About Us


We are united in the belief that through faith in Jesus Christ we can be more than what we are. We are a reflection of our community in all of its beautiful diversity. We welcome the full participation of all persons in our life together - and all means all. Everyone is welcome without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or ability. God loves you, and so do we. Together we are inspired to Live Boldly, Share Boundlessly, Grow Community, and Build God's World. (The picture below was taken at a Family Ministries outing to Camp Johnsonburg.)


What are Presbyterians?

Presbyterians are Protestant Christians, greatly influenced by the theology of the 16th century reformer John Calvin. 


We proclaim Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and we trust the Old and New Testaments to be the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ and God's Word to us. Core theological principles in our tradition are the sovereignty of God and that salvation is only attainable by grace through faith (not works).


Our common faith in Jesus Christ unites us as a congregation of people who are diverse in every other respect. The distinctions that the world uses to divide people from one another are left behind at our doors. We invite the full participation of all persons in the life of the church. The teaching of the Apostle Paul that "Love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10b) guides everything we do.


Today our congregation consists of persons who were raised in many different faith backgrounds, both Christian and non-Christian, and together we seek to discover more about our faith in Jesus and how we can best serve God and all God's people. We believe that God is still speaking, and we strive to be people who are still listening for God's new thing.


We are a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the nation, whose presence in the U.S. (descended from the Church of Scotland) traces back to the early 1700s.

History

Established in 1860, the First Presbyterian Church of Englewood has a long and storied history of service to God and the community. We were the first church in Bergen County to affiliate with the Presbyterian Church, and we were the first church established in the City of Englewood. For over 150 years our members have given of themselves in mission and ministry, serving both the church and civic organizations for the sake of the Gospel and the betterment of the world. Many of the civic organizations in our area were founded by members of Fir


Today our congregants come from over 30 towns in the area, from as far north as Nyack, as far west as Elmwood Park, as far south as Jersey City/Hoboken, and as far east as Manhattan. We are people from many different nations and ethnic backgrounds, we represent the full spectrum of political beliefs, and we were raised in a variety of faith traditions. Yet as one parishioner aptly put it, "our community is more important than our differences."

Fire

On March 22, 2016, our historic sanctuary was destroyed by a fire. We are worshiping in our wonderfully renovated Elmore Hall. Plans for rebuilding are underway, with an expected schedule of beginning construction early in 2019, with completion in 2020.