Baptist church remains cornerstone of Freehold

BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

FREEHOLD — Members of the First Baptist Church, 81 W. Main St., are celebrating the 175th anniversary of a church whose roots date back to 1834 in Upper Freehold Township in the westernmost region of Monmouth County.

The First Baptist Church at the corner of West Main Street and Manalapan Avenue has a history so long that the original pastors who led the congregation ministered to their flock by going from place to place on horseback.

The Borough Council honored the First Baptist Church with a resolution at a recent meeting.

The Rev. William Frederickson has led the congregation for more than 20 years. He the longest serving pastor of the First Baptist Church and was honored in 2007 for his 20 years of service to his congregation and to the community at large.

Frederickson, a native of Racine, Wis., came to Freehold Borough in 1987 as the senior pastor at the First Baptist Church. He previously served in Rahway and in Westfield. He also serves as the chaplain for the Freehold Fire Department.

“Bringing me into the fire department brings me into a whole different sector of the community than I would meet in church,” he said. Frederickson is also known for taking his ministry on the road, so to speak.

“I do more counseling in the aisles of ShopRite and Foodtown than I do in my office,” he said. “You see someone’s heart is heavy and you’re there at the moment they need you.”

When asked what the future holds for the 175-year-old church, Frederickson said the theme for this momentous anniversary is “to commemorate the past, celebrate the present and embrace the future.”

“We have seen tremendous changes in our community since this church was built, many taking place over the last

35 to 50 years, and our goal is to embrace those changes,” the reverend said. “This was a farming community when the church was built in 1890 and it was the county seat and it was very rural. We only have one farming family left, the Claytons.

“Today (the area) has become more suburban. We have this ribbon of Route 9 connecting us to the north and places like New York City, which has fostered much of this growth. When I came here there was no mall (in Freehold Township), the hospital (CentraState Medical Center) was a small building and you could get there pretty quickly. Now you have traffic jams with all the traffic lights. It’s a whole different community,” he said.

Fredrickson said although the community has seen tremendous growth and change, the church still fulfills the needs of its congregants.

“The church is always there to provide a sense of family in the midst of all this rapid change and growth,” the reverend said.

He added that the church, which holds its services in the beautiful Victorian building, also provides a connection to the past.

“And in this era of rapid change, people need that in today’s world,” he said.

The church’s website recounts the history of the Baptist church in the area, beginning with the Rev. James M. Challis. According to the website, Challis found the Upper Freehold Township church “in a very feeble and disorganized state and the building almost in ruin.” He oversaw the growth of that congregation to more than 100 members.

Challis’ territory covered Monmouth County from Upper Freehold to Holmdel and Middletown. He would stop in Freehold Borough for a midweek service. He traveled on horseback and stayed at parishioners’ homes.

Eventually it was decided to build a Baptist church in the village of Freehold. On Nov. 14, 1889, the cornerstone for the present church in Freehold Borough was put in place.

The cost for the exquisitely designed Victorian Gothic building, which was built under the direction of contractor John B. Gordon, was $17,150. The new church was dedicated on Oct. 21, 1890.

A Young Men’s Room was added in 1896. A spiral stairway leading up to the choir loft was enclosed in 1957 to enable the choir to be expanded and the organ console to be moved forward.

In 1950, Lower Fellowship Hall was constructed by members of the congregation. The Christian Education building was dedicated on Sept. 28, 1958.

In the early 1990s the sanctuary was refurbished and painted and new carpeting was installed. The pipe organ was renovated and enlarged.

The congregation of the First Baptist Church is diverse, coming from many different backgrounds and locations around the world, yet celebrating and rejoicing in the unity they have in one faith.