New Parsonage Enables Volunteers to Serve in Inner City
A loan from the Church Growth Fund has
allowed Trinity Reformed Church in Newark,
New Jersey, to purchase a second parsonage.
The church, nearly dead six years ago, is now
showing signs of abundant life. All of its ministries
are run by volunteers, including
some who will be moving into the
new parsonage, which contains three
apartments and office space. Two of
the apartments will be used by volunteer
pastors and their families, and
one will be used by younger, unmarried
staff members and volunteers.
The church, right in the thick of
Newark's inner city problems, is "still
very much a mission church," says
Danny Iverson, who runs Safe Haven Urban
Redemption, the church's community development
branch. "All of us have other jobs.
Our tithes and offerings don't even cover our
utilities and needs to keep the building up,
but it's serving the poor and really bringing
so much hope to lots of people."
Iverson says the new parsonage will help
supplement living expenses for the volunteer
staff. "We're going to provide housing so
Pastor Walter can quit one of his jobs," he
says. Pastor Walter, as the congregation calls
him, is an elder who has been working to
rebuild Trinity's ministry over the past few
years. Quitting one of his other jobs will give
him more time to focus on ministry.
The original parsonage is being repurposed
as a discipleship house for young men.
"Young men, some from the community and
some from outside the community, age 18
and up, are going to live there
and be discipled," Iverson
says. "Instead of paying rent,
they do community service.
We have a pastor from Florida
moving up here to be the
mentor and house parent to
the five to six 18- to 29-yearold
guys staying in the house,
serving the community and
studying the Word."
Trinity has exploded with
growth over the last year. The
church now sees 80 to 100
people in worship on Sunday,
with an additional 300 community
members participating in other
programming during the week, from
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to a "family dinner"
program for kids and teens, complete with family devotions
afterward for the 80-plus people who attend.
The church also runs a food pantry, a mentoring program
for young men, a discipleship program for
girls, and Bible studies. Volunteers give lessons in
music, dance, and martial arts, as well.
"Our church building has really become a community hub," Iverson says.
"We've had the mayor visit two times and developed a great relationship
with the city. We received three different community service awards for
the work that's happening."
When Iverson and others from Trinity first saw the new parsonage, they
knew it was the right building. But a sale was already pending. It fell
through, as did a second pending sale. Two hours after Iverson found out
the house was available again, he got a call from the CGF's Pam Goslinga,
letting him know the church had been approved for a loan. "We put in a
bid for $255,000 and got it," he says. "The house is appraised at a lot
more than that. We saw God's hand moving in an awesome way."
Iverson says working
with the Church Growth
Fund was a great experience.
"This is our first
time doing anything like
this, buying real estate.
They were very gracious
and patient explaining
the process and helping
us with the application.
We couldn't have
asked for anything
better."
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