Brunswick Church has met on White Church Lane in Troy, New York since 1809, when a group of English-speaking believers in the town of Brunswick organized the First Presbyterian Society and hired Rev. John Keys to preach in a barn and at the local schoolhouse. The congregation still gathers for worship each Sunday, now in a brick church complex on the same lane, with Sunday school at 9:00 a.m. and a blended service of hymns, choir, and praise band at 10:00 a.m. Worship is livestreamed on YouTube, a Wednesday night AWANA program fills the building with children, and the Brunswick Cares Food Pantry opens twice a week out of the lobby and south parking lot.
Founded in 1809 as an English-Language Congregation
The First Presbyterian Society of Brunswick was organized in 1809 and raised the money to call its first pastor, Rev. John Keys, who preached either in Mr. Polluck's barn or at the schoolhouse on Farm-to-Market road. The society was formed to offer services in English while other churches in the surrounding area held worship solely in German, and that English-language welcome has been a defining mark of the congregation ever since. Two centuries later the same ethos of welcome is still at the center of the church's life: Brunswick describes itself as "an exciting and friendly community of children, youth, and adults serving the surrounding community and the world."
The congregation is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and characterizes itself as "a modern congregation with a reformed theology, stressing the call to ministry of all believers, the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, the authority of the Bible from God, and a call to service and the preaching of the gospel to the world." Its stated vision is to grow as disciples who Adore God, Belong together in Christ, and Commit to serving others.
Sunday Mornings on White Church Lane
Sunday School for all ages meets at 9:00 a.m. in several rooms of the building. Adult classes have included Bill Henderson's study through the Gospel of Mark, Paul Jamison's class on Biblical Generosity, and Bob Clarke's class following the upcoming sermon text. Children age 5 through grade 5 gather in the Kids Church Room, while youth in grades 6 through 12 meet in the Commons by the fireplace.
Worship begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Worship Center and runs about seventy minutes. Visitors are invited to come as they are and sit where they like. Children are welcome to stay with their families for the whole service; worship bags with activities are available on the backs of the chairs. During the service, children may be called forward to Kids Church, where they hear a Bible story and do an activity, then return to the larger service before communion. A separate childcare room is available for babies and toddlers. Coffee and refreshments follow the service in the Commons.
The service is also livestreamed on YouTube, and video of every service since 2017 is available on the Brunswick Church channel. Sermon audio from 2001 to 2017 and sermon manuscripts from 1996 to 2010 are archived on Google Drive for those who want to go back further.
Music from Organ to Praise Band
Music plays an integral role in worship, in the church's own words, and the program is built to span styles. The 10:00 a.m. service blends "ancient hymns of our faith, accompanied by a soaring organ," with "the driven sounds of a contemporary worship band." Regular contributors include an adult choir, a children's choir, the Beullah Land men's ensemble, the Grace Alone women's ensemble, a brass and strings group, and the worship band. A team of Audio-Visual Techs runs sound and video for the services, and the music team rehearses on Thursday evenings in the Worship Center. Anyone interested in joining at any level of experience is encouraged to reach out.
Children, AWANA, and Vacation Bible School
Children are described as "a welcomed and vital part" of Sunday worship, and the church's children ministry offers several layers of programming. Worship bags help younger children engage with the service. Kids Church and a nursery are offered during the school year. During the summer the church runs a week-long Vacation Bible School; recent themes have included True North (2025) and Rainforest Falls (2026), with crafts, music, skits, and small-group time.
On Wednesday evenings during the school year, the AWANA club meets from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. for children age 3 through sixth grade. The program uses the AWANA Ministries curriculum and focuses on Scripture memory, learning about God, and fun. Each year begins with a Welcome BBQ and Open House in September and runs through the end of April.
Youth Ministry
Youth ministry serves middle and high school students with weekly gatherings that include games, discussion of "issues relating to youth," and small service projects that "help us make a difference." Activities across the year have included scavenger hunts, bowling, cookie decorating, hikes, and retreats. Updates are sent through a YEB youth e-bulletin by email and text, and a youth contact form on the church's site lets families sign up directly.
Adults: Sunday School, Small Groups, and Bible Studies
Adult ministry gathers men and women "seeking to faithfully follow Christ and support one another through life's journey." Beyond the 9:00 a.m. Sunday school classes, a Men's Bible Study meets Friday mornings at 7:00 a.m. in the Old Lobby. A Women's Small Group gathers on Mondays, with some weeks meeting offsite and others in the Low Commons. A Quilting Group led by Ginny Hanby meets in the Worship Arts Studio on Thursdays, and a Yoga class is offered on Tuesdays. Small groups meet in person and online; new groups form as interest grows.
Membership is taken seriously. Those considering joining Brunswick first attend Gateway/Confirmation classes covering the church's mission, basic beliefs, and theological distinctives, with no obligation to join at the end of the class. Members commit to a spiritual family that "provides encouragement and support," while elders and leaders pledge to assist members with care, counsel, prayer, and teaching.
Creative Faith: Workshops and Banners
Creative Faith is the church's program of hands-on workshops that explore faith through making. Recent offerings have included a Cyanotype workshop, an Epoxy workshop, a bread-making workshop, gardening and herbs classes, a card-making workshop, cupcake decorating, pickleball, family kickball, finger knitting, a learn-guitar-and-ukulele session, a genealogy workshop, and a hiking trip. A current banner project invites sewers and beginners alike to make triangular fabric buntings for the Commons. Photographs of green-themed Ordinary Time projects line the back wall of the Worship Center, and an ongoing Open Air Prayer station near the back entrance invites visitors to write a single word of prayer on a fabric strip and tie it to a twine as a quiet act of prayer.
Brunswick Cares Food Pantry
Brunswick Cares, a community food pantry, is hosted in the church's lobby in cooperation with the Regional Food Bank. Its stated mission is "to provide supplemental food assistance to individuals and families in need in the Brunswick community and neighborhoods surrounding the church campus." The pantry is open Tuesdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Volunteers serve as Intake Specialists, Runners, or Order Fillers, and on-site training is provided. The pantry is its own 501(c)(3)-style organization with its own contacts.
Missions: From Brunswick to Bangladesh
The Missions Team supports more than ten ministry partners in multiple countries and extends that reach through trusted partner organizations. Locally, the church supports Troy Area United Ministries (TAUM), which runs a Free Food Fridge, the Damien Center feeding program, an MLK scholarship, a furniture ministry, and chaplaincy at Russell Sage. The church also supports Refuge Place and its biweekly Let's Feed Troy meal, and His Table, a weekly community dinner serving 180 to 200 meals each week.
Internationally, Brunswick Church supports Camp Cedarbrook, an overnight wilderness camp for girls ages 7 to 17 in the Adirondacks; Nurses Christian Fellowship through Rowan Harper; Bangladesh Youth First Concerns under Peter Halder; Peter and Laurel Olson teaching at Black Forest Academy in Germany; The Fosters with the Jesus Film Project; Michael and Heather with Mercy Ships; Sarah and Dr. Jonathan with Kinetix Global in the Himalayas; Niki Campbell with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship working with students on five Capital District campuses; the Rensselaer Christian Association at RPI; and Stuart Milliken with the Jian Hua Foundation in Bible translation. Mission Partner grants run on a three-year cycle, and a discretionary fund can be tapped at any time through the Missions Team.
Deacons also lead ongoing local outreach, including a Thanksgiving meals ministry that provides complete meals to more than 100 families each November and a Christmas gift ministry that provides clothing gifts to many in need. A Pastoral Care Outreach team visits those who are homebound or in the hospital, and a Prayer Community circulates prayer concerns and praises by email.
Leadership: Session, Deacons, and a New Pastor
The Session, the church's ruling body, is made up of elected elders along with the pastor as moderator and the Clerk of Session. Current elders are Paul Jamison, Lisa Beyer, Lisa Jeschke, Terry Wingate, Tom Kiehl, Russ Kraft, Kim Deal, and John Scott. The Board of Deacons, led by co-moderators Merry Kraft and Ann Fisher, is responsible for sympathy, witness, and service after the example of Jesus Christ, following Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3. Other serving deacons include Connie Vooys, Mary Ann Jones, Heather Showers, Wit Lastiani, Linda Broderick, Linda Marschilok, Roberta White, and June Osborne.
Aaron Hicks became Brunswick Church's called pastor on October 1, 2026. He earned his MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1998, was ordained in the Presbyterian Church that same year, and previously served at Reconciliation Church in Granada, Spain from 2009 to 2026, with earlier service in the United States. He and his wife Holly have four adult children: Anna, Daniel, Tomás, and Bethany. Harry Heintz, who served as pastor from 1974 to 2012, holds the honorary title of Pastor Emeritus.
What Brunswick Believes
Brunswick's beliefs are summarized in ten short statements. Jesus is the only Savior and Lord. The Bible is the foundation for thinking and doing. Worship is vital to spiritual growth. The pursuit of spiritual maturity is expected of everyone. God's will is discerned as the congregation seeks and cooperates with God's leading. Authentic community is the best context for nurturing life change. God's love is expressed in practical ways. Lost people matter to God and therefore matter to us. The Holy Spirit gifts every Christian for service. Pursuing excellence honors God. The Bible verse Romans 10:17, "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ," appears throughout the church's printed materials as a recurring refrain.