ABCNJ

ABCNJ: A Missional Region Serving Jesus in New Jersey and Beyond

By Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer
ABCNJ Executive Minister and Senior Regional Pastor

The American Baptist Churches of New Jersey…

• Starting new churches for people that are streaming in to New Jersey from around the globe.
• Serving hundreds of children each summer at our Baptist Camp Lebanon.
• Reaching out to adults and youth living in poverty.
• Sharing Christ’s love through mission projects in countries all around the world.
• Empowering lay leaders to help churches be healthy and faithful.
• Encouraging pastors and other clergy to keep growing in their vocations.

The American Baptist Churches of New Jersey (ABCNJ), founded in 1830 under its original name of the New Jersey Baptist Convention, has 283 member churches and approximately 70,000 members.  Our oldest congregation has been in continuous existence since 1688.  ABCNJ is one of thirty-four regions of the American Baptist Churches USA and a member of the New Jersey Council of Churches.  The annual budget of the organization is approximately $1,400,000, with Camp Lebanon’s budget representing approximately 30% of the total.

Today, ABCNJ is an energetic multi-cultural and multi-ethnic fellowship characterized by friendship, mutual respect and cooperation.  Approximately 130 churches are predominantly Euro-American, 80 are African-American, 40 are Latino (Spanish speaking), 3 are Brazilian (Portuguese speaking), 21 are Haitian (French speaking), 5 are Asian (Chinese, Korean, Indian, Filipino, Burmese), and 2 are Liberian. Our region enthusiastically partners with all of our American Baptist national denominational partners and associated organizations.

The vision of ABCNJ is to serve our churches and pastors in a Christ-centered, mission-focused and loving manner. From this vision flows 4 priorities:

1. to help our churches become more healthy and faithful,
2. to help our pastors become more healthy and faithful,
3. to promote ministries and mission that are healthy and faithful, and
4. to serve as a regional ministry team in a healthy and faithful way.

We seek to be the hands and feet of Christ and reach New Jersey (and beyond) through regional camping, evangelistic ministries, public mission, social action, new church planting and cross-cultural mission.

For more than 60 years, Baptist Camp Lebanon has been providing Christian growth experiences for young people and adults. It is a place where all people are able to explore and to appreciate God’s creation. Campers live in cabins, teaching them to live together and to experience the benefits of Christian community.  There is regular worship and Bible study with an opportunity for commitment to Jesus Christ.  One-to-one relationships with counselors reinforce Christian values. Our counselors come from all over the world, and our ministry context is thoroughly multi-cultural and racially inclusive.

In 2012, ABCNJ is engaged in international mission on many fronts.  Based on a long-standing relationship with Haitian Baptists, we are developing a sister church relationship with Baptist congregations in the Port-au-Prince area.   On the other side of the globe, our region is sending a teaching delegation to the Central Philippines University in July to lead their annual Christian Emphasis week – attended by some 12,000 students!  ABCNJ churches provide support for the education of approximately 100 Baptist refugee children who live in Kampala, Uganda. 

Pastors Grow in Learning and Fellowship – on the Mount and on the Mound!

By Rev. Dr. Elmo Familiaran
ABCNJ Associate Regional Pastor

Helping pastors become healthy and faithful is one of the core priorities that flow out of ABCNJ’s ministry vision.  One of the ways that the region seeks to meet this is priority is by providing opportunities for our pastors to grow spiritually, vocationally and academically.  The ABCNJ Academy, a post-MDiv learning institute for pastors, was developed in partnership with Palmer Theological Seminary (PTS).   It offers seminars and creative learning modules on current and emerging pastoral leadership issues.  These learning events provide credit for pastors that can lead to a joint ABCNJ/PTS-issued Certificate of Excellence in Ministry.

Using Together in Ministry (TIM) funds from ABCUSA Ministers Council, ABCNJ this year organized a pastors’ intensive study on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). The study is designed to lead pastors into an in-depth reflection and conversation on Jesus’ teachings, and how his wisdom speaks to current pastoral and congregational issues. One chapter is covered per week.  Pastors come from all directions of the state, and carry diverse responsibilities.  In order to provide as much opportunity as possible for pastors to have access to this conversation, each session is repeated twice on the same day – a lunch group at the Region Office and a dinner group that meets at the home of our Executive Minister.

In preparation for the discussions, participating pastors are called to adopt the discipline of reading, meditating, and exegeting the assigned chapter during the week before the session.  Each one is encouraged to do research, consult commentaries and outside readings and take notes.  Then participants are asked to pray over the text and reflect on what God is showing them in terms of how the text’s message applies to their own personal spiritual journey and ministry.  They are asked to come to each discussion with 3 questions to pose to the group and 3 insights they have gained from their personal study.  To provide an overarching discussion focus for the gathering, speakers have been invited to introduce the study for each chapter. Thirty pastors have signed up for the intensive series!

The Sermon on the Mount Groups not only are studying together – they are also enjoying each other’s friendship.  On Dr. Spitzer’s birthday, the group headed out to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees take on the Baltimore Orioles.  The weather was bone-chilling cold, but we had a great time!  So, the TIM groups not only are working on the Sermon on the Mount, but also enjoyed great Pitching on the Mound (the game had a low score of 2-1 in the home team’s favor)!

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ABCNJ’s COAL and Pastors Academy Increase Church Health