Seven Decades on Deer Path
Community Presbyterian Church of Mountainside has anchored a corner of the Deer Path neighborhood in this Union County borough since 1954. A congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), CPC Mountainside draws multi-generational families from Mountainside and surrounding towns for Sunday worship, a substantial music program, a long-running nursery school, and a steady rhythm of outreach to neighbors in need. From a handful of charter families meeting in a Deerfield School classroom to a sanctuary that today hosts weekly choir anthems beneath an Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ, the church's story is one of patient, deliberate growth.
A History Shaped by Five Pastors
In February of 1954, a small group of Mountainside residents met to ask whether the town needed a Protestant church. By April, canvassers had surveyed the community and concluded the answer was yes, with Presbyterian emerging as the favored tradition. The first worship service, led by the Rev. Delwyn Rayson of the Presbyterian Synod of New Jersey, took place at the end of April at Deerfield School, drawing 120 adults and 30 children. The formal organization of Community Presbyterian Church was completed on October 10, 1954, with 205 charter members from 105 families.
An anonymous donor gave four and a half acres on Deer Path for a permanent home, and the sanctuary was dedicated in December of 1956. A manse was purchased the following year. Sunday school overflowed into members' homes and Saturday sessions until a Christian education addition completed in November of 1960 added more than 4,000 square feet of classroom space.
Rev. Rayson was succeeded by the Rev. Elmer Talcott in January of 1961. The Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ, one of the last instruments built by the company before its closing in 1972, was installed and dedicated in May of 1968. The Memorial Garden, a graded and landscaped resting place with stone benches, was dedicated in the spring of 1971.
After Rev. Talcott's early retirement in 1985, the Rev. Robert Taylor served briefly as interim before the Rev. Christopher Belden was installed as the third pastor in September of 1986. Dr. Belden's 32 years of ministry saw the nursery school grow into a regional resource, the handbell choir join the music program, and the church's relationship with Mountainside deepen through community concerts, food drives organized with the chartered Boy Scout troop, and partnerships with town organizations. Dr. Belden retired in June of 2018.
The Rev. Leigh Gillis served as interim pastor beginning in September of 2018, and the Rev. Anna Cooper followed as the fourth installed pastor from March of 2020 through the summer of 2021. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of in-person worship in early 2020, members quickly adapted by broadcasting services on YouTube; that volunteer-run effort led to the 2022 purchase of dedicated equipment and the regular livestreaming that continues today.
The Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey guided the church through its next pastoral search, and the Rev. Marcus C. Lambright arrived as Designated Pastor in September of 2022. On March 23, 2025, the congregation formally called him as the fifth pastor of CPC Mountainside, with his called ministry beginning on September 28, 2025. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry candidate at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Pastor Marcus moderates the Session, provides vision for the church's committees, and engages with local organizations and the presbytery. He and his wife Kelsey and their daughter Celeste live in New Jersey.
Sunday Worship, in Person and Online
Worship is the center of life at CPC Mountainside. The regular Sunday service is held at 10:30 a.m. from mid-September through mid-June. During the summer, the service shifts to 10:00 a.m. Everyone is welcome in the sanctuary, and the same service is livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. Archived services and accompanying bulletins are available online.
The atmosphere is described as casual and come-as-you-are, with a multi-generational congregation of families who share the peace of Christ before and after the service. Children are always welcome in worship; activity bags, books, puzzles, and coloring supplies are available in the sanctuary for younger visitors.
Sunday School for Children
During the school year, most Sundays include Sunday school for children ages three and up. Children begin the service with their families and depart for their own classroom after a Family Teaching Moment near the middle of worship.
A Music Program Built Around the Choir Loft
Music has been part of the church's identity since the year of its founding. The choirs and instruments of CPC Mountainside, led by Music and Choir Director Sung-Hae Jung, work to give members a wide choral education, learning technique, history, and performance practice while building what is meant to be a lifelong connection between sacred music and worship.
The Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir is open to adults and high school students aged 16 and older. Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. and on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m., before the worship service. The choir sings choral literature from the western tradition, including Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and others, alongside works of American hymnody and Southern gospel music, and presents seasonal concerts in addition to its Sunday commitments.
The Children's Choir and Intergenerational Choir
The Children's Choir welcomes singers from age three and rehearses on Sundays after worship and Sunday school, preparing songs to sing in worship several times a year. The Intergenerational Choir, made up of Children's Choir members and their extended families, rehearses once a month on the last Sunday and performs in worship and at outreach community programs.
The Handbell Choir
The Handbell Choir rehearses on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and plays for services such as All Saints' Day, Christ the King, Christmas, Holy Week, and Easter.
The Instruments
The sanctuary houses a 1967 two-manual electro-pneumatic Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ with 25 ranks and 1,527 pipes, the ranks concealed behind acoustical screening along the back wall of the chancel. A 1924 Model "M" Steinway grand piano, refurbished in 2004, accompanies soloists and choirs and is used for community recitals. A four-and-a-half-octave set of Schulmerich handbells, two octaves of Schulmerich chimes, and a Roland 5000 digital keyboard round out the collection. The Patrick Clynes Memorial Collection, given in 2008, added some 8,000 titles to the church music library.
Learning and Fellowship for Adults
Adult education at CPC Mountainside centers on Bible study and book discussion. Various Bible studies are offered throughout the year, generally on Sunday mornings. A Book Group meets on the third Monday of each month. The Women's Association gathers for "Manna with Marcus," a luncheon and conversation with the pastor at a local restaurant, on the second Tuesday of each month, and the Men's Group hosts a lunch on the fourth Monday. Coffee Hour follows worship every Sunday and serves as a regular touchpoint for fellowship.
Family and Faith, a monthly email from the church's Christian Education team, offers resources for parents and caregivers to nurture faith at home.
Children and the Community Presbyterian Nursery School
Sunday school during the school year and the Children's Choir are the church's primary offerings for children, with activity bags available in worship for younger visitors.
The Community Presbyterian Nursery School, founded in the early 1960s and now governed by its own board of trustees under Director Karen Evers, is a fully accredited program drawing families from Mountainside and the surrounding area. The nursery school is housed in the church's Christian Education wing and shares space with Sunday-morning classes.
Outreach Beyond the Church Walls
CPC Mountainside's outreach combines long-running local partnerships with denominational disaster response.
Family Promise, the Deacons' primary partner, is a national organization working locally to help families experiencing homelessness and to support low-income families working toward sustainable independence.
Food Baskets for the Hungry, a ministry begun by Mountainside resident Rosa Floyd in 1968, is a season-spanning effort centered on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, when congregation members collaborate with Boy Scout Troop 177 to deliver baskets to families in Elizabeth.
Two PC(USA) offerings underwrite disaster relief and long-term recovery work around the world. One Great Hour of Sharing channels immediate response to events such as earthquakes and hurricanes, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance supports refugee resettlement and community development alongside its disaster response.
The church also sponsors Boy Scout troops and serves as a meeting space for community organizations including an Alcoholics Anonymous group and the NJ Potters' Guild show and sale.
The Memorial Garden and Use of Facilities
The Memorial Garden on the church grounds, dedicated in 1971 and expanded over the decades with additional walls, stone benches, and memorial teak benches, provides a place for the interment of members and a quiet outdoor setting for prayer and meditation.
CPC Mountainside hosts weddings, funerals, and memorial services, as well as community events such as recitals, showers, and family gatherings. The most commonly requested space is the Assembly Room, with or without use of the kitchen; the Memorial Room and Sanctuary are also available. A Use of Facilities Form is available to community groups and private citizens, with the Trustees granting approval on a case-by-case basis. Couples planning a wedding meet with the pastor for premarital counseling and apply for a license at least two weeks before the desired date.
What We Believe
CPC Mountainside is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), a denomination in the Reformed tradition. The church's basic beliefs are summarized by the Apostles' Creed, recited each Sunday in worship, affirming faith in God the Father almighty, in Jesus Christ his only Son, and in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Joining the Congregation
The congregation is governed by a Session of elders, a Board of Deacons, and Trustees, with committees covering finance, personnel, fellowship, Christian education, community events, nominating, security, and the Memorial Garden. The Women's Association and Men's Group, the choirs, the book group, the Bible studies, the outreach partnerships, and the nursery school board all offer entry points for new participants. Most newcomers begin with a Sunday morning in the sanctuary or with a livestream from home.