UCC and Super Storm Sandy

The UCC made a comment about Super Storm Sandy one year ago.  Here are some excerpts from that article.

Life changed overnight for thousands of Americans a year ago, when they found themselves in the path of Hurricane Sandy.  The superstorm, the second-costliest hurricane in United States history, struck the Atlantic coast on Oct. 29, 2012.  In the year since, people across the life of the United Church of Christ – from national offices, to conferences, congregations, and pastors – have come together as one church to care for those impacted by the storm.

Through the UCC's One Great Hour of Sharing, $289,484 in aid was distributed to UCC congregations and relief agencies to help affected people get back on their feet.

There was a story about a church in our area.

First Congregational Christian UCC, in Irvington, N.J. has always opened its doors to the community through its food pantry. But after Sandy, and with the help of a $2,000 grant from One Great Hour of Sharing, the congregation became a shelter for a warm space, a hot meal, and eventually became a community center where displaced residents could get food and water.

"The church is known for helping. For the last 25 years we're known for our food pantry effort monthly and weekly," said the Rev. Dolores Watson, the congregation's pastor. "When this event happened, the township approached us for help, and because of the space we have and the heart that out people have it was a natural fit. The township needed somewhere where people who were put out could go.
"We just opened our doors," Watson said. "We helped whoever came to the door."

For about three straight weeks, First Congregational Christian acted as both shelter and distribution center for other churches in the area, and handed out food from the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, Watson said. First Congregational also received donations from sister churches in Pennsylvania via a truck trailer filled with water and supplies, and shared that with other churches in Irvington and surrounding communities

Other churches in New Jersey helped Sandy Victems as well by either sending volunteers to work or housing them overnight.

UCC Volunteer Ministries is directing people interested in mission work to the long-term recovery effort in New Jersey and New York.
Watson put it best when she said, "We tried to spread the word of the UCC and as we call it, 'Just doing Jesus' – that's our slogan

If you want to read the full article use this link.  http://www.ucc.org/news/HurricaneSandy-one-year-later-10292013.html

History Report

1. I purchased the book "The Lone Arranger" in order to find out how to arrange the Christ Church Archives that are currently stored in three file cabinets and in a room.  I consulted with the UCC Archivist about how to organize the archives.  I may ask students from Rutgers who are studying to become librarians and archivists to help some time next year.

2. I was able to find the name of the architects of Christ Church in a book housed in the Summit Library entitled "Images of American Summit" by Patricia E. Meola.  The Architects of the "new" building (our present building" were C. Fred Bertrand and John N. Cady.  The seating capacity of the church was 350 and the style is English Gothic.  The church was originally the First New Baptist Church of Summit.   This was the third building of the church.

3. A brief history of the church from several sources:

 In 1875, the climate was right for establishing in Summit a Baptist Church, now Christ Church a (a member of the United Church of Christ.) [i]On March 17 1876 fifteen men and women met together to form the "First Baptist Church" of Summit. "The Presbyterian West Summit Chapel was sitting empty.  It was offered to the Baptists provided they would assume its $1000.00 mortgage and maintain worship for at least a year. "[ii]  In 1886 property was purchased at the corner of Morris Avenue and Locust Drive which is now St. Teresa's playground. In 1888 a new meeting house was dedicated there which served until 1904 when the present edifice was completed at 561 Springfield Ave. The building has been enlarged twice since then. In the 1930's our membership was opened to all denominations and in 1958, the church dropped the denominational name to become Christ Church and become affiliated with the United Church of Christ as well as the American Baptist Church.

4. The history can continue to include the renovation to attach the separate Sunday School Building

5. I have copies of the documents and I know the original documents of organization are in the file cabinets.  I could use help in arranging the archives.

6. I also plan to take the oral history of some of the older members of the church, maybe even by phone because some of them have moved away.

Addendum

At the Oral History Conference in Oklahoma City last month I met some young women who attend Kean College.  They have learned to take the Oral History of  people who were affected by Sandy.  They would be willing to help me with the oral history for a fee

 

 

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[i] Edmund B. Raftis  Summit New Jersey From Poverty Hill to The Hill City  Great Swamp Press Seattle 1996  p 101

[ii] ibd