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800-939-JUNK Hackettstown Church Celebrates Two Million Dollar Mortgage Burning
No. 20 Vol. 8
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My Life Publications • 1-800-691-7549
by Elsie Walker hen a family pays off the mortgage, it is a big event. When that mortgage is two million dollars, that event seems even more momentous. In June, the Trinity United Methodist Church at 213 Main Street in Hackettstown, celebrated paying off a mortgage initially taken out in the 1990s and added to over the years reaching two million dollars. The mortgage helped the church to expand its ministries and provide the various ways that it helps the local community. The mortgage burning celebration was a look back at the vision the church had had for its future and how the mortgage helped it to fulfill much of that. Sharing in that reflection were members Tom and Ginny Thorpe, Rev. Don Gebhard (Deacon), and the church’s lead pastor, Rev. Erica Munoz. Also, Munoz later reflected on the commitment that led to the mortgage being paid off and talked about Trinity’s outreach and future. The Thorpes shared a bit of historical background. In 1776, Methodism came to Hackettstown thanks to itinerant preacher, John Cooper. In 1832, the Methodists in town had their first vision of what could be. They wanted to build a church: Trinity’s first sanctuary. They did with a
cornerstone laid in 1833; however, with later growth came the need for a new sanctuary. In 1888, the current sanctuary was built auditorium style which means there’s a sloping floor and curving style that allows everyone to see the pulpit. It was also the first building in Hackettstown to have electricity. In 1899, a rotunda was added to the sanctuary in order to provide more space for programs and ministries. However, the Trinity United Methodist Church that people see today has only evolved in the last 30 plus years; for that evolution to take place, a mortgage would be needed and increased a few times. In the late 1980s, Trinity was outgrowing its space. Starting in 1990, Rev. Frank Fowler, church leaders and teams started on a vision of what Trinity United Methodist could do if it had more space. At the time, the vision was of a large addition to the church that would include classroom space, a multipurpose room, kitchen and parking. That vision would become the church’s Starr Hall which was developed at a cost of 1.6 million dollars; a mortgage of $975,000 was taken out. Tom Thorpe noted that a million dollars in those days is equal to about two million today. With faith and prayer, the congregation went forward.
August 2024
By 2005 – 2006, the church was outgrowing Starr Hall and had a chance to buy a run-down lumberyard (and thus acquire more space). The church did it and increased the mortgage to 1.2 million dollars. At this point, the church had the lumberyard and a sanctuary that had not be renovated in 40 years. The church developed a 15-year plan with the hope
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of changing the lumberyard showroom into Trinity House and doing several other projects. In 2007, a capital campaign was run, but it fell short. The economy was bad and general giving to the church was down. Some of the plans had to be set aside, and in order to complete the Trinity House project and a scaled back continued on page 6