The History of Holmdel UCC, the Holmdel Baptist Church and the Holmdel Reformed Church

This church has a unique history in the family of the United Church of Christ in New Jersey. It is one of the oldest churches in the state, and yet it is one of the youngest United Church of Christ churches.  It is a merger of two of the oldest churches in Monmouth County, and yet is a young and vibrant community of faith.  We value our long history and our present affiliations, and work to fulfill our mission in this corner of God's world.

The Holmdel Community United Church of Christ has a long history with many facets. The present church is the culmination of actions taken by three congregations: Holmdel Baptist, Reformed and Community Churches. These three churches voted to merge and form one united church in 1968, after worshiping together with two church buildings in the village of Holmdel for over 40 years. This church has an ecumenical background, and it chose to join an ecumenical denomination: the United Church of Christ.

The Baptist Church (American Baptist Convention) was founded by Baptists from the colony of Rhode Island, who came to New Jersey seeking religious freedom.   Formally organized as the Middletown Baptist Church in 1668, it was one of the first Baptist churches in the colonies and the first in New Jersey. It was the "upper meeting house" of the Middletown Baptist church and shared preachers with the "lower meeting house" which is now Old First Church in Middletown.   Eighteen of the 36 men who signed the original patent with the King of England in 1664 were Baptists and members of this church.  The first edifice was on the present site by 1705, as was the first 'parsonage' for the ministers. The present building was built in 1809, undergoing considerable remodeling in the late 1800's. As part of the Middletown Baptist Church (from 1688-1836) it helped to mother 107 daughter churches. The first Baptist Sunday School in NJ began here in 1816. Under the leadership of Ann Taylor, it was one of the first integrated schools in the nation.

The Dutch Reformed congregation, begun in 1699, was first known as the Middletown Church of the Navesink, and later as the Dutch Reformed Church of Freehold and Middletown.  The first house of worship was erected between 1719-1721, about a mile from Holmdel Village on Middletown Road where the old cemetery continues to mark the spot.  The church was 'yoked' with Old Brick Church in Marlboro, and shared a pastor (Dominie) for many years.  The Holmdel Reformed Church (Reformed Church of America) was built in 1838, at the same time that Holmdel became its own town, separate from Middletown. It one of the oldest Reformed Churches in the state.  The church prospered in the late 1800's when the area was a thriving farming community. But then the economy changed. Loss of membership and severe financial problems began to set in by 1916. With the onset of the depression in the 1920's and 30's both it and its neighbors the Baptist Church, were dying.

In 1936 during the Great Depression, the two small but historic congregations could not afford their ministers and both resigned within months of each other.  The two churches then voted to become a federated body to be known as The Holmdel Church. This arrangement preserved the lives of the two congregations, although the fortunes of the federated church continued to decline. For many years they were without a full-time pastor. In 1958, in an act of faith, they called Dr. Wallace Gallup to be full-time pastor. During his tenure a Community Church was created within the federation for those who did not want to be formally part of either denomination. Now three different congregations existed within the federation, with two church buildings, each used six months out of the year. 

Finally, the population of the area began to grow and under successive pastorates of Rev. Burkhart, Rev. McNally and Rev. John Waldron, the church again became an influence in the region. Under John Waldron's leadership and with much negotiation by leaders of the church, these three bodies merged into one church in 1968. The parent denominations graciously agreed to allow the church to sever its historic ties and to become part of the ecumenical denomination: the United Church of Christ.

Since that time the church has continued to grow and to be active within the community. With the tenure of Rev. Russell Eidmann-Hicks, who was called in 1991,  the church has decided to make outreach to others in need a primary focus of its ministry, and to strengthen the church school and educational ministry of the church. The worship attendance has tripled and the ministries of the church have flourished.

We pride ourselves on being an ecumenical church, acknowledging the depth of our historic traditions, yet being open to the diversity of backgrounds in the congregation and the new directions to which God is calling us. We welcome all who desire to walk on our continuing pilgrimage of discovery.