St. Paul’s pastor marks 25th anniversary

The Rev. James Egan has served the Lutheran Church in East Windsor for 25 years.

By: David Pescatore
   EAST WINDSOR — Many things have changed in East Windsor since May 1978, but at least one thing has remained constant. That constant is the Rev. James Egan of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, who celebrates his 25th anniversary of service to the community on the May 28.
   "I figured that I’d be here 10 years," the Rev. Egan said. "But, we bought a home when I came here. That sinks some roots in. Then, we had three children. That sinks in even more roots."
   Twenty-five years later, those roots support a family and a congregation of about 550 people.
   "We get about 220 people on a given Sunday morning. That is a good size for New Jersey. Of the 195 Lutheran congregations in New Jersey, we are around 20th in size," the pastor said.
   A quarter-century is a long time, but the Rev. Egan said he measures his success in terms of relationships, not years.
   "There are children who I baptized as infants that are now married and moved away. Now, they come home to visit family and to visit me. That is rewarding. They hold me in that high regard," said the Rev. Egan, who began preaching in a small Tuckerton church in 1973.
   "The kids who were in fifth grade when I got here are now 35. I have married some of them and baptized their children. The people who were 50 are now 75. That is the blessing of being in a place so long, you participate in people’s lives from the cradle to the grave."
   Despite working at the same church for so long, the pastor said the job has not gotten stagnant.
   "We always have new folks with new ideas coming in. We have had seminarians here, making us a teaching congregation. Lately, there have been a lot of minorities coming in. That enriches us, makes us more interesting and diverse. We are open to that. We are a fortunate congregation."
   The pastor will be celebrating his anniversary by mixing in his other passion, baseball. He will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Trenton Thunder game May 27.
   "That is very exciting," he said. "Baseball is my other love. I am the last of the original players on our softball team," which started in 1979. "There are seven teams in the league this year. We play other churches. There are some fun rivalries."
   Like many of us, the Rev. Egan laments some of the changes that have happened over the years, like the way some have distanced from the church.
   "It’s not that people want to be away. People are less able to give the time they would like to. Employers want more for less, especially in this community where people commute to one city or another. Still, there is a core of people who have set different priorities for themselves. They value the church. It is easier to get people to give money sometimes, than time.
   "Even the kids. They seem to have so many options, even on Sundays. Church is just one of many items on the smorgasbord."
   Worse than those who do not attend services, according to Pastor Egan, are those that have forgotten how to act in church.
   "I am really upset by the lack of church manners; cell phones, talking during periods reserved for silence. The problem is everywhere, though. If you go in a public school, there is chaos. It is a reflection of society, the lack of respect."
   He said that part of the problem is the disrespect society has for silence.
   "Silence is missing. There is nowhere to go for it. You need to practice silence and meditation. You need to train in that."
   St. Paul’s has a place for such meditation, the memorial garden. The Rev. Egan started the garden in 1991 as a place to memorialize departed members of the congregation. The cremated remains of nearly two dozen parishioners are buried there, including those of the pastor’s first wife, Candace, who succumbed to cancer in 1993.
   "We designed this as a quiet place to think," he said.
   The Rev. Egan’s warm and welcoming attitude keeps the congregation together and helps it to grow, according to Cranbury resident Diane Kosco.
   "I met him 10 years ago when he baptized my daughter," she said. "I’ve been coming back ever since. I joined because of him. He is thrilled when babies attend services and he is great at giving the children’s service. He has a great sense of humor, always telling baseball jokes."