Peapack Reformed Church sits on the east side of Main Street in Gladstone, NJ, in the small Somerset Hills hamlet where the borough of Peapack and Gladstone meets the surrounding farmland of northern Somerset County. The church building is a white clapboard structure directly opposite the train station, set back behind the sidewalk along the same road that carries traffic through the borough toward Bedminster and beyond. For more than 175 years the congregation has gathered on this site to pray, to sing, to mark births and deaths, and to take care of its neighbors. Today the church is best known for its rooted Reformed worship, its ambitious music program, a weekly food pantry that feeds households in the area, and the way it opens its doors to recovery fellowships and other community groups.
A Daughter of Bedminster, a Sanctuary from 1874
Peapack Reformed Church was organized as a congregation on October 31, 1848, a daughter of the Bedminster Reformed Church. The present sanctuary dates to 1874, replacing the original sanctuary that was destroyed by fire. A major addition was built in 1915 and is now used as the Fellowship Hall. An education and office wing followed in 1985. A major restoration of the sanctuary was completed in 1998 as part of the church's 150th anniversary celebration.
The church is a member congregation of the Reformed Church in America, the oldest active Protestant denomination in the United States, originally known as the Dutch Reformed Church. The terms "Reformed" and "Protestant" trace back to 16th century Europe, when reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin pressed their case against the dominant Roman Catholic Church and new denominational lines were drawn alongside the political boundaries of European nations. Peapack Reformed belongs to the Class of Delaware-Raritan, the regional body of RCA churches in the western New Jersey and Bucks County, Pennsylvania area, and to the Synod of the Mid-Atlantics.
Governance follows a Presbyterian pattern rather than a hierarchy. The governing body, the Consistory, is made up of the pastor, who serves as president, and elders and deacons elected by the congregation. The three offices share authority and responsibilities equally. The pastor and elders lead an orientation class for prospective members twice a year, gathering after a regular Sunday worship service to walk through the Reformation, the history of the RCA, the history of Peapack Reformed, the congregation's theological identity, what membership entails, and the many ways to get involved.
Sunday Worship in the Reformed Tradition
Sunday worship is the heartbeat of the congregation. "Come to worship just as you are," the church writes, welcoming those who are full of faith and those who are full of questions alike. Each Sunday follows a distinctly Reformed rhythm: a call to worship, a hymn of praise, confession and lament, assurance of pardon, the reading of the Law and the passing of the peace, the reading and preaching of the Word, an affirmation of the historic Christian faith, the offering, a sending song, and a benediction that sends the congregation back into the world as Christ's witnesses of justice, mercy, love, and peace.
The service begins at 10:00 AM every Sunday in the sanctuary. Sunday School takes place at the same hour, and nursery care is available for the youngest children - volunteers meet families before the service and take little ones to the nursery. Children are dismissed for Sunday School after the Children's Message during worship.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, and children are invited to participate. The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated for infants, youth, and adults as the occasions arise. Pastor Mark meets with families beforehand to walk through the meaning of baptism, the promises being made, and what to expect during worship. The liturgical calendar adds further special services across the year.
For those unable to attend in person, a livestream of the Sunday service is offered every week on Facebook Live at 10:00 AM. A virtual bulletin is also available so that those at home can follow the order of worship.
Music, from Bach to Handbells
Music carries a good deal of the church's life. Under the direction of Director of Music Larry J. Carey, a graduate of McPherson College in Kansas with graduate studies at Ithaca College in New York, the choir of Peapack Reformed sings during the 10:00 AM worship service from September through May and at special services and concerts throughout the year. Rehearsal is Sunday mornings at 8:30. The choir's repertoire moves across the centuries, from 16th century polyphony to 21st century pieces, with gospel, spirituals, and contemporary settings from Sing! A New Creation and Sing the Faith in between. Instrumental soloists and handbells occasionally accompany anthems. One Sunday during Advent, guest musician Merynda Adams joins the service.
During June, July, and August the choir steps aside and soloists and small ensembles provide music for worship. Some of the musicians come from within the congregation; others are guest performers. Their appearances are underwritten by donations to the PRC Music Fund, an endowed stream of giving that sustains the program year after year.
The sanctuary also hosts larger musical events. A Concert of Dreams brought together an orchestra, a choir, and sixteen professional singers for an evening of pieces ranging from "Impossible Dream" and "When You Wish Upon a Star" to "Dream On" and "Sweet Dreams." A Candlelight Concert and a Winter Concert round out the year, drawing audiences from across the Somerset Hills into the white clapboard sanctuary.
The Peapack-Gladstone Food Pantry
The Peapack-Gladstone Food Pantry is the keystone of the church's community work. Run out of the Fellowship Hall, it is a hub where neighbors can pick up food, personal hygiene items, and other basic necessities free of charge. Distribution takes place every Sunday, alongside a church-sponsored coffee hour, and donations are available for families, couples, and singles. Patrons are welcome to park in the church parking lot.
The pantry is donation-supported and volunteer-run. Checks can be made payable to Peapack Reformed Church with "PG Food Pantry" in the memo line, and an Amazon wish list makes direct drop-offs easy to coordinate through Lillian Vaccaro at pgfoodpantry@gmail.com. A Youth Council invites students in grades 7 through 12 to help build awareness, organize drives, and raise funds for the program. The pantry lists the specific items most needed, from dried beans and canned tuna to baby wipes and bar soap, so that donors can stock the shelves with what the community actually uses.
Sunday School, Youth Group, and Profession of Faith
The formation of children and youth is taken seriously at Peapack Reformed. Sunday School meets during the 10:00 AM worship service from September through early June, with no sign-up needed; children are dismissed after the Children's Message and head to the basement classroom. The curriculum follows the Jesus Storybook Bible, with its through-line that the Bible is one unified story pointing to Christ. Classes run from preschool through fifth grade and are taught by a volunteer Children's Ministry Team.
Middle and high school students gather monthly for Youth Group, an evening built around food, fun, and friends, and designed as a place to step away from the pressures of school, sports, and social media. Older students who want to claim the faith as their own can take the Profession of Faith class, a 12 to 14 week journey through the Reformed tradition and its conversation with other religious traditions. Each student in the class is paired with a Consistory member who prays for and shepherds them through the course.
A Door Open to Recovery and Memory Care
The church building hosts several community groups that are not affiliated with the congregation but are welcomed into its life. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are held most Tuesdays and Fridays, and Al-Anon meets on Fridays. All are welcome, and the church asks only that visitors find the meeting times and locations through the regular channels. The church also hosts a Memory Cafe on the third Thursday of every month from 11:00 AM to noon, a program run by the Peapack Library for people living with memory loss and their loved ones or caregivers. The gathering offers a relaxed, supportive space for conversation, connection, and shared activities.
A helplines page on the church's online home points visitors toward further resources for those struggling with addiction, grief, or other needs.
Mission Beyond Gladstone
"Mission is not something we do; it's who we are," the church writes. "The church does not exist for its own benefit. The church exists for the benefit of our neighbors and for the flourishing of the world." The Consistory annually budgets support for organizations and institutions dedicated to relieving poverty, pain, and neglect; serving people in need; feeding the hungry; and spreading the good news of the Gospel. Current partners include the Samaritan Homeless Interim Program (SHIP), God's Co-Op Food Pantry, Words of Hope, Habitat for Humanity, and Community Hope, Inc.
The Peapack Church Foundation was founded as a separate support organization for the congregation, supplying funds above and beyond regular operations, activities, and missions. The Foundation manages a restricted endowment that covers the Edythe DeGaeta Memorial Garden for the direct interment of cremated remains, and an unrestricted endowment whose funds are distributed through grant applications from the Consistory for events and projects that promote church growth.
The Willard Arntz Memorial Scholarship, named for a young man who died in Vietnam in 1968 at the age of 22, provides financial aid to deserving high school graduates who have been accepted at a college, who are attending college at the undergraduate level, or who are enrolled at a technical or vocational school. The first scholarship, given in 1970, was for $300. Since then, 73 students have received a total of $111,875 in aid for post-secondary education. Applications are available from the church office and awards are made in the spring during a regular worship service.
PRC en Español
The church maintains a parallel Spanish-language presence online and in print, with pages for Adoración, Bautismos, Niños y jóvenes, Bodas, Despensa de Alimentos, and Música. The Spanish-language food pantry page mirrors the English one, listing the same categories of needed items in translation and inviting Spanish-speaking neighbors into the Sunday distribution. The Sunday bulletin, the food pantry, and the church's broader ministries are designed to be accessible to the bilingual community of the Somerset Hills.
Weddings, Funerals, and Life's Markers
The full-time ordained minister is available to perform weddings in the sanctuary. Couples who are practicing Christians can receive premarital counseling and help planning a worship service that centers their faith in Jesus Christ; couples who prefer another officiant can make that arrangement in conversation with the pastor. A rehearsal, generally held the evening before, walks the wedding party, family members, and officiant through the service.
Photography and videography are allowed on the sanctuary floor during the ceremony, with non-flash pictures and video permitted during the service itself. The church is fully carpeted, so aisle runners are not used, and rice or confetti at the door is not permitted. Couples obtain a New Jersey marriage license at least 72 hours before the wedding and the pastor files the completed license with the Registrar of Vital Statistics in Peapack-Gladstone within five days of the ceremony. Florists may not pin, nail, or tape flowers to the pew ends, but may tie them on or use holders; couples are invited to donate their wedding flowers for use during the following Sunday's worship if they wish.
Music for the wedding is arranged in consultation with the Director of Music, who can be reached through the church office, and should be sacred in nature. A Unity Candle may be included; the church supplies the tapers.
The same sanctuary hosts funeral services, where the music ministry, the building, and the pastoral staff are available to families in their grief. The Edythe DeGaeta Memorial Garden, supported by the Foundation, provides a place for the direct interment of cremated remains on the church grounds.
Pastor Mark and the Team
Pastor Mark Poyner serves as the congregation's pastor. Before entering ministry he spent 22 years in business management, building skills in leadership, organization, and communication that continue to shape his work. Responding to God's call in 2015, he earned his Master of Divinity from New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 2020 and was ordained in the Reformed Church in America. His preaching is rooted in Scripture, grounded in grace, and connected to everyday life. He and his wife, Beverly, have three children and five grandchildren.
Larry J. Carey directs the music program, drawing on decades of experience serving congregations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Kansas. He is the father of three sons, Stephen, Marcus, and Michael. Alyssa Veltre supports the church's outreach and communications, helping share the life of the congregation with members and visitors.
Elders Kristina Lasher and Karin Peterson and Deacons Cathy Raniero and Steve Vaccaro round out the leadership team named on the church's site. The Consistory meets regularly for prayerful conversation, planning, and care for the life and ministry of the congregation.
Finding the Church
Peapack Reformed Church is located at 224 Main Street in Gladstone, NJ, approximately six miles north of the intersection of I-287 and I-78. Detailed driving directions are posted from Northern New Jersey and Upstate New York, from Southern New Jersey and Staten Island, from New York City via I-78, and from Pennsylvania via I-78. The church is also a short walk from the Gladstone train station, making it accessible for those arriving by rail.
The church office can be reached at 908.234.2733 or office@peapackreformed.org. Pastor Mark can be reached directly at pastor@peapackreformed.org. Donations can be made online through the church's giving portal, and the Sunday service is livestreamed on Facebook Live at 10:00 AM for those joining from home.