Rev. James H. Shephard was the pioneer preacher of Universalism in Plymouth, who came to this town in 1850 and established a seminary in the Holmes Academy building. The following year he purchased the academy building and the boarding house and tried to create a permanent institution of learning in Plymouth. The school was suspended in 1853, however, he remained in Plymouth until 1856. After leaving Plymouth he moved to Centre Harbor for a couple of years. He then traveled to New York State and then Connecticut. He retired from the ministry at Mount Vernon, New York.
Two of the Ministers who preached in Plymouth for a time were Rev. Benjamin Marshall Tillotson and Rev. William S. Balch.
Rev. Everett L. Conger arrived in Plymouth in 1876 and preached afternoon and evening in the old courthouse. In the summer of 1879, Rev. Conger persuaded Rev. Thomas Elliot St. John, to spend his summer vacation in Plymouth and to preach several Sundays. The following year, under the same conditions, Rev. W.S. Rolph preached in the old courthouse to the Plymouth Universalists.
In July, 1881, Rev. Quillen H. Shinn, formerly pastor at Lynn, Massachusetts, and at that time a resident of Foxboro, moved to Plymouth. He became the first settled pastor of the Universalist Church in town. For three years, under Mr. Shinn, the Society worshipped in the old courthouse. Eventually, Mr. Shinn undertook the task of building a church home. Under his direction and encouraged by his enthusiasm, the little congregation a fine brick church, which was dedicated October 28, 1884. Mr. Shinn, having succeeded in founding a church and building a church building, severed his connection with the church in 1885 and moved to Deering, Maine.
The second pastor of the Plymouth Universalist Church was Rev. F.W. Betts, a graduate of the Canton Theological School. He began in July, 1885. In September of 1886, he left Plymouth to accept a call to Palmer, Massachusetts.
In July, 1888, Rev. Thomas Stratton, also a Canton graduate, began a successful ministry here. He resigned in March of 1893. During his ministry, a pipe organ was presented to the church and a communion service was also given to the growing church. After moving on to a church in Rutland, Vermont, Rev. Stratton was replaced by Rev. Noel E. Spicer, who remained from April 1893 until September 1895. Upon leaving Plymouth he moved to Ohio.
Rev. W.A. Williams preached from April 1897 until January 1898. From January 1898 until the summer of 1902, the parish was dormant.
In July of 1902, Bernard C. Ruggles, at that time a student at Canton, was invited to preach during a summer vacation. The State Convention of the Universalist Church endorsed the desire of the parish to secure a permanent pastor during 1902. An invitation was extended to Rev. Bernard C. Ruggles, who accepted and became the "settled" pastor upon his graduation from the seminary in June of 1903.
At the time of the publishing of Stearns History of Plymouth, Rev. Ruggles was still the pastor of the Plymouth Universalist Church, which was located on Main Street and which is now (in 2001) the Church of the Holy Spirit (Episcopal).