Martinsville Church To Close Its Doors After 122 Years

Martinsville, NJ -- The Martinsville United Methodist Church will be closing its doors after 122 years.

Its final worship service will be held on Sunday June 12 at 2 p.m. at 1949 Washington Valley Rd., Martinsville. A reception in the Fellowship Hall will follow the service of worship.

“It’s not one of those things you relish,” Pastor George Rodney told Patch. “You come into the ministry to expand the church and bring more people into God’s family. But there are certain times when it is necessary for somethings to die and other things to grow and that is the situation we find ourselves in.”

"So sad to see a place close that was the foundation for so many wonderful Martinsville citizens," a local posted on Facebook.

The closure has been debated by church officials since December 2015 and a final decision was made in February due to a decrease in membership.

In its heyday, around 1990, the church had more than 250 members with about 100 attending on any given Sunday.

Now the church has less than a total of 80 members with only 10 to 12 showing up on Sundays, according to Virginia Schrum, the church’s Chairperson of Staff Parish Relations Commission.

According to the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey Commission, a church must have at least 100 families or units to be considered a functioning church.

“The church has been instrumental, important in changing and molding many people’s lives,” Schrum said. “It served a wonderful community. It had a purpose at its time and the memories will remain and the seeds that were planted will continue to grow.”

Schrum noted that the Martinsville church is not the only one struggling to stay afloat. Many are finding it difficult to properly manage with limited volunteers.

Schrum listed churches that are closing including: McCrea Memorial United Methodist Church in Port Murray; St Matthew UMC in Toms River; Gladstone United Methodist Church in Gladstone closed in June 2015; and two churches in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest are merging.

“It’s unsettling where society is turning,” Schrum said. “Many families have to go to baseball and soccer games on Sunday morning now.”

As for the future of the Martinsville UMC’s building, it is unknown at the moment. Schrum said she is not at liberty to disclose any information at this time.

However, she noted the church is not owned by Martinsville UMC and is owned by the UMC of Greater New Jersey, which has a plan for the building.

“They have vision for the facility in Martinsville,” Schrum said. “In God’s time, in due time, when it is appropriate all will be known.”

For contact Martinsville UMC call 732-356-1326 or email martinsvilleunitedmethodist@hotmail.com or visit https://somersetregionalumc.wordpress.com/churches/martinsville-umc/ or Facebook.

(Photo, Martinsville UMC website)