building in New London to advance their theology. Within six years, they lost it to a Baptist congregation that would use it to preach orthodox gospel truth for nearly two centuries. Human plans fail. God’s purposes stand.
Second, it’s a testament to faithfulness over flash. Huntington Street Baptist Church never became a megachurch. The historical records don’t document explosive growth or dramatic revivals. What they show is pastoral succession—generation after generation of men who preached the word, shepherded the flock, and maintained biblical doctrine. That quiet faithfulness matters more than spectacular success.
Third, it’s proof that the gospel endures. Liberalism swept New England and closed thousands of churches. Cultural Christianity collapsed. Dominant society became hostile or indifferent to biblical faith. Yet God preserved gospel witnesses. At 29 Huntington Street, through changing pastors and shifting culture, the gospel continued to be proclaimed. Not perfectly. Not without struggle. But faithfully.
Fourth, it demonstrates that God raises up new generations. By 2023, the church was declining toward closure. Then God provided Rocky Gammone and partnership with NAMB Send Network. The story wasn’t over. The work continues.
An Invitation
If you live in or near New London, Connecticut, you have the opportunity to be part of a story that connects to American founding principles and stretches across 175 years of history.
The building at 29 Huntington Street isn’t just old—it’s significant. It represents:
- The fight for religious freedom that made America possible
- The endurance of gospel witness through multiple generations
- The power of faithful ministry even when results come slowly
- The hope that God can bring new life to dying congregations
- The commitment to biblical truth in a culture that has largely abandoned it
On The Rock Community Church gathers every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in this historic building. They’re not trying to be trendy or hip. They’re not promising to meet all your felt needs or make you comfortable. They’re offering what every generation needs: the unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ, biblical teaching, authentic community, and the call to make disciples.
21 “Meet the Pastor – Huntington Street Baptist Church,” ChurchFinder.com, accessed December 26, 2025.
22 “About Us,” On The Rock Community Church, accessed December 26, 2025, https://www.ontherockcommunitychurch.com/aboutus.
