New minister adds to services

During this time of tragedy, many Americans have looked to their houses of worship to mourn those who lost their lives last week and to seek some degree of solace for a seemingly senseless tragedy.

By:Alec Moore
   At Neshanic Reformed Church, newly appointed pastor Dave Hill, a Flemington resident, asked the question many devout Americans have been asking since last Tuesday — where is God in all of this?
   Pastor Hill, who had held his first sermon at the church just two days prior to Tuesday’s tragedy, held a special service that night. Pastor Hill said that while he is very happy to be taking over the reins of the church, which has been without a permanent pastor for nearly a year, he would have preferred to do so under happier circumstances.
   In the wake of the tragedy, Pastor Hill’s immediate concern was to find out if any of the church congregants worked in the immediate World Trade Center vicinity or had family or friends there.
   "It was a very powerful sermon and one of the most profound services I’ve ever led," said Pastor Hill of Tuesday’s evening sermon.
   Although none of the congregants themselves worked at the World Trade Center, there are a number of families he is speaking with who have been deeply scarred by the horrific events of last week.
   "It’s very important for us to be open and honest about the emotions we’re feeling," he said. "We need to be angry, we need to be sad and we need to begin to process this.
   "We’ve been asking the question that impacts our lives, where is God in all of this. We may never have an answer for this," he said, but emphasized that despite the horror that unfolded before the eyes of the American people on television last week, God has not forsaken the American people.
   "God is in our midst," Pastor Hill said, expressing that the spirit of God lives in every firefighter, police officer, doctor, construction worker and all those who have put the needs of others ahead of their own and come together to help in the search for survivors at ground zero.
   "The resolve of the human will is being powered by God," said Pastor Hill, who has made himself and Neshanic Reformed Church available to the congregants and to the community for whatever assistance may be provided.
   The church has been collecting money for the American Red Cross since last Tuesday.
   Pastor Hill resides in Flemington with his wife, Kristi, and their 21-month- old daughter, Alyssa. He is a graduate of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary and had previously served as an associate pastor at Addisville Reformed Church in Richboro, Pa.