A Brief History of Clover Hill Reformed Church

Perhaps it was the rising tide of the Second Great Religious Awakening in the 1800s or, more likely, local and practical reasons that motivated a group of farmers of the Amwell Valley in 1833 to build a church for the village now known as Clover Hill. Land was donated at the crossroads of Somerset and Hunderton counties and a not insignificant amount of money for the time ($3261.42) and lumber was raised and shortly so was a 42' by 52' building. Only after the building was complete did those who had donated money or lumber meet to vote on becoming Dutch Reformed or Presbyterian. Dutch Reformed won and Clover Hill began to offer worship, fellowship and commitment to the community on August 17, 1834.

Financial challenges beset the fledgling congregation from the beginning, leading in 1840 to the church merging with a nearby Presbyterian Church. But Clover Hill regained its Reformed independence during the Civil War.

The remaining years of the 19th Century reflected the growth and expansion that was the national character of the era. The congregation took on such projects as the addition to the old parsonage in 1866, the renovation of the Sanctuary in 1871 and the reconstruction of the steeple that had blown over in 1885.

The first half of the 20th Century saw continued spiritual growth as the church benefited from the proximity of Princeton and New Brunswick Seminaries, where some of the outstanding ministers of the Reformed Church studied while serving as Installed or Student Pastors at Clover Hill. In the depths of the Great Depression the congregation achieved two major building projects when the basement was dug (and blasted) out to create education and fellowship space and the Sanctuary walls were covered with the tin work that is still in place.

The post-war years brought changes as the baby boom and building boom transformed Central Jersey. It was during the 1950’s that the new parsonage was built and the Church Office was added. Under the leadership of a series of pastors, Clover Hill navigated the changes of the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s with a strong, balanced focus on family, worship, service and fellowship and provided leadership within the Classis and the denomination.

In 1977, the Rev. Jack Cherry assumed the pastoral responsibilities of the Clover Hill Reformed Church. During the next twenty years, Clover Hill enjoyed a time of spiritual and community growth. So many raised their families together; baptizing and confirming their children, supporting one another, attending Bible studies together, and growing in their faith. They attended pig roasts and Vacation Bible School. The youth group held retreats and mission trips. The Church supported Camp Warwick by holding both youth and adult retreats at the camp and even building an outdoor chapel there. Rev. Cherry continued the tradition of serving beyond Clover Hill by accepting several positions with the New Brunswick Seminary and the denomination over the years.

During Rev. Cherry's almost 40 years of leadership, Clover Hill experienced joyful communion with one another and what seemed like stability of our membership. But the church experienced the challenges of many mainline Protestant churches. With the new century, active membership slowly began to decline as children grew up and moved away while the remaining congregation continued to age. Since Rev. Cherry's retirement, Clover Hill has faced significant challenges and transition.

The first step of this transition was led by Rev. Andrew Wall, who began in 2015 as a regular worship leader. Under his pastorate leadership (2016-2018) the Consistory adopted a Consistory-led “Teams” approach sharing responsibility for leadership with congregational team members. The Consistory equipped and empowered our teams to organize and do the work needed for our church. We became much more aware of our financial picture during this time and accepted our need to look for a part-time pastor.

The teams became critical in 2020 as Clover Hill faced the triple challenges of pastor vacancy, a destroyed parsonage and Covid19. With aid from the Classis, Clover Hill persevered. The Pastors from the Classis assisted us in transitioning to on-line worship and Zoom gatherings. After a few months, Rev. Marisol Ferrer Malloy, came as a contract pastor. During her one year tenure, she helped stabilize our worshiping community, albeit a hybrid of on-line and in-person gathering. She stretched Clover Hill's perspective through her preaching and teaching.

In 2022, Rev. Beth Scibienski arrived to lead Clover Hill in an intentional transitional period. During this time, leadership and the congregation engaged in a thorough Mission Study to help us discern where God is calling us. As the third century of Clover Hill Reformed Church rapidly approaches, the Church eagerly looks forward to continuing worship, fellowship and service in new and exciting ways. The story continues...And The Light Still Shines.

March 2023