The Old Stone Church in the Valley
For more than two centuries, Preakness Reformed Church has gathered for worship on Church Lane in Wayne, New Jersey. The congregation traces its origins to 1798, when the original church was erected on a spot chosen to be accessible to the old Dutch inhabitants of the valley. Constructed of fieldstone and mortar, clay and straw, the building had no vestibule or alcove, but it did have an immense semi-circular glass window above its large double doors that opened directly into the worshiping area. The land was owned by Edo Merselis, who deeded it to the congregation for twenty shillings on June 7, 1799; many of Wayne's earliest residents now rest in the cemetery he had set aside.
Today the church is the oldest continuing congregation in Wayne Township, and its current sanctuary - built after a devastating fire in 1930 - still holds the cornerstone from the 1798 building in its east wall. Members describe a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and rooted in the Reformed tradition, with a wide reach into Wayne and the broader world through mission partnerships and a hands-on youth service week every summer.
Sundays at Ten
Worship is the center of life at Preakness Reformed Church. The congregation gathers every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary, with services planned and organized around a specific theme so that the music, prayers, readings, and message all reflect the same idea. The worship is centered on the Word of God, in keeping with the Reformed tradition that has shaped the congregation since its founding. Most services are led with liturgy and the Chancel Choir, but once a month the Berdan Hall Band leads a contemporary service in Berdan Hall or, during the warmer months, in The Grove, the church's outdoor worship area at the edge of the property.
For those who cannot attend in person, services are livestreamed through BoxCast.
What to Know Before You Visit
Visitors are warmly welcomed at every service. Parking is available in the main lot on the side of the church or on the smaller lot closer to the sanctuary doors. Worshippers may enter the sanctuary from the main parking lot entrance or through the main sanctuary doors. The church has two ramped entrances to the sanctuary - one by the small parking lot between the church and the cemetery, another by the entrance in the large main parking lot - and an accessible bathroom is available.
The Sanctuary That Survived a Fire
The history of Preakness Reformed Church is written into the walls of its sanctuary. By 1801, eighty-five families had organized into the Congregation of Prakeness, which was incorporated in 1811 as the Dutch Reformed Protestant Congregation of Preakness. In 1852, the original fieldstone structure was torn down and replaced with a larger building of red brick to accommodate the growing congregation. That brick church stood for nearly eighty years until a devastating fire in 1930 led to its replacement.
The current sanctuary was erected in 1931 and reuses the cornerstone from the original 1798 building, embedding two centuries of the congregation's story in its east wall. The church was reincorporated under its present name in 1961, and the work of the people of Preakness has gone on without interruption across more than two dozen pastors.
The list of ministers stretches back to 1842, when the Reverend John Woods became the first to minister exclusively at Preakness. He was followed in 1843 by the Reverend John A. Staats, during whose tenure the original parsonage - the Preakness Manse - was built on a two-acre lot donated by parishioners Peter Voorhees and Garret Berdan and his wife. The longest-serving pastor in the church's history was the Reverend George Warne Labaw, who ministered at Preakness for thirty-seven years beginning in 1889 and saw the church equipped with electric lighting, indoor plumbing, a telephone line, and an automobile allowance for the pastor in place of hay for his horse.
In more recent decades, the congregation called its first female pastors. The Reverend Mary L. Marcus served from 1989 to 2021, leading the Christian Education program, Youth Ministries, and Pastoral Care for more than thirty-two years. Upon her retirement, the Consistory and the Classis of Passaic Valley bestowed on her the title of Minister Emeritus.
Pastors and Staff
Eric Nichols has served as Senior Pastor since May 2011. Originally from Michigan and a resident of North Jersey since 2003, he leads the congregation in worship and preaching, leads the Consistory (the church's governing board), offers pastoral care, and oversees the staff. He and his wife, Kylee, have four children and a son-in-law.
Kim Pavlovich has served as Associate Pastor since March 2022. She assists the ministry in many ways, including leading worship, preaching, teaching, and organizing the children's and youth ministries, and she also serves as President of the Classis of Passaic Valley and on the denomination's Commission for Christian Unity. She and her husband, Davor, have two sons and three daughters and have lived in New Jersey since 2016.
Mary Marcus holds the title of Reverend Emeritus following her thirty-two years of ministry at Preakness.
Dan King serves as Director of Music Ministries and is the resident virtuoso and accompanist. He oversees the chancel, band, and handbell ensembles and welcomes new participants in any of the music groups.
Music for Every Voice
The Music Ministry at Preakness Reformed Church is committed to enhancing worship and uplifting the congregation through praise and song, embracing a wide range of musical styles. The Chancel Choir is the primary worship ensemble and leads congregational hymns and shares worship anthems most Sunday mornings from September through June, supported by four professional section leaders - soprano, alto, tenor, and bass - who help prepare and present sacred choral works of a high caliber. The choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and welcomes singers of all ability levels.
The Berdan Hall Band is the church's contemporary worship band. Made up of long-time members, the group leads a contemporary service roughly once a month in Berdan Hall - the church's contemporary worship space - or, in the summer, in The Grove. Rehearsals are typically held on Wednesday evenings for two to four weeks before a contemporary service. The band uses guitar, bass, drums, keys, vocals, and other instruments, including violin and percussion, and is always looking for new members; chord charts are used, so reading music is not required.
The Handbell Choir prepares sacred handbell literature and rehearses on Sunday mornings after the service in the weeks leading up to playing in worship. The ensemble uses a Malmark three-octave set, with most members playing two bells each. The group is open to all members who can read music at a basic level or who want to learn.
Children and Youth
Sunday School is offered during worship each Sunday from September through June for children age four through fifth grade. Classes nurture spiritual growth through storytelling, arts and crafts, and discussion, and the children are invited to take part in special charitable efforts.
For young people in grades six through twelve, the Youth Group meets twice a month from September through June. The program provides a supportive environment for teens to explore and deepen their spiritual beliefs as they grow in their relationship to God and to apply the teachings of Jesus in their daily lives, with emphasis on character, compassion, empathy, and kindness. Youth members are invited to become active members of the church through involvement in worship-related events and through outreach and fundraising opportunities.
Every summer the youth take part in a one-week mission trip to the Risingville Intercommunity Service Effort (R.I.S.E.) in upstate New York. R.I.S.E. brings participants together to repair homes for those whose living conditions are unsatisfactory and who cannot help themselves due to physical or economic inability. The program has three goals: to be in mission to those served, to act out faith, and to learn how to love neighbors.
Grow in Faith
Two Bible study groups are open to anyone who wants to dig deeper into Scripture. Sunday Scripture meets at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday mornings in Nan's Room, just before worship, exploring the teachings of the Bible as they connect to the day's service theme. Brown Bags & Bibles gathers on Thursday afternoons at noon in the Parlor, where participants bring a lunch and join in pastor-led discussions about Bible readings and their meaning for daily life.
Seekers are also pointed to a number of free online resources, including a Bible search and study site, a daily devotional resource, and email reflections from Richard Rohr and the Center for Action and Contemplation, all rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition.
The Cemetery Behind the Sanctuary
Directly behind the sanctuary stands the Cemetery of the Preakness Reformed Church, which dates back to the late 1700s and was used as a public burial ground before the church itself was built. The oldest tombstone, dated October 12, 1799, belongs to Edo Merselis, who had deeded the church land to the congregation just before his death. The original cemetery was expanded to the south in the mid-1800s and remains the only active cemetery in the Township of Wayne.
Across the street lies the Hinchman Burial Ground, given to the church in 1945 in exchange for perpetual care. A columbarium was added to the church grounds in 1996, with a scattering garden following in 1997.
A Wider Table: Outreach in Wayne and Beyond
Preakness Reformed Church has a long legacy of service through outreach to the broader community. The congregation partners with a wide network of local ministries and mission agencies with a goal of demonstrating compassion, addressing social issues, and fostering positive relationships - regardless of religious affiliation. Outreach partners include the Wayne Interfaith Network food pantry, Bessie Green Community, Oasis Haven for Women and Children, Strengthen Our Sisters, Bread of Life Mission, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross disaster relief efforts, Chilton Hospital Pastoral Care, Dawn Treader Christian School, South Branch Reformed Church, Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, and Passaic County CASA, among others.
The church also serves as an emergency shelter location for community members in need. Recovery support groups meet at the church through partnerships with Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Alateen, and Adult Children of Alcoholics.
Beyond Wayne, the church supports global outreach through the Reformed Church in America, including missionaries Justin Meyers and JJ TenClay, the Al Amana Centre in Oman (one of the few Christian-led organizations in the Muslim-majority world working toward sustainable peace through dialogue), RCA Refugee Ministries, and RCA Global Mission. The congregation also supports Western Theological Seminary and New Brunswick Theological Seminary.
Beliefs and Governance
Preakness Reformed Church confesses that Jesus Christ is Prophet, Priest, and King, and that he lived, died, and rose from the dead and has become the head and cornerstone of the church. The Bible - the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures - is understood to be the Word of God for life, ministry, and mission. Decisions in life and faith are made in assemblies led by the Holy Spirit following Christ.
The congregation is led by Ministers of Word and Sacrament, Deacons, and Elders, who together form the Consistory, the church's governing body. Although the congregation enjoys a measure of autonomy, it also belongs to the Classis of Passaic Valley (a group of Reformed churches in northern New Jersey) and to the Reformed Church in America.
The congregation's mission statement calls it to be a worshiping community that grows in deeper relationships with God and one another, equips people to live as disciples of Jesus, serves its community, the world, and one another, and reflects the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.
Giving
Members and visitors are welcome to give in person during Sunday worship services, with envelopes for weekly and special occasion gifts available upon request. Online giving is available through PayPal for one-time or recurring donations. Legacy and planned estate giving, including gifts through wills and bequests, real estate, gift annuities, gifts of securities, IRAs, or life insurance, is also welcomed.