The Cresskill Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, traces its origins to a nondenominational Sunday School started in May 1856 under the leadership of a college student, Alexander McKelvey. The group met in the Coley house on County Road in Tenafly. Over many years, the Sunday School met in various places in and around Bergen County.
Many members who had attended the Sunday School lived in and around Cresskill. While there were a few churches in the surrounding towns, there were none more conveniently located. It was then decided by these members to organize a church in Cresskill. So, under the leadership of Mr. Alfred Sneed, a student from the Missionary Alliance in Nyack, a meeting was held to organize a church. On March 21, 1907, the Gospel Church of Cresskill was organized with 59 charter members.
Mr. Sneed was called as its first pastor but he soon resigned and sailed to India to devote his life to missionary work. Following Mr. Sneed, Mr. Alexander Fraser became the new pastor. During his tenure, the church voted to become associated with a denominational body, the Congregational Church, on September 10, 1910.
Over the next 100 years, our church has birthed some great community ministeries. The Ladies Aid Society, which actually began prior to the church's official gathering, has met to provide help and support to the community. The church provided ministry and support during World War I to the troops stationed at Camp Merritt. Our congregation created several small group social societies to include the Ingleside Society comprised of young women who met regularly in members homes to promote social cohesion and spirituality. A Couple's Club was later organized in 1950 to promote friendship among couples of the church and to sponsor activities for the youth of the community.
Honoring our traditions of service and taking social activities to heart, we continue our mission to be a community-minded church. Today, we sponsor local meetings, display artwork from the local high school art classes, sponsor a Writers Group that allows for writers to meet, fellowship, and share their work with one another. We also have an Artists Circle where local artists can paint, share their work, fellowship, and share their work within the community.
We also have outreach opportunities. Our Mission Committee manages our various mission projects while engaging in one of their own: dispersing donations to non-profit agencies in and around our community. We also support many church festivals, art shows, and bazaars to include various seasonal festivals including our extremely popular Strawberry Festival that are mainstays in our community. We also have a flea-market style shop with inexpensive household items for those seeking to fill their houses with authentic old-world charm. We also have outreach ministries for the poor that includes providing financial assistance as well as practical hands-on opportunities such as the hosting of dinners for the homeless at a mission in nearby Hackensack, NJ.
Today we continue the history established by our ancestors to have a progressive and faithful presence in and around our community. Together, we are learning new ways to engaging our faith in Jesus in practical ways. For we believe that it is our responsibility to not only help our community but to do so in a way that reminds us that it is the responsibility of every person to reinterpret what it means to be a Christian in their generation. We invite you to journey with us as we share our love and support.