Houses of Worship

Six Mile Run Reformed Church

Address 3037 State Route 27, P O Box 649 Franklin Park 08823 Phone: (732) 297-3734Website: http://www.sixmilerun.org

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For those puzzled by our name, here is an explanation. “Run” means creek or stream. Six Mile Run was the name of the location of a stream that crossed the old Indian Path (now Rt. 27) between New Brunswick and Trenton. The name “Six Mile Run” indicated to the travelers that they were six miles from Indian’s Ferry Landing on the Raritan River (now New Brunswick).

The Six Mile Run Reformed Church of Franklin Park, New Jersey has a long and rich history which not only attracts church history buffs in the area, but more importantly, inspires attention and respect from people near and far. In 2003, we celebrated the 300^th anniversary of our roots, culminating in a visit by Reverend Dr. Robert Schuler.

The first house of worship, Three Mile Run, was built in 1703: its pastor was Rev. Guilliam Bertholf from Holland. As the congregation grew, members were sent out to start new churches. Six Mile Run emerged in 1710. In 1720, Reverend Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghysen became the permanent pastor. He was sent from Holland to take charge of the Dutch churches of Middlesex, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties.

In 1817 a new church was built to accommodate the increasing population growth. Sadly, this church burned on the night of January 7, 1879. By the grace of God and a lot of hard work, by December of that same year, the present day church with its hexagonal bell tower and tall slate shingle steeple was erected and dedicated.

The history of Six Mile Run Reformed Church would not be complete without acknowledging our mission and outreach programs through the years aiding people all over the world. In the early 1900s, we supported the missions of Rev. Eugene Booth, Principal of the Ferris Seminary in Yokahama, Japan. In 1927, Rev. Charles Scudder, from the famous family of missionaries, became pastor. His missionary work in Vellore, India was commemorated by establishing a hospital bed as a memorial to SMRRC.

We continue to support our local Seminaries and students by providing a wonderful learning environment to ministers in training.

It is our mission to invite all people to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. To nurture those whom God calls to this community towards spiritual maturity and equip them for their ministry and life mission as together we build a loving, learning community.

Our Heritage

The congregation of the Six Mile Run Reformed Church has been a strong presence in this community since the beginning of the 18th century. The congregation traces its roots to 1703 when a Reformed Church was established at Three Mile Run, a creek located three miles from current-day New Brunswick.

The first members were Dutch and Huguenot settlers, some of whose descendants still live in the community. In 1710, Rev. Paulus Van Vlecq established a splinter congregation at Six Mile Run, three miles away in present-day Elm Ridge.

The first church at Six Mile Run was constructed in 1717, one mile east of the current site. In 1766, that building was replaced with a new church, constructed at the site of the current building. In 1817 that building was replaced with a larger building that served the congregation until it was destroyed by fire on January 7, 1879.

The existing church was then constructed over the foundation of the previous building during the following eleven months. Re-opening in December of 1879, Six Mile Run Reformed Church is a historically significant example of Carpenter Gothic Revival style. Other additions in 1907 and 1958 provided needed space for a growing church in a growing community.

Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen was the first pastor and served for 27 years. Rev. Osy Nüesch is the 18th installed pastor in the church’s 308-year history. Today the congregation is one of about 950 congregations of the Reformed Church in America and seeks to reflect the diversity of the community that surrounds it having made an intentional transition to a multicultural and multiethnic congregation.

A Brief History of Six Mile Run Reformed Church – 1703 to Present

1703 – Three Mile Run – First House of Worship
1710 – Six Mile Run Church in Elm Ridge
1717 – First Reformed Church in New Brunswick
1720 – First Full-Time Pastors, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, Queens College
1720-1760 – “Great Awakening” Revival
1745 – First House of Worship at present site, Franklin Park, NJ
1775 – Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence
1817 – Second Church at present site
1865 – Civil War, Underground Railway
1879 – Second church destroyed by fire (Jan. 7, 1879)
1879 – Present Church built on foundation of previous church within one year (Dec. 1879)
1907 – Frelinghuysen Chapel
1914-1918 – First World War
1926 – Electricity installed
1934-1937 – Depression era
1939- Beginning Second World War
1941- US involvement in the Second World War begins
1945 – Second World War ends
1950s/60s – Vietnam, Korean Wars
1958 – Additions to Sanctuary & Frelinghuysen Chapel renovated
1995 – Impact Study
2000 – Turn of the Century
2003 – Celebration of the 300th Anniversary
2006 – Pastor David Risseeuw retires after 18 years
2007 – Search for New Pastor begins
2008 – Pastor Osy Nuesch installed on September 14
2009 – Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Somerset Baptist Church

Address 9 Pershing Avenue Somerset NJ 08873 Phone: (732) 545-5169Website: http://somerset.baptist@verizon.net

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Somerset Bible Baptist Church

Address 42 Cedar Grove Lane Somerset NJ 08873 Phone: (732) 805-9377Email: info@somersetministries.orgWebsite: http://www.sbbcnj.org

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Somerset Presbyterian Church

Address 100 JFK Blvd. Somerset NJ 08873 Phone: (732) 249-8674Fax: (732) 249-0189Email: churchspc@comcast.netWebsite: http://www.spcnj.org

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Notes

The Reverend Sharon E. Culley

Reverend Sharon E. Culley is a native of Kansas City, Missouri where she matriculated through the parochial and public school systems. Her spiritual and educational relationship with the Lord began at the age of nine. At that time she acknowledged the calling God had placed on her life. She has dedicated her life in the preparation of the duties and responsibilities of this call by God.

Reverend Culley is a graduate of Cairn University (formerly known as Philadelphia Biblical University) where she earned an Associate of Science in Biblical Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Bible. She continued her educational studies in religion and earned a Masters of Divinity from New Brunswick Theological Seminary.

Reverend Culley was ordained in 1995. In her years in ministry, she has held many positions of leadership within the religious and secular communities of Kansas City, Missouri, and New Jersey. Reverend Culley has served as an Associate Pastor, Associate Minister, Hospital Chaplain and has served as Pulpit Supply for churches of various denominations. She has held training seminars and workshops in Church Leadership Development, Church Financial Management, Church Law and Administration. Reverend Culley has worked with Youth Ministry, Women’s Fellowship, Missionary Society, adult Bible Study, in addition to supervising Summer Vacation Bible School and developing and supervising a Department of Christian Education that included the Church School and New Members Orientation. She is honored to serve as a Teacher in The Field for seminarian students from New Brunswick Theological. She has provided a welcoming and encouraging environment for seminarians from various denominations,

In September 2004, Reverend Culley was called to the pastorate of the Somerset Presbyterian Church, Somerset (Franklin Township), New Jersey. She serves as Chaplain for the Franklin Township Police Department. In addition, she has served on the “Franklin Township Diversity Committee,” as well as the “Franklin Township Interfaith Council”.

Reverend Sharon Culley knows the love of God and exercises humility and compassion in her ministry. She has the ability to bring people and ministries together always keeping The Lord in the lead.

The Lord has truly blessed her. Her husband, the Reverend Tom J. Culley (founder of TJCMinistries and Sr. Pastor of MT. Pleasant Baptist Church, Edison, NJ) is her very best friend and most trusted confidant. They have 5 adult children, four daughters and one son.

Ephesians 4:12

“…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (NIV)

SS. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church

Address 285 Hamilton St. Somerset 08873 Phone: (732) 545-5500Fax: (732) 545-0100Website: http://www.eparchyofpassaic.com/

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St. Matthias Catholic Church

Address 168 JFK Blvd. Somerset NJ 08873 Phone: (732) 828-1400Fax: (732) 828-0866Email: askaquestion@stmatthias.netWebsite: http://www.stmatthias.net

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St. Matthias, located in the Somerset section of Franklin Township, New Jersey, is a relatively young parish, tracing its history to only 1962. It was founded when the population of Somerset grew too large to be accommodated by nearby parishes.

The area to become Franklin Township was settled by the Dutch who recognized the potential of the fertile farmland nearly 300 years ago. St. Peter’s Parish, in nearby New Brunswick, was established in 1829 to meet the needs of the growing Catholic population and served the area well for many years.

The area’s population boomed in 1840 when hundreds of workers arrived to build the canal, which was to run through the New Brunswick area. Coming from various parts of Europe, those workers and their families represented diverse ethnic origins and religious backgrounds. The canal and the company that built it changed the face of the countryside by bringing in many industries and the people needed to support them.

By 1880, the Catholic population had increased significantly, so that the necessity of establishing a Catholic parish in Franklin Township became evident. Accordingly, the first Catholic parish in the township, St. Joseph’s, was established in the East Millstone section in 1883. More Catholic churches were built over the years as the growth of the population in nearby towns warranted. St. Peter’s Church in New Brunswick, the oldest, became the largest parish in the area, with residents of Franklin Township attending Mass and receiving sacraments in that parish church.

Throughout the 20th century, St. Peter’s continued to grow. It had reached such a size that on June 8, 1962, the most Rev. George W. Ahr, Bishop of Trenton, circumscribed a section of the parish and established the parish of St. Matthias within it, naming Father William McKenna the first pastor.

Our patron, Saint Matthias knew Jesus in His public ministry and worked tirelessly for the Faith. St. Matthias replaced Judas, the apostle turned traitor through an election by the eleven other apostles. He was put to death for his preaching about Christ after converting many to Christianity.

First Masses at Hillcrest School
Because no church building existed, the first two Masses of St. Matthias parish were celebrated at Hillcrest School on June 17, 1962, with Henry Haase and Cullen Smith assisting Father McKenna as altar servers. As Sunday Masses at the school were overcrowded, it was deemed necessary to change the temporary place of worship. Beginning on July 1, three Masses were celebrated each Sunday in the auditorium of Franklin High School. Assisting Father McKenna were Fathers James Sadowsky, S.J. and Leo Hombach, S.J., both of Fordham University in the Bronx, NY.

The first recorded Baptisms in the parish were those of Cynthia Lynn Bacon, Patricia Ann Downey, Laura Doyle and Lisa Schillen, who were baptized by Fr. McKenna on July 8, 1962. Baptisms were held after Sunday Masses at the high school. All the rites of passage in the parish were finally recorded with the first funeral, which was that of Alphonse Pino on July 28, held at St. Peter’s.

The church and grade school buildings were constructed in 1964 and opened for use in 1965. The early staff comprised Sister Mary Janice, R.S.M. principal, and eight faculty members — four Sisters of Mercy and four lay teachers.

Thirty years later— in 1996 — an addition to house Pre-K and kindergarten classes along with a state-of-the art library and a parish meeting room were added to serve the 2700 families enrolled at St. Matthias. The new facility was dedicated on November 2, 1996. Presiding at the ceremony was the Most Rev. Vincent De Paul Breen, bishop of Metuchen, the diocese in which St. Matthias parish is a part.

Continued Growth
Since its founding in 1962, The Catholic Community of St. Matthias has grown in population and in services. As of October 2003, the parish comprises approximately 3000 households and offers more than 60 ministries through which parishioners can contribute their time, talent and treasure as well as gain personal spirituality and general enrichment.
Below are some facts about this energetic parish

* The first class was graduated from St. Matthias School (SMS) in 1970
* A member of the class of ’73 – Joseph Celano – was ordained in 1997 and is now pastor at St. Bernard’s Church in Bridgewater, NJ.
* Lay Eucharistic ministers began serving in 1975
* The popular spring carnival has been held for every year since 1987.
* SMS received Middle States Accreditation in 1991
* The rectory was converted to parish offices in 1994
* The annual picnic was first held in 1997
* A Technology Trot has been held annually since 1998 to raise money for the technology development of SMS
* During Hurricane Floyd in 1999, St. Matthias served as an evacuation site
* SMS was named National School of Excellence and received the Blue Ribbon Award in 2001
* The library was renamed the John M. Collins memorial Library in 2001 to commemorate John Collins, a graduate of SMS and a New York City firefighter who died during the 9/11 attack on New York
* St. Matthias was the 2002 recipient of The Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Memorial Parish Stewardship Award
* Parishioners show their generosity by donating food to the Franklin Food Bank on the first Sunday of each month
* The first St. Matthias parish directory was published in 2002 – the 40th anniversary of the community
* An annual golf tournament is held each fall to benefit SMS
* As of 2004, the parish has two new deacons — Russ Demkovitz and Helmut Wittreich; joining Deacon Steve Holzinger ’94, Deacon John Radvanski ’98 and Deacon Ron Caimi ’98