The Presbytery of Newton is a regional governing body for Presbyterian congregations located in northwestern New Jersey and affiliated with the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

. Established in 1817 to oversee congregations in northwestern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania, the Presbytery of Newton currently includes 59 member churches located in the counties of

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

, Morris,

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...

and Hunterdon. The Presbytery of Newton is one of 22 presbyteries that comprise the Synod of the Northeast, which oversees 1,130 churches in New Jersey,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, and the New England states. A presbytery is a confederation of congregations united and accountable for management of church affairs in local region. It makes decisions regarding these affairs often as a quasi-representative body, or committee, with members representing each congregation—typically the

minister Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

and an

elder An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...

'commissioned' from each parish. This body often includes additional representatives that include other clergy not affiliated with a congregation such as theological college professors, chaplains, and retired ministers. Aside from these 59 member churches and the presbytery's various mission projects (domestic and overseas), the Presbytery of Newton is also connected to the Johnsonburg Camp and Retreat Center in

Johnsonburg, New Jersey Johnsonburg is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Frelinghuysen Township in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, that was created as part of the 2010 United States Census.< ...

, and a private preparatory school,

Blair Academy Blair Academy is a coeducational, boarding and day school for students in high school. The school serves students from ninth through twelfth grades as well as a small post-graduate class. The school's campus is located on a campus in Blairs ...

Blairstown, New Jersey Blairstown is a township in Warren County, New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Blairstown's population was 5,704. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 5,967State Route 10 in

Randolph Township, New Jersey Randolph is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the township's population was 25,734, reflecting an increase of 887 (+3.6%) from the 24,847 counted in the 2000 census, which had in turn ...

History

The Presbytery of Newton was created in October 1817 during a convention of the Synod of New York and New Jersey in October 1817.Presbytery of Newton. Proceedings of the Convention at Washington, New Jersey, November 20th, 1867, to celebrate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Organization of the Presbytery of Newton at the Mansfield Church, November 20th, 1817. (New York: Charles Scribner & Co. 1868). It was decided to divide the northern territory of the

Presbytery of New Brunswick The Presbytery of New Brunswick is a presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA). In 1738 the Presbytery of East Jersey was merged with the Presbytery of Long Island and renamed the Presbytery of New York, and two days after that, the Presbytery o ...

into a new presbytery. The original boundary of the Presbytery of Newton was determined to run from the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

north of Lambertville, New Jersey, including all of Hunterdon, Morris and Sussex Counties (which then included present-day Warren County and stretched west to the ridge of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania including most of

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...

and Monroe counties. At that time, the Presbytery of Newton included 24 churches—in New Jersey the congregations at Knowlton, Hardwick, Marksboro, Newton, Hackettstown, German Valley, Fox Hill, Lamington, Baskingridge, Bethlehem, Kingwood, Alexandria, Greenwich, Harmony, Oxford, Mansfield, Pleasant Grove, Flemington, Amwell 1st and 2nd; and in Pennsylvania 4 congregations at Easton, Lower Mount bethel, Upper Mount Bethel and Smithfield. These 24 congregations shared 9 full-time pastors. Several of the congregations stemmed from ethnic German congregations, including German Valley and Knowlton—communities that were first settled by Palatine Germans and affiliated with either the German Reformed or Lutheran faiths. In 1823, a German and Dutch Reformed congregation at Stillwater (founded in 1769) was received by the Presbytery.

Member churches

, the following 59 church congregation are overseen by the Presbytery of Newton.Presbytery of Newton
"The Presbytery of Newton Encompasses Churches in Four Counties of New Jersey"
Retrieved 30 April 2013.

Hunterdon County

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

: First Presbyterian Church of Bloomsbury *

Califon Califon is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,076,Lower Valley Presbyterian Church * Hampton: Musconetcong Valley Presbyterian Church

Morris County

Boonton Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 8,815, an increase of 468 (+5.6%) from the 2010 census count of 8,347, which in turn reflected a decline of 149 (− ...

: First Presbyterian Church of Boonton *

Cedar Knolls Cedar Knolls is an unincorporated community located within Hanover Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States.Lo ...

: Hildale Park Presbyterian Church *

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

: Ogden Memorial Presbyterian Church * Chatham: Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township *

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

: Community Presbyterian Church *

Denville Denville Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, New Jersey, located west of Manhattan. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 16,635, reflecting ...

: Union Hill Presbyterian Church *

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

: First Memorial Presbyterian Church * East Hanover: First Church of Hanover * East Hanover: Kitchell Memorial Presbyterian Church * Flanders: United Presbyterian Church, Flanders * Florham Park: Calvary Presbyterian Church *

Gillette Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gil ...

: Meyersville Presbyterian Church * Long Valley: Long Valley Presbyterian Church *

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

: Presbyterian Church of Madison * Mendham: First Presbyterian Church of Mendham * Mine Hill: Mine Hill Presbyterian Church *

Morris Plains Morris Plains is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 5,532,Morristown Morristown may refer to: Places Canada *Morristown, Nova Scotia (disambiguation) United States * Morristown, Arizona *Morristown, Indiana ** Morristown station (Indiana) *Morristown, Minnesota ** Morristown Township, Rice County, Minnesota *Morris ...

: Presbyterian Church in Morristown * Mount Freedom: Mount Freedom Presbyterian Church * New Vernon: First Presbyterian Church of New Vernon * Parsippany: Parsippany Presbyterian Church *

Rockaway Rockaway may refer to: Places in the United States *Rockaway Beach (disambiguation) New Jersey * Rockaway, New Jersey, a borough in Morris County *Rockaway Township, New Jersey, a township in Morris County *Rockaway Creek (New Jersey), a tributar ...

: First Presbyterian Church of Rockaway * Schooley's Mountain: Highlands Presbyterian Church * Stirling: First Presbyterian Church, Stirling *

Succasunna Succasunna is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Roxbury Township, in Morris County, New Jersey, United States, serving as its downtown and population center, having a population of 9,152 people as of ...

: First Presbyterian Church of Succasunna *

Wharton Wharton may refer to: Academic institutions * Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania * Wharton County Junior College * Paul R. Wharton High School * Wharton Center for Performing Arts, at Michigan State University Places * Wharton, Ch ...

: First Presbyterian Church of Berkshire Valley * Wharton: Hungarian Presbyterian Church of Wharton * Wharton: Wharton United Community Church * Whippany: First Presbyterian Church of Whippany

Sussex County

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia * Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Ando ...

: Andover Presbyterian Church * Branchville: First Presbyterian Church of Branchville *

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

: First Presbyterian Church of Franklin *

Fredon Fredon Township ( ) is a township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,235, a decrease of 202 over the previous decade.Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

: First Presbyterian Church of Newton * Ogdensburg: First Presbyterian Church of Ogdensburg * Sparta: First Presbyterian Church of Sparta * Stanhope: First Presbyterian Church of Stanhope * Stillwater: Stillwater Presbyterian Church *

: First Presbyterian Church of Sussex * Wantage: Beemerville Presbyterian Church

Warren County

* Allamuchy: Panther Valley Ecumenical Church *

Alpha Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἄλφα, ''álpha'', or ell, άλφα, álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph , whic ...

: United Presbyterian Church of Alpha * Belvidere: United Presbyterian Church in Belvidere * Blairstown: First Presbyterian church of Blairstown * Delaware: Delaware Presbyterian Church * Hackettstown: First Presbyterian Church of Hackettstown * Hazen: First Presbyterian Church of Oxford at Hazen * Oxford: Oxford Second Presbyterian Church * Phillipsburg: Presbyterian Church in Harmony * Phillipsburg: Pilgrim Presbyterian Church * Phillipsburg: Westminster Presbyterian Church * Port Murray: Rockport Presbyterian Church * Stewartsville: Old Greenwich Presbyterian Church * Stewartsville: Stewartsville Presbyterian Church * Washington: First Presbyterian Church of Washington

Defunct churches

* Hamburg: First Presbyterian Church of Hamburg * Hardyston: North Hardyston Church * Marksboro: Marksboro Presbyterian Church

References

{{reflist

External links

Presbytery of Newton
(website) Presbyterianism in New Jersey Presbyterian Church (USA) presbyteries