Historical Data
The United Methodist Church at Absecon, New
Jersey, was born when the first Methodist Revival in this vicinity
occurred in 1796-97, resulting in the formation of classes in Absecon
and other nearby settlements. The preachers for the Salem Circuit, of
which Absecon was a part, were Anthony Turk and Richard Sneath, with
Rev. John McCloskey as the first presiding elder. From 1813 to 1828,
Absecon was a part of the Gloucester Circuit. It then became a part of
the Bargaintown Circuit until 1854, when it changed to the Absecon
Circuit.
Tradition locates the first meetinghouse on King’s
Highway (present day Shore Road), a short distance north of the present
church building. On March 3, 1823, the church was incorporated and the
congregation proceeded with plans for a new building, which was
completed in 1829.
In 1856, it was rebuilt and enlarged,
at which time the columned porch, a vestibule, new gallery, new pulpit
and seats were added.
Many additions and expansions have been celebrated
since those early days. The most recent was the New Horizons project,
which included the expansion of the 1856 sanctuary, the construction of
the Great Hall (on the Pitney Road side of the property), and a
Christian education wing, including a Youth Room. The New Horizons
project was completed in 2003.
It’s our prayer that the use of our facilities
will glorify God and help people to know His love.
(Portions taken from: The Methodist Trail in
New Jersey 1836-1961, The New Jersey Annual Conference of the United
Methodist Church, © 1961)
More Information
The following PDF Files provide additional
information of interest:
