Correction for print and web: The anniversary celebration is on Sunday, Oct. 19, not Saturday, Oct. 18 as originally published.
Upon entering First Presbyterian Church of Hamilton Square for Sunday service, one quickly senses a feeling of warmth and acceptance. It feels like being transported to a small-town church in Iowa back in the 1800s.
Take it from a Midwesterner.
“I definitely got that homey feel,” said music director Julie Caudle, who hails from Michigan and joined the church in 2007. “People are very friendly. I felt accepted right away. My kids did Sunday School and Youth Group and had a good experience with that.”
Then there is Paul Tindall who, at age 88, has been a lifetime First Presbyterian member whose ancestors go back its origin.
“I may not be here if it was not a pleasant place to be,” Tindall said. “I’d probably look for another church. We have other denominations here. They don’t come because it’s Presbyterian. I think they come because they want a friendly place. ”
The amiable environment is just one variable in the longevity of First Presbyterian, which will celebrate its 250th anniversary with a banquet at the German American Club on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Technically the church’s first gathering was in 1772 and the first formal worship service was in 1774, but planning for the anniversary was sidetracked by Covid, which made the semi quincentennial celebration a year late.
Pastor Kyle Doebler, who began serving in 2021, is proud to play a role in the milestone after serving at churches in San Francisco, Ohio and other parts of New Jersey.
“It’s an incredible privilege to be part of a community that has such deep roots,” said the Virginia native, who oversees a congregation of around 350. “To be part of that big story that God is writing in this community and congregation, to be associated in this chapter is humbling. I’m part of something that’s way bigger than me.
“It’s been going on here before this country was even a thing. It is doing something today that would be recognizable to those people back in 1772. They would say’ Yeah, that’s in line with why we started this all those years ago.’”
Church historian Paul Neu did exhaustive research to speak about 25-year blocks of history each month at services. The North Jersey native moved to Hamilton with wife Alison in 1983 and they have been members ever since.
“The thing that impresses me is how the little congregation that gathered in 1772 has continued to flourish and grow through the founding of our nation, multiple wars and recessions, while providing an anchor of peace and faith in the community,” Neu said of the impact his research had on him. “As I look back in amazement at what happened in our history, I am just as amazed at all the outreach and assistance the congregation provides to Hamilton and Robbinsville, as well as Mercer County.”
History
Located on Nottingham Way across the street from its Church Yard cemetery — established in 1786 — First Presbyterian is easily distinguishable as the all-white structure with stained glass windows, a red door and majestic steeple.
Next door is the home of Linda Woodman, who moved to Hamilton in 1963 and bought the house with her late husband Woody because it was two doors away from a Presbyterian church. Their daughter Jean and son Jim would watch the parking lot being built.
“We’ve seen two major additions: the kitchen and rooms next to it, and the east wing with offices, parlor, elevator, music room, classrooms… and air conditioning!” Jean said. “My dad helped raise enough money to install a commercial dishwasher in the kitchen. They did it in five minutes during a congregational meeting because they were tired of washing dishes by hand.”
The Woodmans, Tindalls and numerous other dedicated members have been driving forces behind the church for decades. The Woodman family has combined to hold practically every position there is in the church, from elder to deacon, from bible school to Sunday school teachers, from committees to choir. Paul and Donna Tindall, who met and were married in the church and raised their family there, have had an equal impact. Paul has served at every level possible short of pastor and the couple currently oversees fellowship coffee hour.
“There is no better spokesperson for this congregation than someone who has spent their entire life here,” Doebler said. “They know first-hand the power of belonging to a congregation like this. They’ve been through it all.”
Paul Tindall’s great, great grandmother was an original church member in the 1700s and the family just kept coming. Paul noted that in the 1940s and 50s it was a hub of local activity with picnics and dinners, and that men wore jackets and ties (which he still does) and women wore dresses and hats to service.
“There weren’t too many other social outlets back then,” he said. “This was the only act in town. We had picnics and dinners. The Baptist and Methodist churches came a little later. The families were all intertwined. All the young people I knew when I was growing up married people in the church.”
Jean Woodman, another encyclopedia of church knowledge, recalled that in the 1960s, there were congregation complaints about housing going up around the church, and inquiries were made to charter a new church on Route 33 to hold the burgeoning population.
“I’m so glad the presbytery said no,” she said, and with good reason.
Memories.
“I am my father’s child,” said the daughter of a handyman. “I have climbed into the steeple and crawled in the dirt under the preschool rooms and most spaces in between.”
Those were places that didn’t exist when the foundation was laid.
According to Neu’s time line:
In 1772 Hamilton and Allentown Presbyterian shared the Rev. Willliam Schenck one Sunday per month. Pastor-sharing continued with Allentown until 1840 and Hamilton then shared ministers with Dutch Neck Presbyterian.
The first two structures were erected across Nottingham Way, one in 1778 (used to hide farmers’ sheep from the British during the Revolution) and another in 1837 that seated 100.
The current edifice went up in 1867 and held 250. Rev. Isaac Van Wert Schenck became the first full-time pastor and his name can be seen with all the other pastors on a stained glass window. The original steeple was knocked off by a hurricane in the 1870s and the 800-pound bell rolled free, but was installed in the existing smaller steeple. Additions such as Sweazy Hall, where fellowship is held, came along in 1927, 1955, the mid-1960s and 2005.
The Church Yard was established across Nottingham Way and the headstone of Betsy Hutchinson states that she was the first to be buried there. A columbarium and Memorial Garden were added in the early 2000s, where a Sunrise Easter Service is held.
Other notables buried in the yard are soldiers from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, US congressmen Dr. George Robbins and Dr. Charles Skelton, the latter having founded Trenton public schools; local historian Joseph West and author Helen Almay West, who wrote the definitive history of Hamilton.
So how his this church lasted?
Doebler took over during the tail end of Covid – when several institutions faltered — and credited previous pastors Doug Cornelius and Nick Van Gombos and the membership for their efforts before he arrived.
“This congregation kept looking for ways how we can be together,” the pastor said. “This church is not afraid of doing big things. All I did was listen to them and say ‘OK, let’s put these ideas into action.’”
The Music
One of the church’s drawing cards is its music program, which has blossomed under Caudle. When she joined with husband Ty (a North Carolina native), Julie played piano for the Praise Team; eventually became Praise Team leader and took over as Music Director in 2013.
“I believe the purpose for me is to bring others closer to God in worship the right way,” she said. “I think through all these music groups it’s an enrichment for them (as people) as well as learning to play or sing music.”
Caudle runs back and forth on Sundays, playing both an organ that is over 100 years old, and a piano dedicated to the memory of Woody Woodman.
She praises the musical talent “from ages eight to 80,” that she works with and said “it keeps people coming back. Some know music, some don’t. We welcome everybody.”
Caudle oversees the choir, plans the music and hires its directors. She remains in charge of the Praise Team and also directs the Cherub Choir and Bell Choir.
Where there were previously two services – one with traditional music and the other contemporary – there is now one that features both styles. Caudle has also directed blue grass and heavy metal performances.
“Julie has had some off-the-wall ideas that have just worked because of her giftedness in leading this music program,” Doebler said. “One of our youth came to Julie with an idea to use metal music. I was a little iffy on that and Julie said ‘I promise it will work.’ She loves all kind of music; she loves investing in musicians and sharing her art. Music is a big deal, it’s one of the reasons why people come here and why people stay.”
Outreach
Many who stay believe in the church’s charitable missions.
Community service has included building house frames in the church parking lot with Habitat for Humanity and serving meals at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. When Sandy hit, members went to the shore to help rebuild. On its first service day this year (Oct. 12) church members will have a chance to participate in a variety of service opportunities in Hamilton.
First Presbyterian administers Ginny’s Pantry; a food pantry operated in partnership with Christ Presbyterian in Hamilton and United Presbyterian Yardville. It donates to Shine and Inspire to aid students at Robinson and Sunnybrae schools, and partners with Mobile Meals of Hamilton, Mercer Street Friends, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Homefront, Help Build Hope, Anchor House, Woman Space, Arm in Arm, Camp Johnsonburg and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
Fundraisers that service the community are an annual rummage sale (Oct. 4 this year) and a lasagna dinner on Election Day.
“In the 19th century we were part of the missionary movement that sent people out West and to Asia and South America,” Woodman said. “We still support mission in other areas but have learned to focus on the local community. Over the years we have become good at responding to needs that were not addressed by social programs at the time – keeping homeless families together, providing clothes and breakfast for young students.”
Asked his impression of the church’s outreach and Doebler responds, “Oh my gosh!”
“If people want to invest in their community or their neighborhoods, the best thing they could do is invest in this congregation,” he said. “So much of what we do goes back out to the community.
“I think about the number of lives this church has touched. We have multi-generational families that have sent their kids through our pre-school for 50 years. We have relationships that go back decades with certain organizations. I don’t know what the character of this community would be if churches like us and others around us weren’t here.”
Woodman feels First Presbyterian is “far more welcoming than in the 1960s. We are much better at understanding that all of us are children of God and the church is the place where everyone should be welcome.”
Speaking of children, there is nursery care provided under Dawn Zimmerman and a Young Wonders Preschool directed by Gina Rosa. As with any church, youth is key to the lifeline.
“We have new people, young families, who come every Sunday and leave this place and go out excited and tell other people about it,” Doebler said. “They’ve experienced the hospitality and welcome the rootedness of this place.”
The pastor feels a big reason for that is lack of a hard-sell approach.
“There’s no bait and switch, no manipulation,” he said. “We don’t have ulterior motives; we’re not after other people’s wallets. We have this deep rootedness in the community. We don’t wake up and say ‘We have to close our doors tomorrow.’ There’s not that franticness. We can just come to you and say ‘We’re so glad you’re here. We hope to see you again next week.’
“You don’t get to be as old as we are as a congregation without a deep commitment to welcoming people. It’s just a practice that’s been engrained in this congregation.”
A practice that has led to a pleasant, warmhearted atmosphere for centuries.
Rich Fisher is a member of the First Presbyterian Church and performs with its Bell Choir.
https://www.communitynews.org/towns/hopewell-express/stop-thief-a-short-history-of-the-pleasant-valley-vigilant-association/article_7fd9f486-a266-425c-bd8c-276e38feceb6.html
