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Kitchell Memorial Presbyterian Church in East Hanover: Dedicated to Helping Others

Mar 01, 2023 04:13PM ● By Elsie Walker

“Small, but dedicated to helping others,” is how Malcolm Macdonald, of East Hanover, describes Kitchell Memorial Presbyterian Church at 469 Ridgedale Avenue, East Hanover.  Macdonald and his wife, JoAnn, have been parishioners at the church for 48 years.  When the couple recently talked about the church’s history, Malcolm Macdonald reflected how outreach is part of the church’s heritage.  Outreach is also part of the church today.  That outreach includes reaching out and inviting young families into the church.  To help in that effort, last year, the church welcomed a new pastor, herself a young wife and mother:  Hannah Allred.   Recently, the Macdonalds, Allred and Carol Corea, of  East Hanover, shared about their church: its history, its ministry and its outreach.

Kitchell Memorial Presbyterian Church is an offshoot of the First Presbyterian Church of East Hanover.  JoAnn Macdonald shared that according to the book on East Hanover in the series, Images of America, what became Kitchell Memorial Presbyterian Church started out in 1883 at the First Presbyterian Church of East Hanover as the Bethel Society of Hanover.  That group met in a one room chapel with a dirt cellar.  To give an idea of things back then, its bell tower cost $106.  It separated from the First Presbyterian Church of East Hanover in 1887 and then chartered its own church with 36 members. That church, Kitchell Memorial Presbyterian Church, founded in 1898, will be celebrating its 125th anniversary the first Sunday after Labor Day. 

However, the church’s history is not just about dates and names, it is steeped in helping people.  Malcolm Macdonald recalled some of those moments that stood out for him.  During the Morris County homeless crisis, Macdonald remembers walking into the church one Saturday and “the church was filled with people helping people.”  There were beds laid out for the homeless in the lower part of the church while in other parts, things like AA meetings were being held.  Speaking of AA meetings, the church started hosting those in 1982. Also, Macdonald recalled how, when Hurricane Sandy resulted in a Whippany church closing for six months, the Kitchell Presbyterian Church hosted that church’s AA meetings.  The Kitchell Memorial Presbyterian Church currently holds an open  AA meeting every Saturday at 9:30am.  (“Open” means alcoholics and those not yet sure they are alcoholics can attend).   Another part of the church’s history is Boy Scout Troop 20  which the church has sponsored since the 1940’s; the church has seen over 48 members celebrate becoming Eagle Scouts in its fellowship hall.   Also, with joy, Macdonald named past events like a Mad Hatters Tea Party, arts and crafts festivals, apple festivals, and a float for Memorial Day which stood out as vivid memories of the church’s history.  Almost a year ago, a new addition to that history was made with the arrival of Allred. Allred will be celebrating her first anniversary at Kitchell Memorial Presbyterian Church on Palm Sunday.  

“She is just wonderful; we are incredibly lucky to have her,” said Malcolm Macdonald. “Hannah's sermons are absolutely brilliant, totally up-to-the-minute and she's a young woman with an old woman inside,” shared Macdonald, in noting that the insights the pastor shares are usually found in those with more life experience.

 Allred is a first career pastor.   She was raised in another denomination that she never could relate to and in which she didn’t see a reflection of female clergy.  However, as she was graduating college, she felt a call to ministry, just not as a preaching minister.  (What she’d seen in the denomination she had grown up in was a corporation-like structure with pastors taking different specialized roles.).  However, though at first the thought of preaching was scary, that changed:  “I think preaching is so fascinating and so exciting because I think it's an opportunity to put …two worlds and conversations with one another and push people to think beyond just the words that they read on the page of the Bible… thinking more about the history and the context and what this means for us today in our current context that we're living in. What does it mean to live a life of radical love and graciousness when we're so polarized. …. how did that look then ….first century Palestine with Jesus walking around and what does that look like for us and East Hanover...being members of this community.”

Allred considers being a pastor a privilege and talked about what she finds most rewarding about it:   “People inviting you into their lives, that is the most touching…allowing you to be their pastor…being witness with them to the highs and lows of their lives.”

Allred’s family includes her husband, Patrick, their children, Henry and Jane, and their two dogs, both rescues:  Olive and Boomer. Allred’s hobbies include reading, running, and sharing meals with friends.

Sunday service at Kitchell Memorial Presbyterian Church is at 10am each Sunday.  Allred describes the service as “casual”.   She noted that it has the traditional liturgy you would find in a Reformed Church but has a laid-back atmosphere.  It is a very participatory service with different lay people taking on roles such as readings, leading portions of the service, and sharing announcements. Churches services are also streamed live on YouTube and can be viewed by clicking on a button on the church’s homepage:  www.kitchellchurch.org/ 

The service has a variety of musical offerings thanks to the talents of the church’s music director, Rick Kaller.  Kaller, a graduate of Julliard and the Executive Director of the New Discovery Orchestra, directs the senior choir and handbell choir plus, through his connections, brings in artists to share special music (guitar, cello, etc.).  “[He is] so collaborative and enthusiastic about all things worship,” said Allred.   She recalled once telling Kaller about how she was going to give a sermon called, “Signed , Sealed, and Delivered” (also the title of a Stevie Wonder song).  For the postlude of the service,  Kaller blended a classical organ piece with Wonder’s song. 

As part of its outreach to welcome young families, there is a nursery on Sundays from 9:30am – 11:30am handled by a childcare professional with the assistance of a church volunteer.    Having a nursery allows parents to not only attend the service without interruption, but also for those who sing, it would give them a chance to have their children cared for while they attend choir rehearsal before church.

There is a fellowship time after church with coffee and treats.  However, getting together isn’t just on Sundays. The church has events throughout the year like its game nights, occasional trips, Bible studies and Christmas tree lighting.  Their first tree lighting was held this past Christmas with even the building outlined in lights.  For information on the church’s events, see its website.

Outreach has been, and still is, an important part of what Kitchell Memorial Presbyterian Church is.  Corea, shared the various ways the church reaches out to help others.  The church donates to a variety of local organizations:  Interfaith Food Pantry (with donations of money, food, store gift cards/certificates and Thanksgiving baskets prepared by the Deacons), Market Street Mission (donations of coats and warm clothing), Community Soup Kitchen, Morristown (now known as Nourish.NJ, it receives monies from the church’s "Souper Bowl of Caring"), Department of Children Protection and Permanency (formerly DYFS, the church donates items for school-age children and teens, especially at the start of school and at Christmas time) plus it helps  NJ Battered Women and Habitat for Humanity. The church also supports Presbyterian Church (PC USA) causes like One Great Hour of Sharing, Christmas Joy Offering, the Peacemaking offering, and Presbyterian Disaster Relief.  In the past, Kitchell has also donated to many international charities such as the Asian Rural Institute, Charity:water, the Heifer Project and  mission work in Kenya.

Corea added, “The Outreach and Sharing committee has recently augmented its mission giving budget to help support local service agencies and first responders as well; recently, we have donated to the East Hanover Fire Department, East Hanover EMS, and the Mt Pleasant Animal Shelter, to name a few.  We are looking forward to working with the Highlands-Nairobi Presbyterian Partnership in a cooperative future mission endeavor, among other projects taking shape within Morris County.” 

 

Reflecting on all that’s happening at the church and Allred’s coming to be pastor, JoAnn Macdonald noted, “[There’s] a new energy and [it’s an]  exciting time [at Kitchell].

 

For more information, visit www.kitchellchurch.org.