About Us
Warren Congregational Church is an Independent, Bible believing Congregational Church.
Motto: “loving hearts, serving hands, growing faith”
Vision Statement: The vision of the Warren Church is to build and nurture a fellowship of faith and love, reaching out with both to proclaim Christ and to care and serve in practical ways to make God’s love known.
Mission Statement: Acknowledging God’s love, the mission of Warren Congregational Church is to know and make known God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit through:
- Reaching out to welcome all people
- Offering a loving, supportive community of faith
- Providing a place to gather regularly to worship God and celebrate the Sacraments
- Experiencing and responding to God’s love
- Growing together through the good news about Jesus
- Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we seek to serve Christ and to minister in His name, both here in Warren and in the world at large
At Warren Congregational Church we believe shared convictions are important to maintain unity in the Body of Christ and in the Local Church. We also believe that Christians can lovingly and respectfully disagree on certain matters and peacefully worship and fellowship together. At the same time we maintain that there are foundational beliefs on which our faith is built.
FOUNDATIONAL BELIEFS
- We believe that the Bible including both the Old and New Testaments is God’s Word. It is the guide for faith, doctrine and life.
- We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son, is the image of the invisible God. He took upon Himself the form of a man, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
- We believe that man was originally created in the image of God to live in His fellowship. Man fell into sin through the temptation of Satan and because of this we are all born with sinful natures and are in need of a Savior.
- We believe that through Jesus Christ’s perfect obedience and substitutionary death on the cross, He has purchased our salvation.
- We believe that through God’s grace and mercy and through faith alone we are given the free gift of eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- We believe that by abiding in Christ believers lives can be transformed through the indwelling and regenerative work of the Holy Spirit.
- We believe that God wants all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth and we are actively interested in giving everyone an opportunity to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
- We believe that the Church consists of all who come to faith in Jesus Christ and a congregation is an assembly of believing Christians guided by the Word of God. We encourage the use of lay persons in spreading the Gospel and furthering the work of the Kingdom of God.
- We believe that Christ’s love is revealed in Christians through loving and serving our neighbors. We endeavor to follow Christ’s example and be obedient to His commands to care for our neighbors physical and emotional needs while we share the Gospel.
Our Towns: Pastor feels at home in Warren
Posted by John McKenna | Jul 3, 2025 | News
John McKenna
By John McKenna: BZ editor and publisher
WARREN – Finding a new pastor wasn’t easy for the Warren Congregational Church after popular pastor Gary Kitchin stepped away following 10 successful years, but the time and patience church leaders put into the search paid off when the energetic Rev. Anthony DeRosa agreed in May to take the job.
DeRosa, who lives in Harwinton with his wife, Olivia, and their children, Anthony, 8, Arabelle, 6, and Aaron, 4, brings 14 years of experience in the ministry, having served churches in Torrington and Hartford. Though he is a Pentecostal minister by training, DeRosa’s faith and religious philosophy have proven to be an ideal match for the congregation, according to church Deacon Carl Hetzel.
“He has a good foundation of faith that is hard to find these days,” Hetzel said after Sunday’s service. “He brings energy and youth and we are fortunate to have him.”
DeRosa became the leading candidate for the job after a candidate from Idaho who came to Warren to meet the congregation and impressed church leaders decided a move across the country was not in the cards. The search was reopened and DeRosa was an applicant, one Hetzel said immediately impressed the church’s search committee.
It helped, Hetzel said, that DeRosa lives locally and has a wife who graduated from Litchfield High School. Olivia (Hayward) DeRosa was a track and field standout under legendary LHS coach Brent Hawkins, graduating in 2011.
“They are a young couple with children and they set an excellent example for young families who show interest in getting involved in the church,” Hetzel said. “We’re growing older as a congregation and young children are the future of our church. What better way to ensure that future than by having a pastor with a family.”
DeRosa, who delivered an enthusiastic sermon focusing on the joy of life, has settled into his new role with ease. He’s found a welcoming congregation enamored with his traditional approach and, as Hetzel said, adherence to the principles of the Bible.
“I love being in Warren with this fantastic congregation,” DeRosa said. “They have strong faith and belief in the Lord and I couldn’t have asked for a better situation as a pastor.”
DeRosa, who grew up in Harwinton, and his wife met as students at Evangel University in Missouri.
“We lived in neighboring towns and joke that we had to go all the way to Missouri to meet,” he said.
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