First Presbyterian Church Celebrates 150 Years

Through triumphs and tribulations, the First Presbyterian Church of Rumson has served as a beacon of hope for a century and a half for its members. From weddings and funerals, to weekly services and missions, its spiritual purpose in people's lives has a long history. 

Patch sat down with Pastor John Monroe, who has been there for 13 years, and he talked about the church’s history, its mission, and its expanding purpose from its 1861 founding to now.

Monroe said celebrations to mark the church's 150th anniversary have been ongoing, and two have taken place in recent months. The first celebration included hymns from the time of its founding, and a skit that Monroe wrote. That service focused on “what is the church and its purpose and contribution in people’s lives.” The second service focused on the mission of the church.

“In 1862, the church was one year old, and it had two mission offerings a year—one national and one worldwide,” Monroe said. Now, 150 years later, “the national mission is still in place,” he said.

The third celebration is scheduled for October 22 and 23, and the church will have a pot luck dinner that Saturday night and another skit will be presented at that dinner. The focus, said Monroe, will be on the “human aspect of being a church” and the “idiosyncrasies of human beings coming together.” The Sunday service on the 23^rd will allow people to share their stories of “how the church has been there for them, in hard times or funny times,” Monroe said.

The history of the church is evident in its architecture, and church's grounds included a Memorial Garden that holds the cremated remains of members from years past. Approximately 30 remains are in the garden, according to Monroe, and a brass plate acknowledges each.

From its all wood-paneled walls, banisters and cedar shake ceiling, the warm tone of the church is set. The creaky wooden pews fill the three sides of the church, and alcoves hold the organ and piano. The wooden pulpit, from where the pastor does the reading and interpretation of the scripture during services, is set on the side of the church and the simple communion server is centered in the church.

With its majestic stained glass windows, the First Presbyterian is an architectural masterpiece. So much so that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That distinction was made two years ago.

The stained glass windows—numbering 31—grace the church with colorful scenes from the Bible. From Jesus on the Cross, to Mary and Jesus as a child, to angels playing harps, a sense of serenity and peacefulness abound when viewing the windows. Each window was donated to the church, and inscriptions of those members are below each. One window, depicting Jesus and Mary, is “dedicated to those men and women of Rumson who served humanity at home and abroad in the second World War.”

Two other unique windows were installed over the original 1886 leaded glass windows, with psalms in Chinese and Korean, donated in memory of the Kissams by their nephew. Monroe said these windows displayed the church’s connection and outreach ministry with Asian soldiers stationed at Fort Monmouth. 

The architect of the church was Thomas Hastings, of Carrere and Hastings, which also designed Washington D.C.’s House and Senate Buildings and the New York Public Library, said Monroe.

For Monroe, the church’s mission is “feeling the need to really re-articulate on Christian religion in the 21^st Century context.” That includes building bridges between religion and science, and “acknowledging our ever-changing world,” said Monroe. He stressed that getting to know about other religions and “acknowledging our relationship with other world religions” is an expanded mission of the church now. “We continue to recognize our tradition by trying to expand what our mission is.”

While remembering its 150-year past, Monroe said “how we can thrive together is the focus in the years to come.” He explained that the church has always been a neighborhood, community church and a “vital part of the Two River community.”  He would like the “sense of connection to the community” to continue.

Aside from the upcoming celebration in October, the church continues to offer opportunities for spiritual growth and awareness. Monroe said that members and nonmembers are all welcome.