Churches in Maine

Religious Landscape of Maine

Maine is one of the least religious states in America by most measures, yet its landscape remains dotted with historic churches that anchor community life in small towns from Kittery to Fort Kent. The Catholic Church is the largest denomination, a reflection of Maine's substantial Franco-American population. French-Canadian immigrants settled in mill towns like Lewiston, Biddeford, and Waterville in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and their Catholic parishes remain community institutions even as Mass attendance has declined. The United Church of Christ, heir to the Congregational tradition, maintains historic meetinghouses in many coastal and inland towns. United Methodists and American Baptists are the most common Protestant groups outside the Catholic Church. The Episcopal Church has historic parishes, particularly in the affluent coastal communities and Portland. Maine's evangelical footprint is small compared to national averages, though non-denominational churches have seen modest growth in the southern part of the state. Maine's adherence rate of about 40% is among the lowest in the country, part of a broader New England trend toward religious disaffiliation. Nonetheless, churches continue to serve as vital gathering points for community suppers, food pantries, thrift shops, and other social services in a state where many small towns have few other institutions.