Spiritual Heritage Tours

Plymouth, MA

Hear the story of the first Pilgrims and their quest for religious freedom as they arrived in Massachusetts in 1620. Board the Mayflower, visit Plymouth Rock, briefly explore the area, and receive in your Traveler's Pack a copy of the Mayflower Compact.

New Haven, CT

Yale’s Motto is Lux et Veritas” Light and Truth". Theological education was the earliest academic purpose of Yale University. When Yale College was founded in 1701, it was as a college of religious training for Congregationalist ministers in Connecticut Colony, designated in its charter as a school "wherein Youth may be instructed in the Arts & Sciences who through the blessing of Almighty God may be fitted for Publick employment both in Church & Civil State."

New Haven, CT

Yale Divinity is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has its roots in a Theological Department established in 1822. The school has maintained its own campus, faculty, and degree program since 1869, and it has become more ecumenical beginning in the mid-19th century.

Enfield, CT

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is one of the most famous and influential sermons of the First Great Awakening, a series of Christian revivals that began about 1730 and continued into the 1750s. Edwards delivered Sinners at Enfield’s second Meetinghouse on July 8, 1741. While the second Meetinghouse no longer exists, its location is marked by an engraved stone on the west side of Route 5 (Enfield Street), just a few feet south of the intersection with Post Office Road.

Northfield, MA

Dwight Lyman Moody was born the sixth child of Edwin and Betsy Holton Moody in Northfield, Massachusetts on February 5, 1837. Dwight’s formal education ended after fifth grade, and he rapidly grew tired of life on the family farm. He left home at age 17 to seek employment in Boston.

Northfield, MA

When Moody returned to Northfield, he bought up the land surrounding his birth place, and Roundtop Hill became a place of retreat and meditation for him. A story is told that he was resting on the hill one day and said that this place is where he wanted to meet the Lord. Most fitting, Roundtop is the gravesite where D.L. Moody and his wife Emma are buried.

Northfield, MA

The risk of building a 2,300 seat auditorium in Northfield was rewarded by it ending up being too small. Moody’s events were often standing room only. The auditorium was built in 1894 with much of the funding for the Auditorium and other buildings on the campus coming from generous donations, as well as the royalties from the sale of Moody’s books and, particularly, the Moody-Sankey hymnal.

Williamstown, MA

August 1806 is viewed by many scholars as the seminal event for the development of American Protestant missions in the subsequent decades and centuries. Five Williams College students gathered in a field to discuss the spiritual welfare of the people of Asia. Within four years of that gathering, some of its members established the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM).

Montville, CT

Founded in the 18th century in Montville, Connecticut, this church has a connection to the Mohegan tribe and the broader Native American Christian movement. Reverend Samson Occom, himself a Mohegan and a prominent Christian minister, played a pivotal role in spreading Christianity among Native American communities. His efforts included raising funds for the education of Native American youth, leading to the founding of Dartmouth College.

Northhampton, MA

Northhampton holds a significant place in American history, particularly in the context of revivalism during the 18th century. The town was home to three prominent figures of the Great Awakening: Solomon Stoddard, known as the "Puritan Pope," his grandson, Jonathan Edwards, one of America's most renowned theologians, and David Brainerd, a missionary who lived and worked in Northampton, left a lasting impact through his diary, which chronicled his spiritual journey and missionary efforts among Native American tribes.

Northborough, MA

Luther Rice was born March 25, 1783, in Northborough, Massachusetts. As a young man at Williams College he became part of a group of young ministers and aspiring missionaries who called themselves "the Brethren." (The group became famous for the "Haystack Prayer Meeting.”) He sailed to Calcutta, India in February 1812 with Adoniram Judson as a Congregationalist missionary and met with English Baptist missionary William Carey. He gave his life to Christian Unity and raising funds for missions.

Salem, MA

Tabernacle holds a significant place in American Christian history, particularly in the early 19th century missionary movement where Adoniram and Ann Judson, pioneered American Baptist missions, were sent from America to serve in Burma (modern-day Myanmar) in 1812. Their mission marked a historic moment in American Protestantism, as they embarked on a journey to spread Christianity to a distant and unfamiliar land.

Boston, MA

Dwight was raised in the Unitarian church. When Moody turned 17, he moved to Boston to work in an uncle's shoe store. One of the uncle's requirements was that Moody attend the Congregational Church. In April 1855 Moody was converted to evangelical Christianity when his Sunday school teacher, Edward Kimball, talked to him about how much God loved him. His conversion sparked the start of his career as an evangelist.

Plymouth, MA

Burial Hill is a historic cemetery or burying ground on School Street. It is the burial site of several Pilgrims, Governor William Bradford, Squanto, and Puritan Separatist William Brewster . Adoniram Judson, who was buried at sea, also has a memorial.

Gill, MA

In 1886, a group of students gathered at Mount Hermon where the Student Volunteer Movement was officially launched. This movement inspired thousands of young Christian volunteers to commit their lives to missionary work, with notable figures emerging from its ranks. The SVM's impact extended far beyond Northfield, ultimately shaping the course of modern Christian missions and leaving an enduring legacy of global service and evangelism, especially among students.

Plymouth, MA

Thought to be the largest solid granite monument in the United States, this 81-foot-tall granite statue was built to honor the passengers of the Mayflower. Boston sculptor Hammatt Billings designed the monument which features allegorical figures depicting the virtues of Faith, Morality, Education, Law, and Liberty. On the main pedestal stands the heroic figure of “Faith” with her right hand pointing toward heaven and her left hand clutching the Bible.

Bennington, VT

In 1762, this was the first Protestant Church in Vermont. The organizers were Separatists influenced by “The Great Awakening” and also founded the town of Bennington. It is the first church in Vermont that represents the separation of church and state. The poet Robert Frost, is also buried in the cemetery adjacent to the church.

Providence, RI

Founded in 1764, Brown has a rich Christian history intertwined with its establishment. Visionary Baptist minister James Manning, a fervent advocate for religious freedom, believed in the importance of education and sought to establish a college where individuals from all denominations could receive an education without religious constraints.

Vermont has a unique place in the history of American religious movements, particularly in the context of cults, aberrant movements, and no religion. Joseph Smith, founder of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was born in Sharon, Vermont, in 1805 where he received his revelations, which led to the Book of Mormon. William Miller, a Baptist preacher born in Pittsfield, Vermont in 1782, gained prominence for his interpretation of biblical prophecy, which predicted the Second Coming of Christ. Miller's preaching sparked the Millerite movement, with followers eagerly anticipating the end times.

Salem, MA

A building known as the Witch House stands today as the only structure with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. As a judge in the witch trials, Jonathan Corwin played a prominent role in the proceedings that led to the tragic deaths of those in Salem.

Pittsfield, MA

This historical site offers a glimpse into the unique and communal way of life practiced by the Shakers during the 18th and 19th centuries. Nestled amidst the picturesque Berkshire Mountains, this well-preserved village allows you to step back in time to explore the Shaker culture, renowned for its simplicity, craftsmanship, and devotion. The village features meticulously restored buildings, including the iconic round stone barn, which is a marvel of Shaker engineering.

Lincoln, RI

This meeting house, built in 1704 and expanded in 1745, exhibits the plainness and simplicity which 18th-century Quakers mandated in their lives. This meeting house was the center of Quaker life in northern Rhode Island for several decades and the home of the Providence Monthly Meeting after 1718. It is the oldest meeting house in New England in continuous use.

Deerfield, MA

Deerfield is a small town in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. The town has a rich history dating back to the 1600s.

Stockbridge, MA

The Mission House is a designated National Historic Landmark. Following ministerial studies at Yale, Reverend John Sergeant moved to the south Berkshires to establish a mission for fifty Mohicans. He lived in a simple cabin until he married Abigail Williams in 1739 and built the Mission House. Jonathan Edwards would eventually move to Deerfield as he attempted to create evangelism strategies to reach the local Native Americans.

Hingham, MA

Also known as the Old Ship Meetinghouse, Old Ship Church is the only surviving 17th century Puritan Meetinghouse in America. The church, so-named for the way the ceiling inside looked like an inverted ship frame, is also the oldest church building in continuous use in the United States.

Northhampton, MA

David Brainard (1718-1747) was a missionary to the American Indians in New York, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania. Born in Connecticut in 1718, he died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-nine while being cared for in the home of Jonathan Edwards in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Gill, MA

D.L. Moody started boys and girls "opportunity" schools created for the deserving poor who had no other means to acquire an education. Sixteen of the Northfield students who matriculated in 1880 were Native Americans, as were four Mount Hermon boys. By 1904, there were 113 students from 27 countries ranging from Burma to Denmark.

New London, CT

New London is a microcosm of New England culture, Revolutionary activity, early religious revivals, and Great Awakening fervor. New London was home to Nathan Hale, Benedict Arnold, and John Winthrop, who oversaw the acceptance of Quakers who were banned from Massachusetts during his tenure as Governor of Connecticut.