Location: Ridgefield Park, N.J.

Presbytery: Atlantic

Organization: December 26, 1797

Membership: 17 communicant; 3 baptized

Pastor: Andrew Kerr

Website: www.rpc-nj.org

The Ridgefield Park Reformed Presbyterian Church is currently the only Reformed Presbyterian church in New Jersey. It is part of the Atlantic Presbytery, which includes churches in eastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York.

The church is in Bergen County, just 10 miles from downtown Manhattan, N.Y., on the other side of the Hudson River. The suburban New Jersey population poses a great opportunity to reach many with the gospel. New York City has a population of 8.3 million people, and there are almost 1 million people in Bergen County. The relatively small community of Ridgefield Park (13,000 people) enables the congregation to have a local and regional vision. The vision of the congregation is to minister to the spiritual growth of the congregation (Col. 1:9–10); to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24); and to proclaim the gospel to all the world (Matt. 28:18–20).

God has been gracious to our congregation, particularly during the past couple of years when the world was saddled with the Covid-19 pandemic. Our congregation drew closer, despite not being able to meet in person. We established morning and evening worship and midweek prayer meetings through Zoom. We continued with a monthly women’s and men’s prayer meeting, also on Zoom. The impact of the pandemic pressed us to appreciate life and pray more as we gained in-depth knowledge of each other’s needs.

One of our major points for prayer was for a new pastor. Our pastoral search took twists and turns until in God’s providence we called Dr. Andrew Kerr from the Knockbracken RP Church in Bel-fast, Northern Ireland. After delays of about a year because of Covid restrictions, Dr. Kerr and his wife, Dr. Hazel Kerr, were able to come to the U.S. and join us in ministry. He was installed on Feb. 12 of this year.

The Kerrs have been married for 28 years and have three adult children, Rebekah, Paul, and Andrew, Jr. Dr. Kerr is a graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast, and studied for the ministry at Union Theological College in Belfast. He was trained and has practiced as a surgeon and then served as a pastor in Northern Ireland for the past 18 years. Dr. Kerr has also served as a professor of Old Testament at the Reformed Theological College in Belfast. With a keen interest in biblical languages, the psalter, biblical hermeneutics, and the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, he has a deep desire to spread the knowledge of Christ in all the Scriptures among sinners, saints, and students.

The session is comprised of two ruling elders and one teaching elder. Works of mercy are led by our two deacons, Gene Forsythe and Francis Chao, who help maintain our church building and minister to many diaconal needs.

The congregation is involved in a number of outreach events during the year. The annual Ridgefield Park Fourth of July Parade passes in front of the church building, so we try to gain visibility and make new contacts at the parade. There is also an annual business fair on Main Street that we participate in, and we work with the Gideons to distribute Bibles and share the gospel. In December, we go caroling in the surrounding neighborhood. These, plus other events such as psalm sings and social events, provide opportunities for fellowship with friends and neighbors. We invite you to come and worship with us if you are visiting the area, and, if it is in God’s providence, to minister with us as we seek to bear testimony to this vast metropolitan area.