The Rev. William Frederickson FREEHOLD – The longest-serving mayor in Freehold Borough’s history honored the longest-serving pastor of the First Baptist Church at a recent meeting of the Borough Council.
The Rev. William Frederickson, who leads the congregation of the First Baptist Church, West Main Street and Manalapan Avenue, has counseled his congregants and presided at hundreds of religious ceremonies over the years.
The Borough Council honored Frederickson with a resolution in recognition of the 20 years he has spent offering guidance and spiritual inspiration, and to recognize him as a “compelling influence for good in the community.”
Frederickson, who was born in Racine, Wis., came to Freehold Borough in 1987. He took the position as senior pastor at the First Baptist Church. He had served as senior minister of the First Baptist Church, Rahway, from 1977-87.
In reflecting on the 20 years he has spent in Freehold, the minister said it is unusual in his denomination for a pastor to serve so long in one church.
Frederickson also spent time as minister of education for the First Baptist Church, Westfield, which is where he met his wife, Bobbie.
“I like to say we were both misplaced Midwesterners, one from Wisconsin and one from Iowa, who met in New Jersey,” Frederickson said with good humor.
The reverend also served as curriculum director for the Highland Park School District.
Frederickson said he did not “receive the call,” as he put it, to serve God in any special way. In his own words, “There was no dramatic road to Damascus call.”
Although he came from a Christian family, the seminary was not on his list to attend; teaching history, however, was. He credits his friend and mentor, the late Rev. Benjamin Garmer, as the major influence that directed him to the church and to his present vocation.
“He asked me to just give (the seminary) one year,” Frederickson said, adding that one year was all he needed to know this was the path he was meant to walk.
“I never would have done it without him. My only sadness is that he didn’t live to see it completed,” he said.
Frederickson said Garmer died shortly before he (Frederickson) completed his religious training.
“I am confident though, that he knows. I believe in a communion of saints that surround us. I believe people who have touched our lives may have died but they are still with us,” Frederickson said. “I know he knows.”
The reverend does not confine his spiritual guidance to his beautiful historic church. He is also the chaplain for the Freehold Fire Department. As chaplain, Frederickson officiates at the funeral services of borough firefighters.
“Bringing me into the fire department brings me into a whole different sector of the community than I would meet in church,” he said. “Everyone does something for their community. I consider this my community service to give back.”
Frederickson is also known for taking his ministry on the road, so to speak.
“I think 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.”
Frederickson is also able to relate to his congregants personally at their time of loss. Having recently lost his father, Frederickson said he remembers what it felt like when “the rubber hit the road.”
“I have a much greater understanding of what people need at the time of a death in the family,” he said. “All the things I said I believed and affirmed I now had to live, and I had to affirm for my family as well as a son and as a member of the clergy.”
When asked to describe some of the changes he has seen during his 20 years in Freehold Borough, the pastor cited the revitalization of the downtown area. He commented on how hard everyone worked and how beautiful everything turned out downtown.
He loves the borough as does his wife and their children, Autumn, 23, who is studying in a master’s program in Bristol, England, and Brittany, 20, a student at Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
“When the girls come home there are three places they must visit – Federici’s, Jersey Freeze and Sorrento’s subs,” the reverend said.
He said he has seen a much greater presence of the Freehold Center Partnership, which oversees the downtown district, in town.
“I see they are taking more initiative to promote the town,” he said, noting that the First Baptist Church hosts the annual Comcast Holiday Concert sponsored by the partnership. “There has been so much growth. I see that growth all around me. It used to take me five stop lights to get to the hospital (CentraState Medical Center) and now it takes five times that many.”
He touched upon the growing Latino community in Freehold and noted that the First Baptist Church offers a Spanish service on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Frederickson said a Spanish minister is brought to the church through the American Baptist Church of New Jersey to preside at the service.
Reflecting for a moment on all that he has seen during 20 years in Freehold, Frederickson said, “There is one thing that hasn’t changed since I’ve been here – our mayor, Michael Wilson,” who has been in office since 1985.