Places of Worship

Local Churches

Clayton and the surrounding area offer a wide variety of opportunities to worship with others who share your faith. This diversity is owed to the rich history of Delaware as both a crossroads and a destination. The links below provide an incomplete list of churches in and around the Clayton community. The inclusion or exclusion from this list does not constitute any endorsement or lack thereof by the Town of Clayton. It is simply provided as a public service to existing and prospective residents of Clayton. Please contact each church directly for more information.

Churches in Clayton and Surrounding Areas

• Churches in Clayton
• Churches in the surrounding area

Spiritual Beginnings

First settled and then later governed by the Dutch, Delaware was a haven for those seeking religious freedom. Settlers from Sweden and Scotland brought Lutheran and Presbyterian churches, respectively. Colonization and government by Great Britain brought the Episcopal Church. Ownership of the three Lower Counties on the Delaware by William Penn brought Quakers. Nearby Maryland was similarly chartered by the Calverts as a Catholic colony.Barratt’s Chapel, south of Dover, was the place where Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury convened a conference on Christmas Eve of 1784. From this meeting, the Methodist Church in America was born.The Camden Friends Meeting House (near Dover) is home to the grave of John Hunn, known as the Chief Engineer of Delaware’s Underground Railroad that led many slaves to freedom in the 1840’s. Kent County is also home to a large Amish community, where numerous Mennonite houses of worship can be found.

Other Sources of Information

The Smyrna-Clayton Sun Times publishes an annual Community Guide to local houses of worship. Local telephone books carry numerous listings as well. Please note that the dividing line between Kent and New Castle County markets will result in listings that may include distant churches and exclude those in nearby Townsend and Middletown, Delaware.