The Congregational Church of Providence was formed at a time when portions of church doctrine was important.  Certainly the Baptist religion urged by John Brown and the Baptist Church on the other side of the Providence river were not attractive to the Congregational group of Westminster and Weyboset streets.

The free-thinking spirit of the members of the Congregational Church was demonstrated when the church decided to be known as the Unitarian Church.

The incorporation of the church, as with all corporations of the time, was by the Rhode Island legislature, and was done on the petition of the persons named in the incorporating document as the corporate members.  The "Ephraim Bowen" referred to in the document of incorporation of the Congregational Church was probably the Gaspee raider's father, the physician Ephraim Bowen.  The named "Paul Allen" was probably the Gaspee raider.

"Proceedings of the General Assembly, held for the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, at Providence, on the last Monday in October, 1770.

The Hon. Joseph Wanton, Governor
The Hon. Darius Sessions, Deputy Governor

An Act to incorporate certain persons by the name of the Benevolent Congregational Society, in the town of Providence, in this colony. Whereas divers persons have petitioned this Assembly, for an act of incorporation, whereby they may be enabled to promote certain purposes set forth in their petition, and hereinafter mentioned;---

Therefore, be it enacted by this General Assembly, and by the authority therof, it is enacted, that Darius Sessions, Ephraim Bowen, Sam'l Nightingale,  Benj. Bowen, Jabez Bowen, Jacob Wightman, Jona. Badger, John Foster, Jr., Charles Keen, Nathaniel Greene, Eleazer Harding, Benjamin West, Amos Throope, Nathaniel Frothingham, Samuel Nightingale, Jr., Stephen Dexter, William Dexter, Elihu Robinson, Joseph Manning, Levi Hall, Nathaniel Metcalf, James Greene, Ezekial Burr, Joshua Hacker, Nehemiah Sweet, Paul Allen, John Carpenter, Jonathon Arnold, Amos Atwell, Jonathon Russell, Jonathon Ellis, Alexander Sampson, Joseph Nightingale, William Bowen, Henry Stirling and Timothy Gladding, together with such others, as they shall elect from time to time, shall be, forever hereafter, a body of corporate and politic, in fact and name, by the name of the Benevolent Congregational Society, in the town of Providence, in the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, for the purpose of raising a fund, by free and voluntary subscriptions, contributions, legacies and donations, for the support of public worship in the Congregational Society, in the town of Providence, aforesaid, of which the Reverend David Shearman Rowland, is at present minister." [Emphasis supplied.]

Published in Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England, 1862.