A Shore Congregation on West Lake Avenue
St. Paul's United Methodist Church has stood at 423 West Lake Avenue in Bay Head, New Jersey since 1904, gathering a small shore community around the simple calling it spells out in three phrases: "Love God, Love Others, Serve Our Neighbors." The church belongs to the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and shows its connectional roots through disaster relief, ecumenical worship with neighboring congregations, and shared holiday services with nearby Central United Methodist Church.
Sunday Mornings in the Sanctuary
Worship at St. Paul's centers on a 10:00 AM Sunday gathering in the sanctuary, led by the church's praise team in a family worship style. The service is shaped by singing, prayer, scripture reading, and a message from the pastor or a qualified lay speaker. The praise team, named True North, brings contemporary energy to the morning, while the church's own description of itself as "Christ-centered and missions oriented where imperfect people gather" keeps the focus on discipleship rather than polish.
Children are welcomed into the sanctuary rather than sent off to a separate room. A "Pray-ground" set up in the worship space is filled with coloring pages and activities for the youngest worshipers. A welcome team greets visitors at the double doors, answers questions, and helps newcomers find a seat. After the service, the congregation is invited to linger over coffee and a snack, a chance to meet newcomers, learn what God is doing in and through the church, and trade a handshake for a hug.
A Summer Service on Karge Street Beach
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, St. Paul's trades its sanctuary pews for sand. The congregation moves worship to Karge Street Beach in Bay Head, gathering at 8:00 AM on Sunday mornings. Worshipers enter at the Karge Street entrance, bring their own blankets or chairs, and are helped with their beach chairs by greeters stationed at the entrance. If the weather turns rainy or unusually hot, the service shifts indoors to the sanctuary, with the call made by 7:30 AM and announced on the church's Facebook page. When the season turns in September, the church holds a "Back to Church" Sunday to mark the return to the sanctuary.
What United Methodists in Bay Head Believe
The church's mission statement, "Love God, Love Others, and Serve Our Neighbors," sits at the heart of who the congregation is. The wider United Methodist mission is to "Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." St. Paul's teaches that United Methodist preaching and teaching are grounded in Scripture, informed by Christian tradition, enlivened in personal experience, and tested by reason.
The congregation confesses faith in a triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as three distinct but inseparable persons. God the Father is creator, sovereign, and preserver of all things visible and invisible. The Son is best known in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, the source and measure of all valid Christian teaching, through whom believers are forgiven and reconciled to God. The Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is a constant presence who comforts, sustains, and empowers God's people in time of need.
Going Deeper on Tuesday Mornings and Evenings
Bible study is a central part of ministry at St. Paul's, not a side offering. Pastor David leads "Sermon Notes: A Bible Study About Going Deeper" in two weekly sessions, Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM and Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM. The group takes a closer look at the Scripture from the previous Sunday's worship, explores its meaning and historical context, and reflects together on what was heard.
Across the year the church gathers around other Bible study series as well, including seasonal Lenten studies and small-group studies held in members' homes. The current small groups page notes that no small groups are running, with new offerings expected in the fall.
Men's Breakfast and Women's Fellowship
Two lay-led groups give shape to the fellowship life of the church. The Men's Breaking Bread Fellowship meets on Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM for a light breakfast, devotion, and prayer, gathering around the kind of table fellowship that has marked Christian community for centuries. The Women's Fellowship, co-led by Judy Minetree and Pastor David, meets for prayer, coffee, and conversation, a space where women share ideas and shape the direction of the ministry together.
Music, the Praise Team, and the Organ
Music at St. Paul's is a shared ministry. Sunday morning worship features the praise team True North, supported by organist and pianist Patricia Gemo. Praise team leader Tom Lewis coordinates the music ministry, and the church invites anyone with a gift to play an instrument or sing to reach out and join the team.
Disaster Relief Through UMCOR
St. Paul's takes seriously the United Methodist commitment to disaster response, both in giving and in hands-on work. The church supports UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, a 501(c)(3) that spends 100% of designated donations on the projects donors specify. UMCOR pairs immediate relief with long-term support in partnership with the communities it serves.
For those who want to help without traveling to a disaster zone, St. Paul's organizes "Disaster Kit Assembly Parties" - gatherings of small groups, clubs, families, or church members who put together hygiene kits and flood buckets following UMCOR's specifications. The church also remembers its own storm history, marking the anniversary of Super Storm Sandy with a video tribute to the relief effort that St. Paul's hosted in the storm's wake.
A Connectional Church on the Shore
Although St. Paul's is a single congregation, it is woven into a wider fabric of shore-area ministry. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday services are held jointly with Central United Methodist Church. Easter morning brings an ecumenical sunrise service on the Bay Head beach at 6:30 AM, where shore-area churches come together to praise the risen Christ, followed by worship at St. Paul's later in the morning. The church also participates in a community-wide candlelight Thanksgiving service hosted by Bay Head Chapel.
In the summer, the congregation shows up together at a Blue Claws Faith and Family Night at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood and at National Night Out in Centennial Park. For members facing hardship, the church keeps a curated list of local resources, including St. Gregory's Pantry, Fulfill NJ (the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties), Panthers Let's Eat, and links to AA, NA, Al-Anon, senior housing networks, and crisis hotlines for abuse, suicide, and disaster distress.
Pastoral Leadership at St. Paul's
St. Paul's is currently served by Pastor David Geller, a lifelong United Methodist and Provisional Elder in the United Methodist Church. He holds a Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, as well as Master's and Bachelor's degrees in social work from Stockton University, with a concentration in clinical social work. His ministry is shaped by a passion for building relationships inside the church and out, rooted in the conviction that God is a relational God who drew close to humanity in Jesus Christ. In his free time, Pastor David enjoys spending time with his family and friends, watching Philadelphia sports teams (especially the Eagles and the Phillies), traveling, and a good cup of coffee.
Lay leadership is provided by Bruce Hillner, a Lay Leader and Lay Servant since 2001 who has held leadership positions within the ecumenical Walk to Emmaus ministry. A resident of nearby Brick Township, he is partially retired from a career in computer engineering, a widower with two children, their spouses, and three grandchildren. His hobbies include ballroom dancing and reading on the beach. Bridget Porter, a lifelong United Methodist from Point Pleasant and a Drew University graduate in English, serves as the church's administrative assistant, greeting visitors who call the office or stop by during business hours. The church's ministries are coordinated by a council chaired by Jane Marion, with Rob Marion chairing Trustees, Michele Scraggs chairing Staff-Parish Relations, Nancy Rhinesmith chairing Finance, and Meg Porter chairing Missions.
Coming for a Visit
First-time visitors should know that worship is held at 10:00 AM on Sunday mornings in the sanctuary at 423 West Lake Avenue, with a summer beach service at 8:00 AM at Karge Street Beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Parking is on the street, and greeters meet visitors at the double doors. The church's standing invitation is simply to "Come as You are and Worship with Us in the Sanctuary on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM." Children are welcome in worship, with a Pray-ground filled with coloring pages and activities for the youngest. After the service, coffee and a snack are available, and members are happy to introduce themselves, answer questions, and help newcomers get connected.
Giving, Serving, and Staying Connected
The church describes its stewardship in the words of the United Methodist litany: "our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness." Online giving is available, and tithes and offerings can also be mailed to St. Paul's United Methodist Church, PO Box 105, Bay Head, NJ 08742. Those who want to volunteer can fill out a serving interest form; the church points out that "God has given each of us unique gifts and passions and there are numerous opportunities for you to serve at St. Paul's." The office is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and the phone number is (732) 892-5926. A weekly newsletter is available by sign-up, and worship can be watched online through the church's Facebook page.