The historic Navesink United Methodist Church at 112 Navesink Ave. has been put up for sale by its congregation for $650,000. The church is on .64 acres with a 19-car parking lot.
Photo courtesy Nettie Einhorn
By Eileen Moon
A church that has been a place of solace, prayer and celebration for more than 150 years is now on the market in Navesink.
The historic white clapboard building originally constructed in 1854 is listed with Bernadette Barnett of Heritage House-International Realty in Rumson for $650,000.
The 3,300-square-foot church sits on slightly more than half an acre of land at 112 Navesink Ave., just a block down the street from the historic red store now called Big Mike’s.
Once, the area was a thriving hamlet surrounded by farmland. At the time of its construction the church was known as the Riceville Methodist Episcopal Church, a gathering place for local farmers and fisherman who could travel to church on a Sunday by carriage and horse for prayer and fellowship.
A weathered marble plaque at the entrance to the church still bears that name, along with this message: “Peace be within thy walls.”
Photo courtesy Nettie Einhorn
The church has weathered its own challenges over the years. A plaque on the exterior of the building notes that it was rebuilt in 1889 – for reasons lost to history. It was partially rebuilt again in 1963, when a fire damaged the sanctuary.
But according to Church Trustee Donald Gates, who was quoted in a recent press release, the interior of the church retains the sheen of polished wood and an architectural style reminiscent of a ship’s hull. “Continuing with a maritime theme, the walls are topped with scalloped dark trim meeting the white plaster walls, reminiscent of ocean waves. The pews, pulpit, lectern and flooring are all warm oak.”
Much has changed in the century and a half since the cornerstone was laid. The pace of life has accelerated with each decade, as paths carved out of the dirt have been covered with asphalt to accommodate gas-powered engines, and the ties that once bound family and community have loosened; shared fates and fortunes diluted by technology and the passage of time.
Like many churches around the nation, Navesink United Methodist Church began to see a decline in membership decades ago.
In the 1980s, the congregation decided to economize by sharing a pastor with their fellow Methodist Church in Atlantic Highlands. It was a harmonious arrangement.
On Christmas Eve, a child-friendly service took place at the Third Avenue church and a later, candlelight service took place in Navesink.
Three years ago, the two once-distinct congregations merged into one, with services divided between the mid-twentieth century-era brick church on Third Avenue in Atlantic Highlands and its sister church born a hundred years earlier.
“We became one entity,” said Rev. Jill Hubbard-Smith, who became pastor of the Atlantic Highlands Church in 2009. The merged congregation now totals about 150 members.
But while the merger went smoothly, the decline in church participation and the increase in expenses required to maintain two church buildings could not be ignored while the need for community outreach was continually expanding.
Members of the church deliberated about what to do. “We took two years to assess how we could best be stewards of all this property,” Hubbard-Smith said.
With an aging congregation, the energy that was being invested in sustaining and maintaining two buildings was detracting from the mission of the church, she continued.
Ultimately, church officials decided to put the matter to a vote.
Although some members rejected the idea, most of the congregation voted overwhelmingly in favor of selling the Navesink church.
It was not an easy choice, Hubbard-Smith said.
Photo courtesy Nettie Einhorn
“It was a very tough decision to give up that church because it is beautiful and historic,” she said. “But in 2019 can you afford to keep things just because you love them and they’re beautiful?”
The sale of the church will allow the congregation to expand its outreach, which today includes a soup and bread lunch free to all on the first Monday of the month, a community crafting group, emergency shelter space for families in coordination with the Family Promise organization, an ecumenical food pantry serving more than 300 families annually, summer services in the harbor, meeting space for scouting groups and members of recovery organizations, and mission trips to areas recovering from disasters.
“We realized our first duty is to be a church for the 21st Century, reaching out to meet the needs of the Atlantic Highlands, Navesink and Highlands communities,” Hubbard-Smith said in a prepared statement.
“We could see the cost in both money and energy of maintaining the Navesink building and the Atlantic Highlands building less than a mile away was not good stewardship of our resources.”
The sale of the building will allow the church to expand its mission and ministry work in the community.
Rev. Hubbard-Smith said, “As Christians and United Methodists we believe we are called to serve our community and makes disciples for Jesus Christ. Our mission work is a vital component of that.”
With Christmas approaching, the congregation is preparing for their annual Living Nativity night at their church on Third Avenue, when the entire community is invited to sing carols and enjoy a nativity scene featuring live animals and children from the congregation.
There are also tentative plans in the works for their ‘Blue Christmas” service, which is intended for those who have suffered a loss or who feel unconnected from the traditional celebrations of the holidays.
The congregation plans to continue to use the Navesink Church until a sales contract is signed.
Last Sunday, the historic church was the scene of a jazz service in observation of All Saints Day. “We had a full house,” said congregation member Steve LeGrice.
If the church is not under contract at Christmas, Hubbard-Smith said, the congregation will hosts one more candlelight service there, “and we’ll say goodbye,” she said.
