Central Presbyterian Church (Montclair, New Jersey)

The history of Central Presbyterian Church is entwined with the history of Montclair, NJ and the history of the Presbyterian Church in the United States.  Although Central's official beginning is 1837, when the first cornerstone was laid, Central's origins reach back to 1667 when four men, Jasper Crane, Robert Treat, John Treat and John Curtis successfully requested and were granted land to freely practice their religious beliefs. King Charles II of England granted “letters patent” for a New Jersey colony. The four men, part of a group of 23 colonists, moved from Branford, Connecticut to the new colony “at Newark on the Passaic”.[4]

1837 – The Presbyterian Society of West Bloomfield

“Resolved that it is expedient to build a church in this place.”   According to the Session Record dated August 31, 1837, this resolution officially marked the beginning of the Central Presbyterian Church of Montclair. A board of trustees and officers, elected at a meeting at the local schoolhouse, started planning for a Presbyterian society for West Bloomfield, the township informally known as Cranetown that later, in 1870, was officially recognized as Montclair.

1837 session notes

Despite the severe national economic downturn in 1837, when banks failed and bankruptcies were rife across America, “The Presbyterian Society of West Bloomfield” was born and a new church was built. The schoolhouse already on the property was renovated. Its second story was removed and the school rooms were refinished for social meetings and Sunday school. The church was made of wood and built over these rooms. The church was located in the center of town, on a triangular-shaped block bordered by Bloomfield Avenue, Park Street and Church Street. Almost one year later to the day, on August 9, 1838, the church was formally dedicated.

A $10,000 bequest by Major Nathaniel Crane provided the bedrock for the initial funding for the church. The committee and trustees included: Amos Crane, Eliam B. Crane, James Crane, Zenas S. Crane, Dr. Isaac D. Dodd, Jared E. Harrison, John Munn, Captain Joseph Munn, Cyrus Pierson, and William Smith. Decatur Harrison, an architect and Cranetown resident, designed the renovations and extensions.

The church cost $3,196.95 in addition to the $400 spent for the lot. Burial plots to the cemetery adjoining the church were sold to offset the deficit. The new church boasted 71 members and pews were sold for $25-$90 per year to offset the annual budget.

The Reverend Samuel Ware Fischer, son of one of New Jersey's noted preachers, was unanimously elected by Session to serve as the church's first pastor. He served from 1839 to 1849 and later served as President of Hamilton College. His initial salary, $7.00 per week, was eventually increased to $700 per year.  In 1843, the chorister, Calvin S. Baldwin was paid $40 per year.

The first Session members were Mathias Smith, Elias Crane, Isaac B. Wheeler, and Moses Stiles. The first clerk of Session, John Munn, remained at this post for 25 years. The early records of the church were pristinely maintained by John Munn's fastidious attention to detail.

1856 – The First Presbyterian Church of Montclair – “Old First”

By 1856, the church membership's growth dictated the necessity for a larger building. The new building was built in back of the old one with $16,000 in subscriptions, stone from local freestone quarries, and the prayers, visions and hard work of many. Miss Mary Crane, Israel Crane's daughter, donated the 1,084 pound bell tuned in the Key of G and made at the foundry of Messrs. Jones & Hitchcock in Troy, New York.

Central Presbyterian Church, 1856

By 1860, there were 85 families and 196 communicants. Pews cost $65-$340 per year and were sold to the highest bidder. Although Reverend Job Foster Halsey organized the building of the new larger church, a supply pastor, the Reverend Silas Billings officiated at the building's dedication. The church's new name: The First Presbyterian Church of Montclair.[5]

By 1916, Central had outgrown its building. The ‘Committee of Twelve’ was appointed and chose the site for the church currently at the corner of Park Street and Claremont Avenue. The architectural design company Carrere and Hastings, Shreve, Lamb and Blake Associates was hired. This company also designed the New York Public Library.  

The new church, the same church worshipped in today, is an architectural treasure embodying the simplicity of New England Colonial style with the Georgian style of many English churches. There is seating capacity for 600 people on the main floor and 340 in the balcony. The church's spire was designed as a tribute to the hope and faith of the congregation, not to mention the many hands that helped build it.

Next door is the adjoining church house, built for the many social and religious activities the church hoped to foster. A large gym on the second floor hosted many basketball games and a proscenium stage was designed to host church plays and benefits. Downstairs, the Guild Room was, according to Reverend Wylie,  devoted to the Women's Guild as a “rallying center, a place of beauty of  inspiration and devotion.” The new building had space for 750 Sunday School students! Reverend Wylie decried the enrollment in 1922 at 400 “is but half the number that a School commensurate with the membership of our Church should comprise.”

On October 15, 1922, the new Central Presbyterian Church held its dedication ceremony. At 10:30 a.m., the Gloria Trumpeters, using long trumpets and dressed in ankle-length white robes, stood outside the church portals and played “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”. The doors opened and the congregation filed in.

Reverend Wylie, the new associate pastor Reverend Rock and the officers met at the old church, held a brief service, and then marched to the new building. Before entering the building, they stood outside and sang two verses of the 100th Psalm, “All people that on earth do dwell.” When they marched down the aisles, the entire congregation rose and sang the last two verses with them.

Dr. Cleland B. McAfee from the McCormick Theological Seminary preached the sermon aptly named “The Glory of the House.” The church celebrated with a week's worth of activities including an organ recital, a Young People's Musical Service, and several special services.

Reverend Wylie called the church and adjoining church house “a factory”. There was always something going on. The church was a place where the congregation enjoyed spiritual education, work and play. The church was both a religious retreat and community center – a very different model than the church the forefathers probably had in mind! There was a gym for basketball, badminton, evening parties and dancing; an auditorium-sized stage for plays and programs, and a kitchen for church suppers. The four manual Skinner organ was a gift from the Women's Guild in memory of Mrs. Wylie, the minister's wife, who died unexpectedly in 1919.

From 1927 to 1937, Carl F. Mueller was appointed organist and then Minister of Music. Mueller was already recognized as a masterful organist in his native hometown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mueller developed a volunteer choir and steadily over the course of several years built the choir from forty voices to several different choirs totaling 100 voices. Through Mueller's inspired direction, Central's choir became very well known throughout New Jersey and even sang on radio broadcasts.

In 1931, Mueller united the Central Choir with the State Teachers College in Montclair to form the Montclair Acapella Choir. Mr. Mueller wrote and published much of the music sung by the choir. Mueller's choral work, "Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God", sold nearly 2 million copies.

In 1931, citing ill health, Pastor Wylie resigned. The Great Depression was in full force. Central was not immune to the financial upheaval. The budget dropped by 25% causing much consternation and anxiety.

In April, 1932, the Reverend Morgan Phelps Noyes came to Central. A much loved pastor, he served until 1957. By 1937, the church was back on sound financial footing, the manse at 66 Park Street was razed and a house on North Mountain Avenue was leased for the pastor and his family. The membership had grown to 1,018 and the local and international mission work continued.

Reverend Noyes’ service at Central encompassed World War II. During this time, many women from our church volunteered with the Red Cross working in local canteens, aiding nurses, visiting V.A. hospitals and working overseas. After the war, two Central Presbyterian church women were awarded Gold Stars for their work.

When soldiers on leave visited Central, they were often invited for a home-cooked meal. Church members quite regularly corresponded with the soldiers. A scrapbook with thank you letters from the soldiers was kept by the church.

During these years, the Women's Guild continued to meet one Tuesday each month for Guild Day. The women sewed in the morning, ate a luncheon for 25 cents, met for an afternoon business meeting and then enjoyed a program. Speakers on missions and social issues both local and national dominated the programs.

In 1950, Central ordained its first women elders.  Central member Edna Thistle, the first woman to serve communion at Central, wisely commented: “The significance of this victory for women was not the gaining of power per se but, rather, an affirmation of the responsibility they had assumed through their faithful work, their study, their training, their giving and their worship.”  The first women elders were Lois Dean, Nellie Dodd Speers, and Rose Marzano. Two years later, Lila Speers, Lillian Applegate and Maude Dean were ordained.  

In the early 1950s, due to restrictive budgets and domestic needs, financial support for missionary work abroad had to be curtailed. Central's strong commitment to mission found a new outlet in giving: the nationally based Presbyterian Major Mission Fund. One third of the money went to special domestic and international programs, one third was targeted by donors for ‘use wherever the need was greatest’, and the balance was given without restrictions. Central was known to have exceeded its goal by $20,000 and to have given seven times the national per capita average.

From 1958 to 1965, Reverend Paul Conine served at Central. At the time, budgetary problems caused a series of cutbacks for the church.

In 1966, Reverend Doctor Roger Hubert was called to serve Central. Considered a breath of fresh air by many, he brought many major contemporary issues to the attention of the church membership. Questions about the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, civil rights, women's rights and civil liberties, however, caused much dissension among church members, resulting in a large number of members leaving the church. Reverend Hubert remained until 1975. Following a period of poor health, he resigned, went to law school and joined the staff at Seton Hall Law School.

From 1977 through 1987, Reverend Ernie Fogg served as Senior Pastor at Central. Before coming to Central, Reverend Fogg had balanced a career between leading mission efforts in Indonesia and running programs at Presbyterian headquarters at 475 Riverside Avenue in New York city. While at Central, Reverend Fogg mentored a dozen Princeton Theological Seminary students. He was involved with the Montclair Clergy Association, the Montclair Rotary, and Senior Care and Activity Center. Reverend Fogg was National President of the American Leprosy Association. At Central, Ernie excelled at both pastoral calling and organizing memorable worship services. During his time here, a successful Capital Campaign was held to update the kitchen and restore the steeple.

Early in his ministry, Central was one of the leading churches in New Jersey. Central supported the UPC's Major Mission Fund to create educational and medical mission programs here and overseas. His wife, C’lee Fogg, was very active in the church, and the couple were very popular with the congregation.

By the 1980s, Central women were leading Newark presbytery committees. Alice Price, Bessie Marsh, Carole Brand and Mary Lee Fitzgerald led these various committees. Alice Price served as Central's first woman Clerk of Session. From 1985 to 1986, she also served as moderator of the Newark Presbytery. The Sunday school, led by Connie Thurber, Marlene French, Terye McAnally and Liz Ploth, was brimming with creativity, energy and devotion.

From 1976 - 2009,  Central's Choir was led by the inimitable Gaylord French whose great talents and musical artistry filled the church with truly inspirational music. For 33 years, Gaylord directed the choir and played his classical repertoire. Through the years, Central has not only attracted superb singers, but has been the church home to many fine musicians.

A man immersed in music, Gaylord took advantage of the many talented musicians in the congregation and organized the Family Ensemble, a group who would play periodically at church services. He chose a repertoire that showed off the musical talents of many in solos performed with the choir on any given Sunday. Gaylord played for the Christmas Pageant and the beloved annual Talent Show. He also performed solo and played with guest musicians for many Sunday afternoon recitals at the church.

It's impossible to mention Gaylord without giving due attention to his wife Marlene, who also contributed greatly to the Women's Guild.

In 1988, Reverend Dr. N. Barry Dancy served as interim pastor to provide continuity while Central searched for a new pastor. During his year of service, a group of young people from our church went to England to share the news of Christ's peace. A photo exhibit at William Patterson College used Central's church building as an outstanding example of American Renaissance church architecture in New Jersey. In October, Central's sanctuary building was selected for registry as a national historic landmark.

From 1989 – 1996, Reverend Charles Henderson served as pastor. His wife, Reverend Katherine Henderson served as Parish Associate. During his tenure, the church established a Long-Range Committee to help develop a three-year plan to meet the needs of the physical structure of the church. Additionally, the Committee studied and ultimately recommended that Central institute a new system of church government combining the work of Session and the Board of Trustees into one governing body. In 1994, a successful Capital Campaign raised $20,000 more than its target goal of $350,000 for building improvements.

In August, 1997, the Reverend Dr. Richard Crocker began his five and a half year tenure as Pastor of Central. Dr. Crocker's wry, sophisticated sermons, peppered with comments on modern life and the travails of raising a family, were a big hit with the congregation. His wife Carolyn also had a great influence on the Sunday school and the women's group she organized and led.

In 1998, a three-year campaign raised $360,000. A second fund-raiser collected enough money to pay off the mortgage on the manse and for the first time in many years, Central was debt free.

In 2000, under the direction of Central's two seminarians, David Baker and Mark Hanna, Central launched a new Young Adult program and ministry. In 2002, seminarian Patricia Hill was hired as Director of Youth and Family Ministry.

Dr. Crocker shepherded the congregation through the dark days following the 9/11 terrorist attacks; but in 2002 he accepted a position as Dean of the Tucker Foundation and Chaplain of Dartmouth College. Two interim pastors served Central while the congregation searched for a permanent pastor. Reverend Ray Vande Giessen and Reverend Phyllis Zoon worked tirelessly to keep our congregation on course while we searched for a new pastor. Their efforts were greatly appreciated.

In 2004, Reverend Laurie McNeill became Central's first female Senior Pastor and Head of Staff. Seminarian Mark McDowell replaced Tricia Hill as Director of Youth and Family Ministry. During this time, the local Senior Care and Activities Center's new facility was finally completed and after 27 years, moved their space out of Central to their new building.

In 2014, Reverend David C. Noble became the church's senior pastor, and currently serves in this position.

Called Pastors:

1839 - 1843: Rev. Samuel Ware Fisher

1843 - 1844: Rev. Nathaniel Emmons Johnson

1845 - 1851: Rev. Aaron C. Adams

1852 - 1856: Rev. Job Foster Halsey

1858 - 1861: Rev. Josiah Addison Priest

1862 - 1867: Rev. Nelson Millard (took leave to serve in Civil War)

1870 - 1887: Rev. J. Romeyn Berry

1888 - 1900: Rev. William F. Junkin

1901 - 1913: Rev. Llewellyn Stover Fulmer

1914 - 1932: Rev. Edmund Melville Wylie (first pastor of the merged Central Presbyterian Church)

1932 - 1959: Rev. Morgan Phelps Noyes (served as Minister Emeritus through 1978)

1958 - 1965: Rev. Edward Paul Conine

1966 - 1975: Rev. Dr. Roger A. Huber

1977 - 1987: Rev. Ernest L. Fogg

1989 - 1996: Rev. Charles P. Henderson

1997 - 2002: Rev. Richard R. Crocker

2005 - 2010: Rev. Laurie A. McNeill

2014–Present: Rev. David C. Noble

Assistant and Associate Pastors:

1917 -1920: Rev. Ivar Hellstrom

1920 - 1925: Rev. William Woodford Rock

1926 -1929: Rev. Frank W. Herriott

1929 - 1932: Rev. Warwick Freeman Kelloway

1941 - 1952: Rev. Cecil W. Derevan

1952 - 1955: Rev. Robert H.R. Loughborough

1955 - 1958: Rev. Leighton Roe

1959 - 1962: Rev. James Stanley Weaver

1963 - 1964: Rev. W. George French

1967 - 1971: Rev. Charles R. Nixon

1976 - 1977: Rev. Deborah Kapp

1973 – 1977: Rev. Dr. Purd E. Deitz – Parish Associate

198?           : Rev. Robert W. Northup - Parish Associate

1986 - 1989: Rev. Sharon Yunker Deatz

1989 - 1996: Rev. Katharine Henderson – Parish Associate

199? - 199?: Rev. Robert Kwik – Parish Associate

Interim Pastors:

1856 - 1858: Rev. Silas Billings

1867 - 1870: Various Unnamed Ministers

1890           : Rev. Orville Reed  (The one pastor of Trinity Church 1888 - 1913 *)

1977 - 1978: Rev. William Scott Morton

1988 - 1989: Rev. North Barry Dancy

1996 - 1997: Rev. Robert L. George

2003           : Rev. Raymond Vande Giessen

2004           : Rev. Phyllis Zoon

2011           : Rev. Ronald W. Johnson

2011         : Samuel and Janice Adams

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, New Jersey