Until very recent decades, social life in the rural communities of Sussex County was centered around churches. Families gathered for weekly worship, Bible studies, Sunday School classes, choir practice and took part in seasonal celebrations, church picnics and dinners. Churches were indisputably the setting for life’s most significant moments — weddings, baptisms and funerals— and their cemeteries provided the final resting places of the revered local veterans. The pastor often doubled as the school teacher and was sought out as the family counsellor. Much like family membership, church affiliation was a fundamental part of one’s identity and often a reflection of values. It was a safe place where a sense of belonging sustained all members.

The early immigrants who came to New Jersey relied upon their faith for the succor and hope needed to survive the adversity they faced. Many were refugees of religious persecution in Europe, as well as victims of war, and sustaining their religious practice was critical. Once settled in their new surroundings, they usually began to worship in the homes of neighbors until they were able to build log cabins as chapels. The pure simplicity of the humble surroundings and the warmth and intimacy of the community — a stark contrast to the ornate churches and stately cathedrals of Europe —- must have stirred their hearts. This form of worship sustained them for three decades before they endeavored to construct more formal church buildings to accommodate the growing number of settlers.