Submitted by Al Shipley, City Historian and Rahway Library Research Consultant
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, the “Little Church on the Side of the Road,” is celebrating one hundred years of ministry and service to the community.
Through the inspiration of the Lord, Friendship Baptist was organized on the first Sunday in July, 1917, with a membership of seventeen congregants. The new congregation began holding its services in a small house on Grand Avenue between the railroad elevation and Elizabeth Avenue, across from the former Wheatena Cereal Company. The first minister was the Reverend D. C. Duncan who was called to serve on March 17, 1918.
Pastor Duncan was a preacher with a vision and as his congregation grew, he led it to purchase a piece of property on East Hazelwood Avenue where he hoped to build a new sanctuary. The dream was soon realized and on the first Sunday in April, 1919, the cornerstone of the Friendship Baptist Church was laid. A Dedication Service was held three months later on July 17, 1919.
The new church was a small, one-room structure with a pot-bellied stove positioned in the center of the room. In lieu of pews, folding chairs were placed around the stove.
Pastor Duncan served for six years (1918- 1924) and over the next twenty years the church was served by four ministers, with James B. Mackie having a tenure of eleven years (1934- 1945).
Following World War II Friendship Baptist, like most churches throughout the United States, saw an increase in membership and commitment. During the eight years of Pastor C. H. Morrell’s service (1946-1954) several major improvements were made to the sanctuary. A new heating system was installed, pews replaced the folding chairs, and a new basement was constructed.
During the seventeen-year pastorate of Reverend C. A. Thomas (1955-1972), an addition was made to the sanctuary enlarging the space by 33%, a new organ and piano were purchased, and more modern and comfortable pews were added. The congregation also celebrated the burning of their mortgage during this period.
In the 1970s improvements continued to be made including a new kitchen and dining area, an upgraded sound system, improved sanctuary lighting, and the installation of air-conditioning in 1978.
Under the leadership of current minister, Reverend Allen Thompson, who was called to Friendship Baptist in 1984, the church has continued to be blessed spiritually and financially. The property on the east side of the church was purchased in 1986 and cleared for a much-needed parking area. A new roof was placed on the sanctuary, interior and exterior walls were painted, carpeting was installed, a second van was purchased, and upgrades were made in many other areas of the facility. In 1993 a flower and vegetable garden was established which over the years has developed into a project that not only serves the congregation, but benefits the surrounding neighborhood as well. The beautiful flower bed has produced blooms that have earned prizes in community garden contests. The “Victory Patch” contains over forty beds in a plot that encompasses an area of 1 ½ acres. Each bed is tended by either church members or neighborhood residents who plant, nurture, and harvest a crop which includes collards, cabbage, string beans, broccoli, tomatoes, and a variety of other seasonal vegetables. Youngsters from the JFK Center make frequent visits to the garden to learn about gardening and to observe the growing cycle of plants.
From a small group of seventeen members, Friendship Baptist has endured, grown, and prospered over the past one hundred years to become one of Rahway’s active religious communities always holding fast to the congregation’s motto, “With God on our side, we can make it.”
(above) Friendship Baptist Church “The little church on the side of the pond.”
