A charge to increase the size of the congregation and stay relevant to the younger generation.
By: Jennifer Potash
The Rev. Gregory Young, the newly installed senior pastor at the Princeton United Methodist Church, feels blessed by his warm and caring congregation.
Especially when he tried a new approach during Sunday services.
"The congregation was very accepting," he said. "They’ve been very supportive and encouraging in letting me try new things."
The Rev. Young took the helm of the church, located at Nassau Street and Vandeventer Avenue, July 6 after a decade at Saint Paul United Methodist Church in Willingboro. He succeeded the Rev. James Harris Jr., who retired in June after 22 years at the church.
Perhaps it was fate that the Rev. Young followed in the footsteps of the Rev. Harris. The two served at the same churches, albeit at different times and in a different order.
While not a planned route, the Rev. Young said he is thrilled to follow the path of the Rev. Harris, a man he considers a mentor. Both were at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Willingboro, Pennsauken United Methodist Church and Red Bank United Methodist Church.
With the move to the church’s parsonage house in Princeton Township, the Rev. Young and his wife, Cynthia, are also adjusting to an empty nest as both their sons are in college this fall Andrew is a senior at Temple University and Stephen begins his freshman year at Rutgers University.
"I don’t think it’s ever been this quiet," he said.
The Rev. Young said he was always active at his church, New Brunswick United Methodist Church, when growing up.
"As a boy, I had dreamed of becoming an ordained minister," he said. He began to think more seriously about his religious calling during his undergraduate days at Rutgers.
Because he had good marks in math and science, a high school guidance counselor suggested he major in engineering, but the Rev. Young said after a year he and engineering mutually agreed to part ways. He then switched to a religion major.
After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, he attended the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, earning a master’s degree and later obtaining a doctor of ministry degree at the theological school of Drew University.
Among his charges as the new minister is to ensure the congregation continues to grow and to keep the faith relevant to the younger generation.
"The United Methodist Church does try to present our faith in a contemporary context," the Rev. Young said.
To accomplish this, the Rev. Young said he will rely on his ability to listen to the needs and views of the congregation.
"My approach to ministry is to discover what it is that heals us and let’s find it together," the Rev. Young said.
The congregation is very community minded, providing regular assistance at soup kitchens and other outreach efforts, the Rev. Young said.
"There is a genuine concern for those outside our walls," he said.
With a strong children’s ministry and many choirs and choral groups, the Princeton United Methodist Church is attracting people in all stages of life, he said. And the church has a diverse congregation with people of different nationalities and ethnicities, he said.
Within the church he said he likes to pray and reflect in a small chapel with brilliantly colored stained-glass windows.
But don’t expect to find the Rev. Young staying in his office all day long. He is interested in getting involved with the Princeton Clergy Association. An avid Rotary Club member, the Rev. Young said he would like to join the Princeton chapter.
With the active and caring congregation, the Rev. Young said he is blessed to work with such dedicated people as the Rev. David Mertz, the associate pastor, and Deacon Peggy Fullman.