First Presbyterian secures new leader

Rev. Bryan Franzen becomes the new minister at the First Presbyterian Church in Hightstown.

By: Marisa Maldonado
   HIGHTSTOWN — Before delivering a sermon, the Rev. Bryan Franzen will spend 20 hours each week reading the passage — both in English and its original Greek or Hebrew — and consulting a number of texts to find a message on which to lecture.
   As the new minister at First Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Franzen often takes into account many diverse viewpoints when he performs a sermon. But he prefers members of the congregation to say they responded to the message of the Holy Spirit, rather than compliment his speaking ability or writing style.
   The Rev. Franzen, who took over the pulpit in early February after leaving his church in Council Bluffs, Iowa, said he enjoys the economic and theological diversity of the Hightstown church, which has about 300 members.
   "Our focus is on glorifying God, and one of the ways you glorify God is to challenge yourself," said the Rev. Franzen, 30. "That would be a really scary church if everybody agreed with each other."
   Looking at other faiths helped Mr. Franzen find his true calling. Although he grew up going to a Presbyterian church in Naperville, Ill., and his grandfather is a minister, he had declared an elementary education major until taking a class in Hinduism and Buddhism his freshman year at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill.
   "In studying the other religions, I had to learn where I came from in my faith," the Rev. Franzen said. "Whenever you study a different religion, you begin to understand your faith a lot better."
   After the class, he changed his major to world religions and later attended seminary at the San Francisco Theological Seminary, where he earned a master’s in divinity. His career as pastor shares many characteristics with his former career choice of educator, he said.
   "The pastor really is a guide to the congregation," the Rev. Franzen said. "It’s not that we have all the answers, but we’re there to walk with you on your journey of faith."
   Previously the Rev. Franzen spent four years as pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa. But when his church merged with another after losing too many members, he agreed to leave so the new church could get a fresh start.
   He knew the church in Hightstown was thriving, however, and expressed interest in the open position. After several interviews and giving a sermon in front of the congregation, the members of the church ratified the selection committee’s decision.
   Particularly appealing to the Rev. Franzen was the "mission-oriented" nature of the church. Twenty percent of the church’s budget goes toward missions such as Better Beginnings, which provides child care in Hightstown for those who cannot afford the service.
   Also, the church plans to enter a sister relationship with a church in Cuba, through which the two parishes would pray for each other and, possibly, visit someday.
   "Come the day we can go down there freely," he said, "we can help them."
   The Rev. Franzen also liked the demographic of the church, including the amount of young families, who, he said, comprise most of the church’s new member class. Having a variety of ages is important in creating a healthy church, he said, as members of the same generation can relate to one another and share life experiences.
   "If you have no one to fellowship with," he said, "it’s really hard to make the church your own."