The Dominant Family Of New Brunswick's Presbytery

The Presbytery of New Brunswick was created in 1738 when the Presbytery of East Jersey merged with the Presbytery of Long Island to form the Presbytery of New York. Two days later, the Presbytery of New Brunswick was established, with its seat at the First Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The congregation was led by Reverend Gilbert Tennent, who was ordained in 1726 or 1727. The church building was constructed in 1727 on George and Patterson Streets in New Brunswick, with a larger structure erected in the same location in 1784. The First Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick, along with its congregation, played a significant role in the history of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, with Tennent serving as a key figure in its early years.

The First Presbyterian Church was the seat of the Presbytery of New Brunswick

The First Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was the seat of the Presbytery of New Brunswick. The church was organised in 1726, with a building erected the following year. The First Presbyterian Church was the site of the Presbytery of New Brunswick from its creation in 1738 until 1751, when the presbytery was divided. The congregation was led by Reverend Gilbert Tennent, who was ordained in 1726 or 1727 and served as pastor until 1743. The church's records were destroyed or lost during the American Revolution when British soldiers were quartered in the building.

The First Presbyterian Church has been rebuilt and renovated several times throughout its history. A second, larger building was constructed on the same site in 1784, followed by a third in 1836. In 1947, a fire caused significant damage to the church, requiring the construction of a new building. The most recent renovation was in 2010, when the congregation announced its retirement after 33 years of service. Despite the sale of the property in 2018, the congregation remains active and continues its mission as a tenant in the building.

The Presbytery of New Brunswick was formed through the merger of the Presbytery of East Jersey and the Presbytery of Long Island in 1738. Just two days prior, these presbyteries had been merged under the name of the Presbytery of New York. The Presbytery of New Brunswick was initially part of the Synod of Philadelphia but was excluded from this body in 1741 due to the Old Side-New Side Controversy. As a result, it became known, along with the London Derry Presbytery, as the "New Side".

The Presbytery of New Brunswick played a significant role in the religious landscape of the region. In 1937, for instance, it condemned John Gresham Machen for disobeying higher authorities during a religious court hearing in Trenton, New Jersey. The presbytery has undergone divisions and mergers over time, reflecting the evolving nature of religious organisations.

Gilbert Tennent was the pastor

Gilbert Tennent, born on February 5, 1703, in County Armagh, Ireland, was a Presbyterian revivalist minister in Colonial America. He was the son of a Presbyterian clergyman and, along with his three brothers, was educated at home by his father in Neshaminy, Pennsylvania. Tennent was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Philadelphia in 1725 and subsequently took up a pastorate in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he became pastor at the First Presbyterian Church.

Tennent's preaching style was enthusiastic and fiery, often exhorting sinners to repent. He was also known for his scorn of conservative Presbyterians, whom he denounced as hypocrites in his famous "Nottingham Sermon" in 1740. This sermon triggered a schism in the Presbyterian Church, with Tennent and other members of the New Brunswick Presbytery withdrawing and forming the "New Side". Tennent's views and preaching style increasingly brought him into conflict with the Synod, as he supported "enthusiastic itinerancy" and opposed changes to the Synod's educational requirements for ordination.

Tennent played a significant role in the Great Awakening, a religious revival movement in Colonial America. He collaborated with George Whitefield, an itinerant evangelist minister from England, accompanying him on a preaching tour of New Jersey and Staten Island. Whitefield was impressed by Tennent, referring to him as "a son of thunder" in his journal. Tennent's influence extended beyond his own congregation, as he assisted his father in founding Log College at Neshaminy.

In 1743, Tennent left New Brunswick to become the founding pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where he remained for the rest of his life. Over time, his sermons became less impassioned, and he worked towards reconciliation with the "Old Side" faction of the Presbyterian Church. He expressed regret for his role in causing the schism and actively pursued reunification of the two synods.

Gilbert Tennent, through his passionate preaching, his influence on the Great Awakening, and his leadership in the formation of the "New Side" Presbytery of New Brunswick, left a lasting impact on the religious landscape of Colonial America.

The church was organised in 1726

The First Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was organised in 1726. The church was the seat of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, which is now located in Trenton, New Jersey. The church was organised by Reverend Gilbert Tennent, who was ordained as pastor of the congregation in late 1726 or early 1727. The church building was erected in 1727 and was located on George and Patterson Streets in New Brunswick.

The First Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick was one of the oldest churches in the Presbyterian denomination. The congregation was part of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (Old School) from 1838 through 1869. The church records were unfortunately destroyed or lost during the American Revolution when British soldiers were quartered in the manse.

The church has undergone several changes and renovations over the years. A second, larger building was erected on the same site in 1784, and a third in 1836. In 1907, the Second Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick merged into the First Presbyterian Church. In 1937, John Gresham Machen was condemned by the Presbytery of New Brunswick for disobeying higher authorities. More recently, in 1947, a fire caused significant damage to the church, and in 1952, a new church building was dedicated at 100 Livingston Avenue.

The Synod of Philadelphia excluded the Presbytery in 1741

The Synod of Philadelphia was the first synod of the Presbyterian Church in North America. It was formed in 1717 from the reorganisation of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, which had been established in 1706. The Synod of Philadelphia excluded the Presbytery of New Brunswick in 1741, marking the beginning of the Old Side-New Side Controversy.

The roots of the controversy lay in the Presbyterian Church's division over the impact of the First Great Awakening. The revivalist tradition emphasised the necessity of a conscious conversion experience and the need for higher moral standards among the clergy. The revivalists, known as the "New Lights" or the "New Side", believed they were under the direct guidance of the "Spirit", freeing them from the regular rules of church order. They also believed they could discern spirits and boldly denounced their opponents as being unconverted. The "Old Lights" or the "Old Side" opposed revivalism, believing it presented a threat to church order. They were concerned about the revivalists' practice of itinerant preaching across presbytery boundaries and their tendency to doubt the conversion experiences of other ministers.

In 1738, the Synod passed two acts that infuriated the revivalists. The first required candidates for ordination who did not have college degrees to be examined by a committee of the Synod, which was taken as an insult to informally trained ministers, many of whom were revivalists. The second act restricted the right of clergymen to preach outside of their presbytery, which the revivalists objected to as it hindered the spread of the gospel and the alleviation of clergy shortages.

Tensions escalated and, by the time the Synod met in May 1741, relations had reached a breaking point. The Old Side retained control of the Synod of Philadelphia and required unconditional subscription to the Westminster Confession with no option to state scruples. The New Side formed the Conjunct Presbyteries of New Brunswick and Londonderry and, in 1745, joined with the Presbytery of New York, which had left the Philadelphia Synod, to form the New Side Synod of New York.

The two sides eventually reconciled in 1758, merging to become the Synod of New York and Philadelphia. The united Synod required subscription to the Westminster Confession, but clergy candidates were also examined for their "experimental acquaintance with religion" (their personal conversion experiences).

The Presbytery of New Brunswick was divided in 1751

The Presbytery of New Brunswick was formed in 1738 when the Presbytery of East Jersey was merged with the Presbytery of Long Island to create the Presbytery of New York. Two days later, the Presbytery of New Brunswick was established, with its seat at the First Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

In 1741, the Presbytery of New Brunswick was excluded from its parent body, the Synod of Philadelphia, marking the beginning of the Old Side-New Side Controversy. The Presbytery of New Brunswick, along with the newly formed London Derry Presbytery, became known as the "New Side". Meanwhile, those who remained in the Presbytery of Philadelphia were known as the "Old Side".

In 1745, the Synod of New York was established to accommodate the New Side presbyteries. However, in 1751, the Presbytery of New Brunswick was divided. The churches in Pennsylvania and South Jersey formed the Presbytery of Abington, while the First Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick continued to serve as a significant place of worship and a seat for the presbytery.

The First Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey, is one of the oldest churches in the Presbyterian denomination. The church building was erected in 1727 on George and Patterson Streets, with a larger structure built on the same site in 1784, followed by another replacement in 1836. The congregation has undergone several mergers and changes over the years, reflecting the dynamic nature of religious organizations and their adaptation to societal shifts.

Frequently asked questions