Church celebrates its 175th anniversary Site's long and storied history explored BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer The Woodbridge United Methodist Church celebrated its 175th anniversary with a look back on the church's rich history last week. ANDREW MILLER staff Karl Domingo, 6, of Woodbridge, plays with a bow and arrow he got at the Woodbridge United Methodist Church's 175th anniversary celebration Oct. 20. Members of the church, 69 Main St., kicked off the celebration with a fish and chips dinner provided by Argyle Fish & Chip Restaurant of Kearny, held at the church Oct. 19. Continuing their celebration, the church held a craft fair on Oct. 20, which included the Quakers displaying their customs and food, children's activities, face painting, pony rides, a craft show and a historic display. The Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission, Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the New Jersey Commission/Department of State provided some of the funding for the celebration. Congregants and members of the community received a booklet about the history of the church, which was made by Frank LaPenta and his wife, Audrey. Long before there was a United Methodist Church on Main Street, a Quaker Meeting House occupied the site. "We decided to have the Quakers as part of our celebration because they are part of our history and we purchased the church from them," said Audrey LaPenta, who has been a member of the church since 1962. In June 1832, the property next to the Quaker burial ground was deeded to the Methodists' trustees by William Gage Inslee and his wife, Nancy, for a new church building. The church was dedicated in September 1832. As the congregation grew, plans for a new, larger building were being considered; however, they were set aside by the Civil War between 1861 and 1865. Rather than tear down the old church, they moved the whole structure to what is now 71 Main St. and built a new church at 69 Main St. by 1870. However, two fires, one in 1876 and one in 1954, destroyed the church building. In 1954, a new church was built, and the building is the one that still stands today. The booklet describes the 1960s as a "turbulent" time, not only in the world, but in the church as well. PHOTOS BY ANDREW MILLER staff Above, Tan Nguyen of the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department fingerprints Kristen Belger, 8, of Iselin, during the Woodbridge United Methodist Church's 175th anniversary celebration Oct. 20. The fingerprinting was for parents to keep as a means of identification in case of an emergency. Below, Marianne Poos, 9, of Woodbridge, contemplates a table full of goods for sale at the event. The Rev. Theodore C. Seamans embraced the youth culture and was said to answer his telephone, "Hello, baby, what's doing?" But it was his politics that bothered many of the more conservative members of the church. He saw no conflict in supporting the separation of the church and state, while at the same time preaching from the pulpit against the war in Vietnam. In 1967, Seamans opened the doors of the Methodist Church to protesters of the war who were marching from Boston to Washington, D.C. He led a peace rally of around 45 protesters. Membership in the church of 500 congregants started dwindling. And some of those who stayed withheld their donations to the church. Seamans left the church in 1970. "The church is still trying to recover its membership," said Audrey. "We have approximately 150 congregants in the church now, and we are always looking for more." Ross Amaru, who is the chairman of the church committee and has been a member of the church for two and a half years, said the church's mission is community outreach. "That is what we are all about," he said. "Everyone in the congregation is warm and friendly." Amaru added that the church has always opened its doors. In 1951, the church opened its doors for people during the train wreck that killed 86 people. The train was traveling through Woodbridge when it derailed. The train wreck remains the fourth worst railway disaster in U.S. history. The church has also opened its doors to provide food and a bed for people who temporarily need it, as part of the National Interfaith Hospitality Network; to provide those who wanted to pray, find solace or counseling following the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy; and the church has participated as a food bank. "One of our goals is to become ADA compliant by putting a handicap ramp in," said Amaru. Today, with the Rev. Hee Moon Lee, who has been with the church for two years, the church serves the community humbly through ministries to children, such as Sunday school and the New Beginnings Ministries. The LaPentas' son Bruce offers his memories of the church in the booklet. "I remember the loving nature of the congregation," said Bruce, who joined the congregation as a toddler in 1962. "The church has always been like an extended family to me. I remember as a child going to Sunday school and the holidays." Bruce added that the church has always been there, whether congregants are worshiping on Sunday morning, serving the community during local events, preparing for the holidays, or just meeting for coffee, Bible study, or conversation. Even though the church has been through fires and "turbulent" times, congregants can still find an interesting piece of history from the church's beginnings with several gravestones that were left from the old cemetery, which is now a parking lot. Two particular gravestones are of Janet Gage (1748-1821) and her loyalist husband, Philip Gage (1743-1780). Janet is said to have selected a hickory tree and fashioned it into a Liberty Pole in front of William Manning's tavern, known as the Cross Keys, which was at the intersection of Main Street and Amboy Avenue. The Cross Keys building was moved behind the Woodbridge Knights of Columbus. It is said she raised upon it the first Stars and Stripes to fly over Woodbridge.