Old Church, New Edge
The Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville sits along Route 206 in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, in a white brick meetinghouse that has been in continuous use since the eighteenth century. The congregation's own phrase for itself, "Old Church. New Edge.," captures its sense of itself: a place whose roots go back to 1698, when settlers from Long Island and Connecticut came down the old Indian trails and settled what was then called Maidenhead. The pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey A. Vamos, speaks for the community when he says that "faith is a pilgrimage - a quest, a holy journey - which leads us to the discovery that God has all along been searching for us." Since 1698, people and families of every kind have found their way here.
Today the church belongs to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and balances an inherited identity with an active program of mission, music, anti-racism work, and community partnerships that reach well beyond its walls.
A Fellowship of Three Centuries
The history of the congregation reaches back across more than three hundred years. The first settlers who came down from Long Island and Connecticut in the 1690s were granted land near the corner of Route 206 and Carter Road for a cemetery, schoolhouse, and church, though that land was never used for these purposes, probably because the grantors expected an Anglican establishment. A meetinghouse was built on the site of the present building early in the 1700s. By 1709 it had already hosted a meeting of the Presbytery of Philadelphia and a session of the Hunterdon County Court.
The present meetinghouse went up in 1764, originally measuring forty-five feet wide and thirty-two feet deep, about half its current depth. The roof ran parallel to the road and the congregation sat on three sides of a central pulpit and communion table. In 1853 the building was given its present seventy-five-foot depth, the balcony was enlarged, and the pulpit was carved to match the front arch.
The life of the church has run through the larger history of the region. Elias Phillips, a major in General Washington's army and later high sheriff of the county, is credited with attacking a Hessian supply train passing through Maidenhead during the Revolution, taking prisoners for Washington and distributing the supplies to the villagers. John Hart, signer of the Declaration of Independence, was baptized here on December 31, 1713; local tradition holds that Molly Pitcher, heroine of the Battle of Monmouth, was also baptized here as Mary Ludwig. In 1810 the church's seventh minister, Isaac V. Brown, opened the Maidenhead Academy to prepare young men for college; that school is now The Lawrenceville School. Nearly a hundred years after the Revolution, Robert Hamill Nassau and his sister Isabella left Lawrenceville for the River Ogawe in Gabon, where they served from 1861 to 1906; their work attracted Albert Schweitzer to Lambarene.
Sunday Morning in the Meetinghouse
Worship in the Meetinghouse is the congregation's center of gravity. The traditional service gathers at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday morning and is the main expression of the church's life together. The order is classic Presbyterian, with a focus on Scripture, on the preaching of the Word, and on the sacraments, with music given unusual weight. The choir sings "a wide variety of music from Bach to Spirituals, from Gregorian Chant to Jazz," and the congregation joins in hymns drawn from many sources, sung with enthusiasm rather than formality.
The atmosphere is described as "traditional, but not staid or overly formal." Worshippers include people dressed traditionally and many others in business casual or informal clothes. Preschool children may be taken to the preschool classroom before worship, with ushers ready to show the way. Children from kindergarten through fifth grade begin in worship and are, after a children's message at the front of the meetinghouse, dismissed to Sunday school. About once every five weeks the children lead their own worship in Children's Chapel.
Childcare is available every Sunday morning. The nursery, for infants through age two, is staffed by permanent caregivers and located off the Fellowship Center in Room 103. Wireless silent pagers are available for parents who want to be reached during worship. Doors to the nursery remain locked at all times. Child care is also offered for adult-education classes and other meetings before and after worship, for children from birth through fifth grade.
The service is livestreamed each week on Facebook Live, and the order of worship is generally posted online by Saturday afternoon. A virtual prayer team gathers on Zoom immediately after the service for those watching from home. Holy Communion is celebrated seven times a year at the traditional service, and on those Sundays, deacons and elders bring communion to members who cannot attend.
An Hour of Silence: Taize on First Sundays
For those drawn to a quieter, more contemplative worship, the church offers an Alternative Service patterned after the meditative worship of the Taize Community in France. It meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month (with summer adjustments) in the lounge, and it is a smaller and more intimate gathering.
The form of the service is built around sung prayer and silence. "The words are often few and generally simple," the church explains, "so that, through repetition, the music can be a means of both praying and listening to God." Scripture readings are followed by long periods of silence. Visitors looking for a place to breathe deeply and reconnect with God are welcomed. The Associate Pastor, Rev. Kyle Anderson, is the contact for the Taize service.
Beyond the two regular services, the congregation has from time to time offered an intergenerational service in the Fellowship Center under the name Worship in a New Key, with new music and a more informal tone, and it continues to host occasional concerts and special music events, including the twice-yearly Music Sunday.
Called. Fed. Sent.
The mission of the church is summed up in three words: Called. Fed. Sent. The fuller statement reads: "The Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville is a welcoming community, called by God to be followers of Jesus Christ, fed by the Word of God, and sent by the Spirit into the world to live lives of stewardship and service."
The congregation identifies itself as part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), rooted in the Reformed tradition. It points to a saying that "the church once reformed, always being reformed according to the word of God." The church teaches that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inspired by the Holy Spirit and represent the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ, and that the Bible is "too seriously to take it only at its literal meaning."
Members describe themselves as "people of diverse perspective and make-up - Republican and Democrat, of varying lifestyles and backgrounds. All are welcome, regardless of race, political affiliation, sexual orientation, age or gender. We find our unity not in uniformity, but in Christ." The same spirit is expressed in a more formal way in the church's Anti-Racism Confession and Commitment, adopted by the Session. The document confesses that "racism in any form - individual, institutional, structural, systemic, cultural, or internalized - is sin and incompatible with the gospel of Jesus Christ," and commits the congregation to radical hospitality, regular confession of sin in liturgy and preaching, ongoing education, institutional reform, and public witness. The statement closes: "Until then, we walk together in hope, confessing our failures, laboring in faith, celebrating our progress, and trusting in the God who makes all things new."
Children and Youth: From LOGOS to Confirmation
Children's ministries are organized to support parents and families as they live out baptismal promises to raise children in faith. The preschool Sunday school opens at 9:45 a.m. for ages three through pre-K, with music, Bible story, play, arts and crafts, and a snack. Kindergarteners through fifth graders begin in worship and are dismissed to Sunday school, which uses the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s "We Believe" rotation model, with classrooms built around art, drama, audio-visual, and computer exploration. Children lead worship themselves at Children's Chapel several times a year.
For children from preschool through fifth grade, a Wednesday-evening program called LOGOS meets on Zoom from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. over twenty-four weeks from September through March. Each week has a theme that flows into Bible study, choir, family-time dinner, arts and crafts, and play. Mission projects run year-round through LOGOS: making lunches for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, collecting mittens and warm clothing for Homefront, sending cards to people in the military, nursing homes, and members at home, the Souper Bowl of Caring, the Haiti Sponsor-a-Student campaign, and a Thanksgiving food drive for Arm-In-Arm Ministries. Children's choir rehearses for half an hour after worship every Sunday in the Chapel.
Confirmation is offered for high school students and is centered on a covenant relationship with adult mentors. The program meets monthly from September through May and includes a service project and a visit to a different faith tradition's worship. Youth group gathers on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the youth room; it covers both junior and senior high, with games, worship, Bible study, conversation, retreats, a lock-in, service opportunities, and mission trips. A Young Adult Fellowship gathers adults in their twenties and thirties for hiking, pizza, retreats, and conversation about faith in a rapidly changing culture.
Alicia Morrison, who grew up at the church and is a Licensed Social Worker in New Jersey, serves as Director of Children and Youth Ministries. The minister with primary responsibility for youth and young adults is Rev. Kyle Anderson.
Music That Says It Twice
Music carries unusual weight at PCOL. As St. Augustine is quoted inside the music description, "To sing is to pray twice." The Adult Choir sings every Sunday morning during the 10:00 a.m. service from September through May, with rehearsals on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 9:45 a.m. Music runs from Bach and spirituals to Gregorian chant and jazz, prepared with organ, piano, and a cappella.
The Lawrenceville Community Chorus, based at the church, is open to members of PCOL and people from the wider community. It performs two major events a year, a December holiday event and a May concert, and frequently performs with orchestra. Recent programs have included Schubert's Mass in G Major, Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna, Whitbourn's Song of God Mass, Gjeilo's Sunrise Mass, Bach cantatas, Sullivan's Festive Te Deum, and the Requiems of Faure and Rutter. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m., October through December and February through May.
A lighter June Choir prepares music for the month of June, rehearsing only on Sunday morning before worship; the ensemble is open to anyone who wants to try choir without a long commitment. In July and August, interested members of all ages and skill levels are invited to offer vocal or instrumental music in worship. James Moyer directs all the choral ensembles; he holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and the University of Oklahoma and is co-author of "A Conductor's Guide to Choral-Orchestral Repertoire." Josh Suslak serves as organist; he teaches music at Pennsbury High School West and holds degrees in music education and brain and cognitive sciences.
Twice a year, Music Sunday brings the choirs to the center of the service; past performances have included Brahms's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, and Beethoven's Magnificat. Special concerts over the years have ranged from a children's concert by Peter Yarrow to a production of Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde and a performance of Godspell.
Pastor Luc and a Thirty-Year Tie to Haiti
In 1991 the church's then-pastor, the Rev. Dana Fearon, met a young Haitian pastor named Luc Deratus. The chance meeting, on a crowded street in Haiti, began a relationship that has now lasted more than thirty years. Luc went on to found Harmony Ministries, which runs churches and schools in Port-au-Prince, Leogane, LaSalle, and Thoman, and he serves as PCOL's Mission Associate.
The partnership over the years has included medical trips, church painting, food pantries, sponsorship of students, and many visits both ways. A political crisis forced Luc to leave Haiti for a time, but his ministry continued; after the January 2010 earthquake, the partnership not only survived but deepened. Each February is designated Haiti Mission Month, when the congregation celebrates the relationship, learns more about the work, and raises money. Most years Luc has been able to spend a weekend in Lawrenceville, and he preaches once or twice a month via WhatsApp to the four Haitian churches he oversees.
Haiti giving flows through several channels at the church: an online Haiti General Support Fund, the Sponsor-a-Student campaign run through the children's ministries, and the work of the Haiti Task Force, which is chaired by Ann Wiley. Other members of the Task Force include Jeff Vamos, Jim Kroll, Brandt McCabe, Craig Pasko, Dennis Sheppard, Christina Shu, Sue Steen, and Lisa Tucci.
A Matthew 25 Church
The Session has formally committed PCOL to being a Presbyterian Church (USA) Matthew 25 church, a designation that calls congregations to act on Matthew 25:31-46: "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these … you did it to me." Several ministries at the church fit this calling.
The Community Well is a non-sectarian community wellness center housed in the church. It is described as offering services that "promote wellness of body, mind and spirit, and a sense of purpose," and it includes the New Directions Counseling Center. In Solidarity Counseling Practice, which operates from the same building and is led by the Rev. Marcia MacKillop, supports individuals from all backgrounds and is especially committed to working with youth and young adults. The church is raising capital to expand its facilities for the Community Well.
WorkWell is a separate 501(c)(3) job-training program for persons returning from incarceration. Started in 2018 as Cookwell, a culinary program, it now trains for a broader set of work and life skills. Many members of the church remain active volunteers and board members.
Through Interfaith Rise, the church has supported a refugee family of four with employment, housing, medical and dental care, school enrollment, and transportation. Love Thy Neighbor, formed after racial-justice events in the wider community, was joined in time with the Peace & Justice Committee, which educates the congregation and acts publicly on issues of race, equity, and peace.
The church's long relationship with Eggerts Crossing Village and Every Child Valued, ongoing since the 1960s, continues to draw volunteer and financial support, including book drives and other children's mission efforts. Temple Micah, a Jewish congregation founded more than fifty years ago, has held a long mutual fellowship with PCOL, hosting its programs in the church's facilities.
The Peace and Justice Committee
The Peace and Justice Committee, together with its Love Thy Neighbor wing, is the main vehicle for the church's outward-facing witness. Its commitments are to call attention to injustice and oppression locally and globally, to identify the systemic components of racism, to listen to those who experience racism and amplify their voices, and to create ongoing opportunities for education, dialogue, and reflection.
The committee also encourages active advocacy, working to "promote involvement in programs that seek to eliminate injustice" and to "act to eliminate barriers to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all." Members include Jan Everett, Elizabeth Ferguson, Sarah Finbow, Rickey Gray, the Rev. Janet Macgregor-Williams, Bruce Stevens, Rev. Jeff Vamos, and Gooitzen van der Wal, who serves as chair and Session liaison.
The Session first formed the PeaceMaking committee in 1984. It was joined by Love Thy Neighbor in 2021 and folded into the present Peace & Justice Committee.
Adult Learning, Fellowship, and Caring
Adult Education gathers in the Atrium about fifteen minutes after worship concludes on Sundays, and several ongoing fellowship groups meet through the week.
The Men's Breakfast meets on the first Monday of each month at 7:30 a.m. at Route 1 Diner in Lawrenceville. The Ladies Lunch gathers on the second Monday at 12 noon at Chamber's Walk. Create and Relate, a handwork and fellowship group for women, meets Monday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 in the church lounge, raising money each year at the Fall Fest and Christmas Mission Boutique. Small-group Bible studies meet at various times through the year.
The Caring Ministries include a board of twenty-four deacons who greet, send cards of encouragement, deliver flowers, visit members at home, and bring communion. On Sundays when communion is celebrated in worship, deacons and elders take it to members who cannot attend. The congregation also leads a long-standing monthly worship service at Clover Meadows Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, at 112 Franklin Corner Road in Lawrenceville, gathering at 2:00 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of the month to escort residents, with worship starting at 2:30.
Prayer requests are taken in writing during worship and lifted up by a prayer team of deacons after the service, or sent in by email or phone. There is also a monthly Spirituality and Mental Wellness Group, free and open to all, that meets on the first Saturday of each month in Room 105.
Weddings, Funerals, and the Memorial Garden
Weddings, baptisms, and funerals are held at the church for both members and the wider community. Weddings at the meetinghouse are conducted by the clergy and require an initial conversation with the officiating minister, who guides the couple through pre-marital counseling and the planning of the service. Members do not pay a fee to the church for the use of the building; the organist fee is $300 for a ceremony and $400 with a rehearsal, and an honorarium (typically $300) is paid directly to the officiant. Non-members pay a custodial fee of $125 and $600 for the use of the meetinghouse. Use of the Fellowship Center or kitchen adds $100 to $200 more.
For funerals and memorials, the church offers a printed planning booklet called Last Acts of Love and a pre-planning worksheet. As with weddings, member funerals are without charge to the family, with the same honoraria to minister and organist. Non-members follow the same fee schedule.
The Memorial Garden on the church grounds is a place for members of the community of faith to be remembered. A memorial monument in the form of an obelisk holds engraved names for $550, with engraving at $400. The garden is open to sit, reflect, meditate, pray, and hold memorial services.
Baptism is taken seriously as the "primary milestone that bestows our Christian identity." Infant baptism requires at least one parent to be an active member of the church; exceptions are sometimes made for active members of other congregations. Pre-baptismal classes are required for parents presenting a child for baptism, and the Session approves each baptism. There are no godparents in the Presbyterian tradition; the whole congregation takes on that role. A certificate is given and the baptism is recorded in the church books. Adult baptism is taught through membership classes or the ninth-grade confirmation program.
How the Church Stays Going
The church describes giving as an act of joy rather than obligation. Members are invited each year to make a pledge as a "statement of faith," and most giving happens through the church's online Realm system, with options for weekly, monthly, or annual gifts by credit card or direct bank transfer. The church strongly prefers bank transfers, because credit card processing costs about 3.5 percent, and asks those using a card to add that margin.
The church also welcomes gifts of stock, IRA qualified charitable distributions, donor-advised funds, life insurance, retirement plan beneficiary designations, and charitable remainder trusts arranged through the Presbyterian Foundation.
Once a year the church designates a Birthday Endowment Fund, where members and friends give a dollar for each year being celebrated; a Flower Fund, to honor or memorialize loved ones; the Haiti Ministry fund; and the regular PC(USA) Special Offerings.
The Maidenhead Legacy Society, named for the village's earlier name, recognizes those who have committed to including the church in their estate planning. Current membership includes forty-seven individuals and couples who have made planned gifts.
Capital giving flows through the "Our Hope for Years to Come" campaign, focused on the building renovation that will expand the space for the Community Well and other programs. Contributions can be set up as one-time gifts or recurring pledges.
What to Know Before You Visit
The address is 2688 Main Street (Route 206), Lawrence Township, NJ 08648. The church is next to The Lawrenceville School, one mile north of I-95 Exit 7. The meetinghouse is the white brick building on the right coming north from Princeton. The parking-lot entrance is at the intersection of Gordon Avenue and Route 206; the lot is at the north end of the building. When that lot is full, additional parking is available along Route 206 and in lots across Gordon Avenue from the church.
The building is fully accessible. A lift to the left of the meetinghouse entrance can be reached from doors directly adjacent to the parking lot. An elevator provides access to the second-floor offices and the chapel. A wheelchair is available to borrow in the coat area outside the fellowship center. During August and on especially hot summer Sundays, the traditional service moves to the air-conditioned Fearon Atrium.
Worship in the traditional service is broadcast live each Sunday on Facebook Live through the church's livestream page. The order of worship is posted online by Saturday afternoon, and a virtual prayer team gathers on Zoom immediately after the service. The church office is at office@pclawrenceville.org, and the main phone line is (609) 896-1212. Giving, pledges, and one-time gifts can be made at the church's online giving page.