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First Baptist Church

5 North 2nd Avenue
732-846-5118

Belief Statement:

Believing that the bible, in it's entirety, is the only truthful and infallible word of God and that we having been led by the Spirit of God to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, and having been baptized on profession of our faith, we solemnly and gladly covenant, as God shall enable us to walk together in brotherly love, exercising Christian care and watchfullness over each other, and faithfully to warn, exort and admonish our fellow desciples, as the case may require. We will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together at the communion and other appointed meetings, nor neglect the great duty of searching the scriptures, and prayer. We will, by God's help, sustain the worship ordinances, disciplines, and doctrines of the Church, and give it's claims a sacred preeminence over those of any other organization. We will cheerfully and regularly contribute of our means, as God shall prosper us, for the support of a faithfull evangelical ministry, for the relief of the needy, and the spread of the gospel everywhere. We will earnestly endeavor to train up any who
may be under our care or influence, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, always striving to the glory of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. And upon this covenant lifelong obligation, we earnestly invoke the continual blessing of our Heavenly Father.

History of Church:

Prior to 1893 a Union Sunday School was maintained in Highland Park by various churches in New Brunswick. This was disbanded in 1893 and the Reformed Sunday School was formed. From 1893 to 1895 the Baptists in the Park held cottage prayer meetings in the various homes, at which meetings a Sunday School for the Baptist children was often discussed. The matter was placed before the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick, Which decided that there was material for a Mission Sunday School.

The school was organized with Mr. Henry B. Zimmerman as Superintendent, and for the first five years of it's existence held sessions in what had previously been a grocery store on Raritan Avenue, near First Avenue. The first session was held on the first Sunday of June, 1895. Before the end of 1895 four members professed conversion and were baptized into the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick by the Pastor, the Rev. L. E. Wheeler. Altogether, during the first five years of the Sunday School, twenty members were baptized.

In April, 1899, land was purchased on the Patterson farm and plans for a Chapel were prepared by Mr. August N. Whitlock and were adopted by the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick Trustees, who held the property in trust, in May, 1899. A subscription list was then started. The building was commenced in the fall of 1899 and finished in the spring of 1900 and dedicated in June, 1900.

From a beginning of 33 members, the School grew rapidly and in 1911 the Chapel was enlarged. Formation of a Church in Highland Park was the ultimate aim of the Baptists. There was however, a natural reluctance upon the part of the members to withdraw their membership from their mother Church, which, in most cases, was the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick. Preaching services were held for many years by various supplies and resident Baptist ministers. In June, 1925, Rev. Fred H. McNair was called to preach at services that had been started by the young people.

In October, 1925 it was decided the time was ripe to start a Baptist Church in Highland Park. The Chapel property, which had been held in trust by the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick, had already been deeded to the Sunday School.

On November 24th, 1925, the Church was organized as the First Baptist Church of Highland Park and was incorporated in 1927. Through the years that followed it has had a diversity of ethnic and racial membership that has prospered and continues to win souls through the saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ to this day.


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