Among Westport’s many religious institutions, the First Church of Christ, Scientist keeps a low profile.
They don’t run a nursery school, sponsor a youth group or host outside meetings. In fact, the only time their handsome South Compo Road building a few yards from the Post Road is used is on Sundays (services and Sunday school) and Wednesdays (testimony meeting).
First Church of Christ, Scientist on Compo Road South.
That may change soon.
The congregation — known as Christian Scientists — has nearly completed construction of a meeting room.
Like others run by the denomination, it’s a space where anyone can find books and publications, speak with staff members, and bring questions about their spiritual journeys.
This is not the first Christian Science reading room in Westport. For many years there was one on Post Road East, opposite what was then the post office (now Design Within Reach). A later location was further east, opposite Stop & Shop.
More recently, the Westport church operated a reading room in Stratford.
But now they’re building one as an addition to their own building.
The reading room will be on the left, next to the tower.
Project leaders — headed by Albert Jensen-Moulton, a church member whose profession is building sustainable, efficient homes — sought input from architect and developer Bill Shaffer. Early in his career he worked with Kris Barthelmess, a former Sunday School student who designed the Compo Road church in 1980, as part of his architectural thesis.
The glass-fronted reading room will face the parking lot. Flled with light, it will be “a very comfortable place to sit,” Jensen-Moulton says. It will be open 4 to 6 hours a day, 3 to 4 days a week.
Artist’s rendering of the reading room.
Also ahead: new landscaping, a permeable patio, and a garden and sitting area.
“We want to be inviting to walkers and bikers” on Compo Road, Jensen-Moulton says.
The church plans a soft launch next month, with an “official” opening in September.
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There was also a Christian Science reading room on Main St. near the old watery jewelers was. It was in an old house!
I believe in anyone’s right to practice whatever religion they choose.
However…
We are currently facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, and these “reading rooms” can be deeply misleading. They use the branding of an academic library, but function as religious centers that promote dangerous medical misinformation. Their literature teaches that mental health conditions do not actually exist, labeling them as spiritual errors and offering prayer as the sole treatment. Westport needs more real, evidence-based mental health support, not spaces that deny the reality of mental (and physical) illness.
the religion according to AI platforms does not believe in traditional medical care and science. They believe in the power of prayer to heal.
Followers are generally not vaccinated and don’t report infectious diseases. This has led to real public health consequences, including four major measles outbreaks between 1985 and 1994 that started in Christian Science communities. Fifty Christian Scientists have been charged with manslaughter for not treating children medically when modern medicine could have cured them. In my opinion, these people should have been charged with murder and executed!
These people aren’t Christians and there’s nothing science based about them. It was founded by Mary Baker Eddy.
one of the beliefs is that medicine dilutes the power of prayer and interferes with the relationship to God
after Hegseth removed the mandatory flu shot for military 160 USA soldiers at a military base in Texas has the flu. The current compliance rate is reported to be 40 percent.
That’s so beautiful! That’s the Church I grew up in. What a great idea adding it to the Church. Stratford was a long drive. Well done!!
This is sort of like reading a glowing article about a new Church of Scientology building opening up in town. Strange indeed.
Wow, for a TOWN OF liberal thought and acceptance of all that pride itself of accepting all, the previous statements blow that all the hell. Just because you don’t believe in what they believe in doesn’t mean you should be spreading false doctrine iand innuendo. The Christian science church has been there for decades, they stepped up when the Y was being rebuilt downtown and opened up a childcare center. They’ve been an intricate part of the Westport community for decades much longer than most of the people that have moved here.
There’s nothing liberal about institutional denial of existence of mental illness or religious indoctrination masquerading as academia.
Thete is nothing liberal about diffebtiating fact and scientific evidence versus falsehoods
Chip, I don’t give a rats ass what anyone believes, just don’t give my grandkids mumps or measles or any other diseases because you never got vaccinated for anything. As a matter of fact, I know a Staples graduate who became an LPN and never vaccinated her kids for anything, and forged the signature of the doctor she worked for so her kids could go to public school in Westport!
Jack, it’s extremely rare for someone who’s vaccinated to contract mumps or measles. And if they did, statistically it’s because of the 10M+ undocumented illegal entrants who entered through our open borders under Biden.
Right-wing drivel, David.
There is little evidence that immigrants have brought measles into the country. Like the single case in Connecticut, unvaccinated travelers from the US have contracted it while overseas, and brought it back. That’s according to the National Institute of Health.
Once the disease hits largely unvaccinated communities
which are often religious communities (the Mennonite community in Texas, the evangelical community in South Carolina, the Mormons in Utah) it spreads.
Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for stupid or racist. If everyone gets vaccinated, it won’t spread no matter how it gets here.
Happy Juneteenth. Hug your favorite Republican.
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say, David. Of course it’s extremely rare for someone to contract mumps or measles if they’re vaccinated. Maybe read what I wrote again about the LPN who didn’t vaccinate her kids and forged a document saying they were vaccinated.
You’ve reached the five comment limit Jack. All of us at First Church of Christ Scientist are thankful that your drivel is limited.
Please ‘DON’T’ come to Boston.
Illness and suffering are illusions correctable through prayer and right thinking rather than medicine. The problem with this sentence is “ rather than medicine.” All religions believe that prayer can help heal, but they don’t disregard medicine. Like I mentioned, 40 Christian Scientists have been convicted of manslaughter because they didn’t get medical treatment for their children when medical attention would have cured them. I asked Dan to delete the post where I mentioned Biden, so this comment will be # 5.