Clayton R. Lund, minister at First Congregational Church for 30 years

The Rev. Clayton R. Lund, theologian, philosopher, historian and counselor, died Wednesday, July 5, at Danbury Hospital.
Mr. Lund served as the 17th senior minister of the First Congregational Church of Ridgefield for 30 years from 1956 to 1986 and at his retirement was appointed minister emeritus. He spent his retirement years in Danbury and most recently resided at The Village at East Farms retirement community in Waterbury. He was 81 years old.
Before coming to Ridgefield Mr. Lund served churches in Hingham, Mass., and Brooklyn, N.Y.
After his retirement from Ridgefield in 1986, he served the Saugatuck Congregational Church as supply and interim minister in a relationship that spanned seven years.
Mr. Lund was born in Providence, R.I., on March 31, 1919 to the Rev. Anders Gottfrid Lund and Iris Sofia Fredrika Lindblade. He grew up in New York and Worcester, Mass. He was a graduate of Clark University and Andover-Newton Theological Seminary. He was ordained at First Congregational Church in Fall River, Mass.
"Mr. Lund's love of Christ, eloquent sense of history and personal warmth provided an anchor for an ever-changing Ridgefield community and congregation," said a family spokesman. During his tenure, the church grew to 800 members, which mirrored the growth of Ridgefield from 4,000 in the 1950's to 22,000 in the late 1980's. Many changes were made during his tenure including the forming of a Church Council from the Cabinet, strengthening the Board of Mission and adorning the sanctuary with more comfortable pews and a hand-hewn cross above the Communion table.
Most notably, Mr. Lund led the congregation through the difficult time following the fire in 1978 of the 100-year-old Church House. In December 1980 the new Church House was dedicated to the glory of God and the hope of the Phoenix Fund campaign "out of ashes, newness; out of destruction, a great joy" was realized. The fellowship room was named Lund Hall in his honor.
Mr. Lund is survived by his sister, Gretalyn Lund Elmen of Woodstock; his niece, Elisabeth Levesque and her husband and son, Joffre and Paul of Pomfret; and a nephew, John Elmen and his wife, Robin Neely of Falmouth, Maine. A brother, Anders Godfrey Lund, died before him.
The memorial service was conducted July 13, at 1 p.m. at The First Congregational Church. A reception will follow the service in Lund Hall. A family interment will be conducted in Woodstock.
Contributions in memory of Mr. Lund may be made to The First Congregational Church, 103 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877 for the Clayton R. Lund Scholarship Fund of Andover Newton Seminary, or the Clayton R. Lund Endowment Fund of The First Congregational Church.