Historic Thanksgiving Eve Service
Every so often you get to see history made before your eyes. And, history was made at the Old School Baptist Meeting House in Hopewell New Jersey on Wednesday November 24th 2021, when for the first time people who are not men led worship from the pulpit.
Some context is needed to explain why this day was so significant. The Old School Baptist congregation was established in Hopewell in 1715. In 1747 they built a meeting house on the site of the present building, erected in 1822.
The “Old School” Baptists were so-called because of the way they valued the role tradition played in their faith. This dedication to tradition played out in many different ways, including the following: They did not allow musical instruments to be used in worship. They felt that church schools and missionary activities were impious. They did not permit women to lead worship, seeing the pulpit as a sacred space reserved for the leadership of men.
The congregation in Hopewell ceased to exist in the 1970’s, and now the property is lovingly maintained by a board of trustees and an endowment set up for that purpose. The church is used each year (pandemics permitting) for a Thanksgiving Service hosted by the five-congregation Hopewell Council of Churches (two Baptists, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic). While the town Hopewell has had female clergy since 1986, out of respect for the Old School Baptist Church’s tradition and as a gesture of support for those female clergy, all the clergy in attendance chose to lead worship from the floor, instead of the pulpit. Last year, spurred by reflection shared by Rev. Greg Smith in the Hopewell Council of Churches book study, Rev. Melissa Martin—with the heartfelt support of the entire Council—took steps to revisit the tradition of who is permitted to enter the pulpit of the Old School Baptist Meeting House. With gratitude for the connections of Pastor Dennis O’Neil, Chair of the Hopewell Council of Churches, the approval for a change in practice was given.
Thus, on November 24th for the first time in the history of the building, persons who are not male lead worship from the pulpit. They include:
Eden Thompson, a young woman of color and member of Second Calvary Baptist, who led the call to worship—making her the first to lead from the pulpit;
Lorraine Donahue, a leader in the Hopewell Council of Churches and member of the Hopewell United Methodist Church;
Tori Paquette, student of Princeton Theological Seminary and intern for the Hopewell Council of Churches;
Rev. Melissa A. Martin, Pastor of the Hopewell Presbyterian Church, who gave the sermon from the pulpit.
Such things no longer seem particularly unusual. That they took place here, however, is profoundly symbolic.
To mark this historic occasion, the clergy of the town of Hopewell developed and presented the following statement:
In gratitude for the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all God’s children,
In gratitude for the churches and local leaders who are committed to the growth and care of our community,
In gratitude for our common calling to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly,We as the undersigned clergy of the Hopewell commit ourselves to guiding the council—through which we influence the wider community—in finding ways to celebrate the service, care, and calling of all God’s children, inclusive of their gender. We do this so that every girl, boy, and child of this community may know that they are loved and respected by the wide family of faith.
To do this we commit to exploring the history of gender within our community and churches.
To do this we commit to continuing our ecumenical dialogue, realizing that as an ecumenical group we have a unique opportunity to stretch and learn, and to walk alongside one another in acts of celebration, repentance, and reconciliation.
To do this we commit to learning more about the role gender has played in our society and world—discerning how communities of faith and churches can both learn from and speak into this conversation.
This statement we make today, Thanksgiving Eve Nov. 24 2021, in celebration of the first time persons who are not men have been allowed to lead worship from this pulpit.
Rev. Dr. Willy L. Mafuta
Rev. Melissa A. Martin
Pastor Dennis O’Neill
Rev. Stephen Sansevere
Rev. Gregory Smith
Additional gratitude was offered over the course of the Thanksgiving Eve service. They include:
The leaders in the community and trustees of the building—as well as John Buck for preparing the space for the service.
Nelly, a young woman of color who was excommunicated from the Old School Baptist Meeting House in connection to the fact that she chose to bear a child although unwed. Nelly was identified by Rev. Greg Smith during the Hopewell Council of Churches book study on If These Stones Could Talk, and it is her story that officially kicked off the process of inquiry into the tradition of women in the pulpit.
Rev. Kim Richter, Rev. Ginny Smith, Rev. Kate Glurich, and Rev. Laura Steele, the female clergy who have served the town of Hopewell.
The countless female lay leaders who have served on the council of churches and in the individual church communities.
Current clergy of Hopewell: Rev. Dr. Willy L. Mafuta, Pastor Dennis O’Neil, Rev. Stephen Sansevere, Rev. Gregory Smith, and Rev. Melissa Martin who penned the statement on the clergy’s behalf.
Members of the Hopewell Council of Churches, namely Liz Blankstein, Pat Dansberry, Jean Davis, Lorraine Donahue, Lyn Farrugia, Deborah Jodrey, Rev. Dr. Willy Mafuta, Rev. Melissa A. Martin, Pastor Dennis O’Neill, Tori Paquette, Janet Riemer, Rev. Stephen Sansevere, Rev. Gregory Smith, Clarence Thompson.
And Eden Thomson – for leading the way!
Additional gratitude goes to Charlie Ashton for organizing the music for the event, the Brooks Ensemble for giving profound musical testimony, and the community of Hopewell.
This long list of gratitude demonstrates the importance of the entire community in creating change—the kind that makes it possible for us to see history made before our very eyes.