Windsor Chapel, a member of the Evangelical Free Church of America, invites all members of the community to the installation of its new pastor, Reverend W. Gregory Larsh, on Sunday, October 12, at 9:30 a.m. A reception for Pastor Greg and his wife, Esterina, will be held at the chapel immediately following the ceremony.##M:[more]##
Windsor Chapel began in 1975 as the offspring of the Westerly Road Church of Princeton, which was facing overflowing attendance but could not physically expand. Members from East Windsor and West Windsor held Windsor Chapel’s first worship service at Maurice Hawk School on Clarksville Road on October 3, 1976.
A farmstead of 1.6 acres, a barn, a house and several outbuildings were purchased in 1978, along with an adjoining 5.5 acres a short time later, to house the church. During renovations to the buildings services and Sunday school was held at Dutch Neck School. Restoration of the barn to become a sanctuary began in 1979, with members and friends of the congregation spending more than 1,”000 hours painting, refinishing, gardening, and doing the necessary carpentry and plumbing.
The first service in the new chapel was held in 1980. By 1982, the congregation had again grown to a point that exceeded the church’s seating capacity, and it became necessary to hold two worship services on Sunday mornings. A multi-phased expansion for a larger sanctuary began in 1990 and services were held at Beth Chaim Synagogue and the Dutch Neck School for 16 months. The first worship service with 270 members in attendance was held in the expanded building marking the 15th anniversary of the chapel’s ministry.
Larsh, a graduate of Taylor University, holds graduate degrees from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Seminary) and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His doctorate in education focused on marriage and family.
Although this is his first formal position as a senior pastor, he has served as an interim pastor several times. In his 20 years in ministry he has worked with congregations ranging from 150 to 3,”300 members. “There are differences,” he says. “Larger is not always better as the plethora of interests and conflicts are multiplied.”
Born in Philadelphia, Larsh was raised just west of the city. Esterina was born in Sicily. They have three married daughters who all live in south central Pennsylvania, and their first granddaughter, Vivian Grace, born less than three months ago.
The couple’s Pennsylvania home is on the market and they are renting in Monroe. Esterina, who handled communications for a group of chiropractors, is enjoying being a grandmother. She would like to create a system to promote wellness with a focus on nutrition and chiropractic care.
His goal is to promote an enriching and preventative environment to promote wellness. “Issues of marriage and family take center stage,” he says. “Crossing through denominations and race we want to encourage people as they are moving through stages of family life.
“The congregation is both caring and supporting and involved in the needs of Trenton and the community,” he says. “We welcome all family configurations of single and blended families.”
“Pastoring is not just a job, it’s like a marriage,” he says. “We care about kids, students, education, leadership, and look for programs to express faith through different mediums.”
— Lynn Miller
Installation of New Pastor, Windsor Chapel, 401 Village Road East, West Windsor, 609-799-2559. www.windsorchapel.org Installation ceremony the new senior pastor, Reverend Gregory Larsh. Reception for him and his wife, Esterina, follows. Sunday, October 12, 9:30 a.m.
