The History of Holmdel UCC

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 of the UCC churches. We value our long history and our present affiliations, and work to fulfill our joint 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 worshipping 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 in 1668 by Baptists from the colony of Rhode Island. Eighteen of the 24 men who signed the original patent purchasing land from the Indians were Baptists, and members of this church. John Bowne served in the state legislature and was head of the county militia. Several of the signers were descendants of Obadiah Holmes, a Baptist from Middletown, Rhode Island. His grandson, Asher Holmes was a colonel in the Revolutionary War, and was the officer in charge of recruitment in Monmouth County. He fought in many battles, including at Princeton, Mercer, and Monmouth; and knew George Washington. He is buried in our back cemetery, along with John Whitlock who was killed in the war in 1776. Holmdel, which until 1836 was called the Crosswick section of Middletown or 'Baptisttown', was later named Holmdel after his family. Many of the Holmes family are buried in our graveyard.

Formally organized as the Middletown Baptist Church in 1698, it was one of the first Baptist churches in the colonies and the first in New Jersey. The first edifice was on the present site by 1705. 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 began here in 1816. Under the leadership of Ann Taylor, it was one of the first integrated schools in the nation. The Dutch congregation was at first known as the Middletown Church of the Navesink, and later as the Dutch Reformed Church of Freehold and Middletown. The Holmdel Reformed Church (Reformed Church of America) was the Middletown part of that church organized in 1699, making it one of the oldest Reformed Churches in the state. 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 congregation moved to the corner of Holmdel Road and Main Street in 1838. 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, the two small but historic congregations 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, 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 more than doubled in five years and the Sunday School has grown by 600%.

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.