200th Anniversary
"1824 to 2025"
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The date is
Sunday, November 23, 2025
10:30 AM!
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Please Arrive by 9:30 am
to view our memorabilia
rooms and Toy Store!

after the service
there will be celebration
in Mckinnon hall
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New Additional History History

 

BERKELEY HEIGHTS -- Mary Lou Landwehr and Bill Weller posed for this photo on the steps of the Union Village Methodist Church in Berkeley Heights in 1960.

Engaged at the time of the picture, they were married at the church on Feb. 18, 1961.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to union@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries Thursdays on nj.com.

 

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Union UMC, 1800s - 1930s

The exact date our church was founded is unknown but we do know it was in the early 1800s.  The names of the founding families and ministers are not known.   The first church building was erected off Cuthbertson Road. This building was located in what is now known as the Champion Forest neighborhood. This building burned and another wooden church was erected on this site which also burned.  There is a cemetery near the site of the burned churches and it contains tombstones dating back to the 1820's.   There are many graves marked only with rocks, some of which we believe were older than the engraved tombstones.  In 1888, after the second structure burned, the center of the community had shifted to New Town Road and the congregation bought land on the new road.

 

Union UMC, 1930 - Today

A small white clapboard church building was built on the present location.  This structure was remodeled in the 1930's, adding red compostion siding and classrooms. That strucure was torn down in 1976 and our present church sanctuary was built on the same site.  For 200 years Union United Methodist Church has welcomed new people into its church family and provided a community setting for worship.  We appreciate all of our members and welcome others into our fellowship. 

 

The Union Village United Methodist Church in Berkeley Heights, NJ, was founded in 1824 after early settlers were inspired by a camp meeting. A meeting house was built in 1825, but the church closed in 1907 before being reopened. The church has since expanded, adding an annex in 1940, an education building in 1955, and a sanctuary in 1961, and is now celebrating its 200th anniversary.  

Founding:

The church's history began in 1824 when a group of settlers, inspired by a camp meeting, began to gather for prayer at the home of Joseph Tucker. 

 

First meeting house:

A meeting house was built at a crossroads and dedicated on December 18, 1825. 

 

Expansion and additions:

1907: The original meeting house closed and was sold but was later reopened. 

1940: An annex was built onto the church. 

1955: An education building was erected due to rapid growth. 

1961: A sanctuary was added. 

Current status:

The church is celebrating its 200th anniversary and continues to serve the Berkeley Heights community through worship, ministries, and outreach programs. 

 

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The history of the Union Village United Methodist Church

dates back to the early 19th century, when a meeting house was built in 1825 following a camp meeting in 1824. The original structure was replaced in 1856-1857, and the church continued to grow, adding an education building in 1955 and a new sanctuary in 1961. 

 

Early beginnings:

The church's origins trace to a group of settlers who met in a home for prayer, inspired by a camp meeting in 1824. 

First meeting house:

The community built its first meeting house at the crossroads, which was dedicated on December 18, 1825. 

 

Current building:

The current church building was constructed in 1856-1857, replacing the original wooden structure. 

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Growth and expansion:

The church expanded over the years, building an annex in 1940 and a new education building in 1955. A sanctuary was added in 1961. 

 

Name change:

In 1966, the church became the United Methodist Church following the merger of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren churches. 

 

Continued development:

The church continued to grow and adapt, with wings added to the building in 1960 and 1970

 

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Additional information regarding our history

 

History of Union Village United Methodist Church:

The Union Village United Methodist Church in Warren and Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, was founded in the early 1800s following Methodist camp meetings. The church was officially dedicated in December 1825, though its history includes multiple buildings and periods of growth and decline. 

 

Early history:

The church's origins trace back to 1824 when settlers, inspired by a camp meeting, started holding prayer meetings in a local home. The first church building, a wooden meeting house, was dedicated on December 18, 1825, in the area now known as Champion Forest. The congregation grew quickly, establishing a Sunday school by 1835 and often sharing preachers with the New Providence congregation throughout the 19th century. Both the first and a subsequent wooden church on the same site were destroyed by fire, the latter in 1888. Following the second fire, the church relocated to New Town Road, reflecting the community's shift, and a new clapboard church was built there. 

 

Early 20th-century challenges and revival:

In the early 1900s, the church experienced a period of decline, leading to its closure and an order for it to be sold by the state conference in 1905. However, in 1907, the property was purchased and the church reopened, forming a new board of trustees. The building was renovated, and the congregation began to grow again. Despite a brief closing in 1921, the church saw a revival later in the 1920s, added an annex in 1940, and reached about 90 members. 

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Postwar growth and expansion:

Following World War II, the church saw significant growth, with membership rising from 50 in 1948 to a peak of 1,071 by 1970. This expansion led to the construction of new facilities, including an education building in 1955 on a new site and a new sanctuary in 1961. The original clapboard church was replaced with the current sanctuary on the same site in 1976. 

 

Modern era:

Today, the church serves the Warren, Berkeley Heights, and surrounding areas. It has developed various programs and ministries over the years, such as a handbell choir, Bible studies, and outreach initiatives. The church continues its mission of being welcoming and inclusive, rooted in its extensive history of faith and community involvement

 

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Here are some historical accounts from former pastors or members:

Historical accounts and personal reflections from former pastors and members of the Union Village United Methodist Church exist and can be found through various channels. The church's website offers historical tidbits, and broader resources like the General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH) collect oral histories from throughout the Methodist denomination.

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Accounts from former pastors

 

Reverend David Ravinder: The pastor in the mid-1990s, Rev. Ravinder commented on the church's resilience. He led efforts to attract new members through mailings and started various new programs like home Bible studies and youth groups. He noted that although the congregation had declined from its peak in the 1970s, it remained aggressive in seeking new members.

 

Reverend Henry J. McKinnon: A pastor who served from 1948 until 1970, McKinnon led the church during a major growth period. A former U.S. Navy pilot, he took a congregation of 50 members and grew it to over 1,000. Under his leadership, the church added an education building and a new sanctuary.

 

Early circuit preachers: The church's 200th-anniversary page offers anecdotes about some of the earliest preachers, like David Best and William A. Wiggins. A local resident, Betsey Crane, noted in her diary that Best was "an able thinker" but less popular than the "more dynamic" Wiggins. 

 

Accounts from former members

 

Betsey Crane's diary: As noted above, Crane's diary offers a glimpse into the personal impressions of early church members regarding their pastors in the 19th century.

 

Willis Fletcher Johnson's account: After the second fire destroyed the church in 1888, the state conference ordered the church sold. In 1907, Willis Fletcher Johnson and his brother purchased the property. Johnson's account states that they decided to reopen the church instead of letting it be destroyed. His decision was instrumental in reviving the congregation. 

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Other sources of information

 

The General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH):

This organization houses extensive Methodist artifacts, photographs, and documents. It also manages an oral history app, "United Methodist Stories," which allows members to share personal experiences. Some of these may pertain to the Union Village church.

 

Anniversary publications:

Churches often create special publications to commemorate major anniversaries, featuring historical records and personal stories. While no specific anniversary book from Union Village UMC was found, other Methodist churches have published such books, providing a precedent for this type of record-keeping.

 

Archival records:

Denominational archives and resources like Ancestry.com, in partnership with the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church, hold vital records, which can offer insight into the lives of past members

 

 

Willis Fletcher Johnson's and his brother's

reasons to reopen the church:

After the Union Village Methodist Church closed and was ordered to be sold by the state conference, Willis Fletcher Johnson and his brother purchased the property in 1907

. Johnson's own account states that the brothers initially were unsure what to do with the property but came to the conviction that they "should not be parties to the destruction of a church". Ultimately, they decided to do their utmost to have it reopened. This decision was driven by several factors:

 

Preventing the destruction of a church:

The primary motivation, as articulated by Willis Fletcher Johnson himself, was a strong moral and ethical objection to the destruction of a consecrated house of worship.

 

 

 

Respect for the community's history:

The Union Village church was one of the oldest congregations in the region, with its roots stretching back to the early 1800s. Reopening it would preserve a significant piece of local history rather than allowing it to become a casualty of changing times.

 

Nostalgia and personal connection:

While not explicitly detailed, it is likely that Johnson and his brother, who grew up in the area, felt a personal connection to the institution. The church was part of their community's story, and allowing it to be sold off would have been a personal loss as well.

 

A commitment to faith:

As lifelong Methodists, their decision was rooted in a commitment to their faith and the belief that the church was a vital part of the community's spiritual life. Reviving the congregation was a way to uphold those values. 

After making the decision, the brothers moved quickly to make it a reality. By July 1908, a new Board of Trustees was established, a sexton was hired, and the building was repainted, leading to the church's reopening

 

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What's known about Johnson's brother and his role in the decision?

While sources confirm Willis Fletcher Johnson and his brother purchased the Union Village United Methodist Church property in 1907 with the stated goal of reopening it, specific details about the brother's individual identity and contributions are limited. 

 

Here is what is known:

A collaborative decision:

The brother was a full partner in the purchase of the property, and the decision to reopen the church was a joint one. Johnson's own account references the brothers deciding together that they "should not be parties to the destruction of a church".

 

Johnson's likely role as the primary spokesperson:

It was Willis Fletcher Johnson, the journalist and author, who wrote the public account of the decision. This has given him a more prominent place in the historical narrative, while his brother remains in the background.

 

Historical obscurity:

Standard searches and the church's own website do not provide the brother's name or any further elaboration on his personal role, suggesting his contributions were primarily private and his name not formally recorded in the public-facing history. The emphasis in the historical records is on the collective action of "the brothers," with Willis Fletcher Johnson providing the written testimony

 

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Some of the outreach programs of the church is evolved in?

The Union Village United Methodist Church in Warren, NJ, has a strong focus on community engagement, with several ongoing outreach programs

. 

Food and hunger initiatives:

The church is active in supporting those experiencing food insecurity through partnerships with organizations like Rise Against Hunger. 

 

"Rise Against Hunger":

The congregation regularly participates in meal-packing events at a local warehouse to help provide food for those in need. Comfort and care ministries Members of the church create handmade items to provide comfort to those going through difficult times. 

 

Knitting ministries:

An active group of knitters regularly creates items such as prayer shawls, chemotherapy caps, hats, booties, and blankets for hospitals and other groups. Projects have included providing warmth for newborns in the NICU at Overlook Hospital and comfort for veterans undergoing cancer treatment. Community-building and spiritual life In addition to charity work, the church organizes events to foster community spirit and support spiritual growth. 

 

Blessing of the Backpacks:

This annual service offers a prayer and blessing for students and their families at the start of the school year.

 

Montessori school:

The church property is also home to a Montessori school, contributing to the educational opportunities for local children. 

 

Broader United Methodist missions:

As part of the wider United Methodist denomination, the church also supports the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which provides aid in response to crises and disasters

 

The church has other community initiatives:

In addition to its hunger and care ministries, the Union Village United Methodist Church in Warren, NJ, has other community initiatives that focus on fellowship, education, and supporting wider Methodist missions. 

Youth and children's education

 

Sunday School:

The church offers weekly Sunday School classes from September to June for children of all ages. The curriculum is designed to make Bible stories engaging and accessible.

 

Montessori School:

A Montessori school is located on the church property, offering educational opportunities for young children in the community. Fellowship and community gatherings.

 

United Methodist Women (UMW):

The UMW is a long-standing group that offers both service and fellowship. They meet monthly for knitting and conversation. In the past, they have hosted other women's ministry events and retreats.

 

Senior Forums:

For older members of the community, the church hosts a forum with varying topics, encouraging connection and continued learning.

 

Prayer Groups and Bible Studies:

The church also organizes prayer and Bible study groups throughout the year to help members deepen their faith and build community. 

 

Union Village UMC:

Global missions The church supports missions beyond its local community, including the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which provides aid in response to crises and disasters around the world. Partnerships and support for other organizations

 

Habitat for Humanity:

The church partners with organizations like Habitat for Humanity to help provide housing for families in need.

 

Homeless Support:

In the past, the church has been involved with interfaith programs to support the Elaborate on the church's interfaith programs for the homeless. While details on Union Village United Methodist Church's specific interfaith programs for the homeless are not extensively documented in available online sources, the available information indicates that the church has a history of participating in such initiatives. The most likely vehicle for this work is the broader

 

Family Promise:

(formerly Interfaith Hospitality Network) program, a national organization with a strong presence in New Jersey. How the program likely operated Based on how Family Promise works in New Jersey, the program at Union Village UMC would have followed this model:

 

A rotating network:

The church would have been one of a number of local congregations, across different faiths, that would take turns hosting homeless families.

 

Weekly housing rotation:

For one week at a time, possibly on a rotating quarterly schedule, the church would open its facilities to temporarily house homeless families.

 

Volunteer support:

Church volunteers would have provided overnight hosting, cooked and served warm dinners, and offered companionship to families staying there.

 

Day center resources:

Families would have been bused from the church during the day to a "day center" (in nearby Somerville for Somerset County participants) where they could receive services, work on finding housing, and attend school or training.

 

Collaboration:

Union Village UMC would have worked with other local churches and temples in Somerset County, mobilizing a large number of volunteers to make the program a success for the homeless individuals served. 

 

 

Evidence of Union Village UMC 's participation An online history of

Union Village UMC specifically mentions that an "interfaith Hospitality for the Homeless program was organized" in the 1980s.Local listings confirm that a similar program, the "HOME (Housing Outreach Multifaith Empowerment)" initiative (the current name for Family Promise in the area), operates in Somerset County and uses a rotation of host churches to serve homeless individuals. 

 

Current involvement:

Although the church's website mentions past involvement, it does not currently list the Family Promise program among its active ministries. This does not necessarily mean the church is no longer involved. However, the church currently prioritizes its partnerships with organizations like Rise Against Hunger and Habitat for Humanity, in addition to its knitting and fellowship ministries. For the most current information, contacting Union Village United Methodist Church directly would be the best approach.

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Our History Continued

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Here's some information about the history of the Union Village United Methodist Church in New Jersey: 

 - The church was dedicated on December 18, 1825 in the Union Village hamlet, which is on the border of Warren and Berkeley Heights townships. 

 - The exact date of the church's founding is unknown, but it was in the early 1800s. 

 - The first church building was located off Cuthbertson Road in what is now the Champion Forest neighborhood. 

  The first building burned down, and another wooden church was built on the same site, but it also burned. 

 - After the second church burned in 1888, the congregation bought land on New Town Road, where the center of the community had shifted.

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WARREN TWP. In December 1825, the United States was nearing its half-century anniversary of declaring independence. Two of its first three presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, were still alive.

And that month, a meeting house to accommodate the growing number of converts to Methodism was built in the Union Village section of the township, not far from the border of Berkeley Heights Township.

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Source: New Jersey Hills Media Group

175 years of faith at Union Village

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Union Village United Methodist Church, at the border of Warren and Berkeley Heights townships, is celebrating its 175th anniversary. The church was dedicated on Dec. 18, 1825 in what was the "Union Village" hamletin the township.

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WARREN TWP. In December 1825, the United States was nearing its half-century anniversary of declaring independence. Two of its first three presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, were still alive.

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And that month, a meeting house to accommodate the growing number of converts to Methodism was built in the Union Village section of the township, not far from the border of Berkeley Heights Township.

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One and three-quarter centuries later, within walking distance of its ancestral home, the Union Village United Methodist Church continues as one of the oldest congregations in the region. The church primarily serves Warren, Berkeley Heights and Long Hill townships and Watchung.

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This Sunday, Dec. 17, the church which has been commemorating its 175th anniversary with guest speakers throughout the year notes the actual anniversary with the Rev. Bishop Alfred Johnson, bishop of the greater New Jersey Methodist conference that serves some 60,000 members in 700 churches. He will speak at the 10:30 a.m. service, which will be followed by a catered lunch. For lunch reservations, call (908) 647-2120.

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'We Are On The Move'

 

The Rev. David Ravinder, the church's current pastor, said of Union Village, "We are on the move." The congregation presently has approximately 270 members, he said, a decline from its peak of 1,071 in 1970 but typical of church attendance declines "across the board, no matter what the denomination." Between 25 and 30 students attend Sunday School, the pastor added.

Ravinder said Union Village has been aggressive in seeking new members. It sends mailings about 900 at last count, he said to new residents of Berkeley Heights, Long Hill, Warren and Watchung. It's a practice that will continue for "the next couple of years," he added.

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No more than five percent of Union Village's congregation comes from outside its primary area, the pastor said. "We have a few from Scotch Plains and Plainfield, one or two from Chatham," he noted.

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Built On 'Wolf Hill'

 

The church's inception was probably related to the success of Methodist camp meetings on the site, known as Wolf Hill, in previous years; some drew as many as 4,000 people. The church's construction reportedly included wood hauled from Bound Brook by oxen.

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Early preachers included David Best and William A. Wiggins of the Essex circuit. A local resident, Betsey Crane, wrote in her diary that Best was "an able thinker, but a defective deliverer," thus making him less popular than the more dynamic Wiggins.

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Later preachers, George Banghart and Thomas J. Thompson, helped establish a Sunday school which grew to 75 members by 1835. For most of the rest of the 19th century, Union Village shared its preachers with New Providence.

 

A Struggling Time

 

By the early 20th century, Union Village was being served by preachers from the Drew Theological Seminary in Madison; interest in the church declined. In 1904 and 1905, the church was not supplied with a minister and the state Methodist conference ordered the church closed and sold. In 1907, it was purchased by Willis Fletcher Johnson and his brother, who initially were unsure what to do with the property. Eventually, Johnson wrote, the brothers decided "we should not be par ties to the destruction of a church, but instead would do our utmost to have it reopened."

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And that they did. By July of 1908, there was a new Board of Trustees and a sexton hired. Moreover, the building was repainted. Eventually, the congregation increased to 40, with a Sunday school population of 30. While there was a decline in the late 1910s which forced a brief closing in 1921, Union Village bounced back later in the 1920s under the Rev. Peter Lacey so much, in fact, that in 1931 the church formed a committee to consider expansion. In 1938, the church broke ground for an annex, which was dedicated in April 1940. By this time, the congregation had swelled to about 90.

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During World War II, the Red Cross used the new annex as an air raid shelter, and attendance declined due to gasoline rationing.

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Postwar Growth

 

Like so many suburban institutions, Union Village grew rapidly after the war. In 1948 a new pastor, former U.S. Navy pilot Henry J. McKinnon, took over a congregation of 50. By 1970, just before he was appointed a district superintendent, the congregation stood at 1,071; the growth eventually led to two services each Sunday, with Sunday School between the sessions.

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There was rapid physical development as well. In 1947, a parsonage was built on Hillcrest Road, where an education building was built in 1955. By the early 1960s, a new sanctuary was built on Hillcrest.

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As for the old church on Mountain Avenue, it was converted into a home of a local theater group. The building was sold in 1984, with the annex turned into a private home and the old structure demolished.

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Programs Increase

 

In the past half-century, the church has added a number of programs, including a senior forum, adult Bible study and a handbell choir. The Women's Society changed its name to the United Methodist Women in 1973, and in the 1980s an interfaith Hospitality for the Homeless program was organized.

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During the 1990s, the church began a men's organization and held annual chicken barbecue and St. Patrick's Day corned beef dinners. Ravinder took over in 1994 and has begun a home Bible study, a grief and loss progand a Friday night youth program.

 

Source: Wikipedia.United_Methodist_Church. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Methodist_Church​

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Additional History

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The Union Village United Methodist Church was begun by a group of early settlers, who, inspired by a camp meeting on Wolf Hill in 1824, met together for prayer in the home of Joseph Tucker. A meeting house was built at the crossroads, and dedicated December 18, 1825. In 1907 the church was closed and sold to Dr. W. F. Johnson who decided to have it reopened. An annex to the church was built in 1940. The church grew so rapidly that the present Education building was erected on a nearby site in 1955. A Sanctuary was added in 1961.

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Sources:

Echoes-Sentinel  Jan 9, 1975

https://www.newspapers.com/article/echoes-sentinel/28618430/

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Courier-News Sep 20, 1950

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-news-courier-news-sep-20195/28626768/

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