Founder and Leader:
The First Church of Christ, Scientist
A Christian Science Pastor
Platform of The Mother Church in Boston with two readers’ desks
In 1879 the tiny congregation in Lynn called Mrs. Eddy to be their Pastor. She held that post in Lynn and then in Boston. Ten years later, with a growing congregation, she resigned the pastorate when she left Boston. For the time being, others continued to preach in her church.
In 1894 and ’95 Mrs. Eddy ended the era of personal preaching in Churches of Christ, Scientist, worldwide. In 1895 she ordained the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures as Pastor in The Mother Church and its branches.
Henceforth, congregations in Christian Science churches would hear a very different kind of sermon: two lay people reading passages selected from the Bible and Science and Health. Selections from these books would comprise Lesson-Sermons on twenty-six subjects, a list drawn up by Mrs. Eddy after lengthy consideration. Published quarterly, the Lesson-Sermons are studied during the week by many thousands of Christian Scientists.
