Belleville Church Repairs Must Continue; Fundraiser Seeks To Help

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A fundraising campaign to aims to “save a unique part of American history” in Belleville.

Michael Perrone, president of the Belleville Historical Society, recently spearheaded a GoFundMe campaign to benefit Iglesia Pentecostal La Senda Antigua. It can be seen here.

According to the fundraising page:

“The Bible instructs us to, ‘Pray without ceasing’ (Theos 5:16) and for more than three centuries these instructions have been faithfully fulfilled at our historic church. Established in 1697, the church has been rebuilt and enlarged three times 1725, 1809 and 1853. For 325 years the Cross has stood high above the steeple giving hope to generations.

“Repairing damage to the church steeple caused by Hurricane Sandy has been a years long challenge and has threatened the very existence of the church. After spending a quarter million dollars on repairs, the church did not have any funds left to complete the project with the installation of siding and shingles. Last year, town officials ordered the church closed for a time and fined for failure to complete the work.

“The Belleville Historical Society has been associated with the church for almost 40 years, hosting events, reenactments, giving lectures, conducting tours, fundraising and assisting with maintenance, working most of those years with the original Dutch Reformed congregation. In 2010, the mission to keep the church ministry active was passed to Pastor Miguel Ortiz and his congregation, who have done an incredible job restoring the previously neglected church to its former glory.

“The church history is long and unique. It was the site of the Battle of Second River on September 12, 1777 and 68 Revolutionary War soldiers are laid to rest in the churchyard along with Josiah Hornblower who served in the Continental Congress. In 1870, the church welcomed and opened a school for the first Chinese immigrants in this part of the U.S. Two monuments commemorate these historic milestones in the churchyard and are celebrated every year.

“To prevent the church from being shut down and fined again, a number of God-trusting individuals of very modest means obtained short-term personal loans so that a scaffold could be rented and work resumed. The scaffolding rental alone to reach 18 stories high is $60,000. Please help us with your tax-deductible donation in any amount ... funds go directly to the church. And PLEASE share this fundraising campaign. Please help save this unique part of American history.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Belleville-Nutley Facebook page.