Millington Baptist Church has stood at the corner of Valley Road and King George Road in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, for one hundred and seventy-five years. In 2026 the congregation is marking that anniversary with a calendar of celebrations, but the heart of the church is the same one its founders carried into a schoolhouse on May 2, 1851: preach the gospel, baptize believers, and make disciples in this corner of Somerset County and beyond.
Today MBC is a multi-generational, family-friendly Baptist congregation affiliated with the Venture Church Network. Two Sunday services at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. draw a diverse crowd of kids, adults, seniors, and teens dressed in everything from jeans and graphic tees to Sunday best. Worship blends contemporary songs with theologically rich traditional hymns. Pastors Bob Erbig and Dave Hentschel share a preaching rotation, supported by a deep bench of ministry directors, lay volunteers, and an Elder Board. The church runs a full slate of children's, youth, adult, senior, women's, men's, missions, and care ministries, plus a growing disability ministry and a preschool.
From a Pleasant Valley Revival to the 175th Anniversary
Millington Baptist Church was formed in 1851 by members of the Mt. Bethel Baptist Church in Warren, New Jersey, who were released to plant a new congregation. During the fall of 1850 and the spring of 1851, the church at Mt. Bethel under the pastoral care of the Rev. E. C. Ambler saw the most extensive revival the area had ever known. Whole families came to faith, and it was to accommodate these new believers in the Liberty Corner-Millington area that the desire for an independent church was born.
On May 2, 1851, members met at the Pleasant Valley School, near the present Veterans Administration property, and decided to organize a new Baptist church. On May 4, Mt. Bethel dismissed eighty of its members. On May 20 the new church was organized and adopted Articles of Faith based on the New Hampshire Confession and a Church Covenant. On May 21 a Council of Recognition met with representatives of Baptist churches from New Brunswick to Morristown. By May 24 the members had adopted Rules of Order and Articles of Discipline.
After weighing several sites, the founders chose to build at "the Junction of the new road." Services were held in the Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse until the first sanctuary was completed on September 29, 1852. A new sanctuary was dedicated on March 3, 1974. In the late 1990s a strategic focus on the next generation, eventually called "Liquid," grew so rapidly that in 2007 MBC sent out many of its members and one of its pastors to plant Liquid Church, which remains a thriving ministry across New Jersey. The Youth and Family Ministries building was completed in 2011, and the education building and sanctuary were renovated in 2015 and 2016. The 175th anniversary year is being marked with an Anniversary Worship Service, a celebration banquet at the Olde Mill Inn on November 12, 2026, a garden and tree-planting ceremony, a missions conference with WorldVenture in the fall, and a summer community picnic and outreach.
Sunday at 9 and 11
The Sunday service is the heart of the congregation. Each week features dynamic worship music and a sermon drawn from the Bible. Communion is observed together once a month as a church. The atmosphere is intentionally multigenerational: a rotation of speakers stimulates learning, while the music team leads the room in vibrant, interactive worship.
Worship at MBC is described by Director of Worship John Bonaventura as a "progressive traditional" style, weaving modernized traditional hymns together with theologically rich contemporary songs. The Sunday worship playlist and sermon outline are posted each week so that worship and small-group discussion can carry over into the rest of the week. Children's programming for birth through sixth grade runs at both services, so families can worship together knowing their kids are being well cared for.
The 9:00 a.m. service and the 11:00 a.m. service are identical in shape. Both are livestreamed on the MBC Unhindered YouTube channel, and sermon audio is distributed as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and Google. Anyone who cannot attend in person can watch live or catch up later through the Sermon Archive. The building sits at the corner of Valley Road and King George Road, about three minutes from exit 36 on Interstate 78, with detailed driving directions for those coming from the north, east, south, or west.
MBC Kids and AWANA
MBC Kids is the ministry for children from birth through sixth grade, and it operates at both Sunday services. Children are grouped by age and stage: Nursery (newborn through age 3) in a newly renovated space on the lower level of the main sanctuary building; Preschool and Kindergarten (ages 3 to 5) in the Education building; Elementary (first through fourth grades) for large-group teaching and small groups in the Education building; and the 56ers, a special class for fifth and sixth graders, meeting at 9:00 a.m. with boys and girls in separate rooms. Check-in opens at 8:45 a.m. and 10:40 a.m.
Children's ministry is led by Co-Directors Rachel Rickershauser, who oversees elementary, and Lenore Tosi, who focuses on nursery and preschool. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Pre-Counseling from Moody Bible Institute and stepped into her current role in 2024 after nearly eight years as MBC's Director of Children's Ministries. Lenore, a former Music Camp Director with a background in music and business administration, has served children and families for over eighteen years and joined the staff in 2024. The team hosts annual events like Trunk or Treat, the Hare-Raising Egg Party, the Jesus' Birthday Party, the Easter Egg Hunt, Music Camp, Water Day, and a one-week Summer Adventure VBS. Volunteers are needed as leaders, nursery caregivers, classroom assistants, buddies for kids with special needs, and substitutes.
On Wednesday evenings during the school year, AWANA clubs meet from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., with an optional family meal at 4:45 p.m. The MBC AWANA program is part of the worldwide Awana ministry and runs alongside Operation Christmas Child and the weekly MBC Kids email. Parents can subscribe to a weekly update and register children for nursery through sixth-grade classes.
Teens, Young Adults, and the Next Generation
Middle and high school students meet on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for The Rush Hour, deepening their understanding of God's Word through teaching and small-group discussion. Monthly and quarterly events build fellowship and service: retreats, service projects, and short-term mission trips. The MBC Teens took a mission trip to North Carolina in 2025 and host "The Fresh Wave" podcast, made by youth for youth, hosted by Director of Youth, Young Adults & Production Ministries Johnny Graves.
Young Adults (ages 18 to 30) gather twice a month, on the first and third Sundays at 4:00 p.m. in the Youth and Family Ministries Building (YFMB), for topical cultural discussions, serving opportunities, and prayer. A monthly fellowship of food, worship, and a message meets on the first Saturday of the month in Watchung. The Young Adults ministry also partners with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at The College of New Jersey and Princeton University through Gracie Leung, and with college ministries through several other missionary partners.
Family ministry at MBC is rooted in the conviction that strong families are a core calling. Resources include curated books, podcasts, videos, and websites from organizations like the Colson Center, Breakpoint, AXIS, Summit Ministries, Reasons to Believe, Fuller Youth Institute, and the Gospel Coalition, organized into the Family Ministries Resource Page. Past seminars have covered topics like The Tech-Wise Family, Raising Generation Z, and Families in an Age of Anxiety. The Team believes parents and the church share the work of forming the next generation, and equips both for the task.
Upside Down Glory: A Disability Ministry at the Center
The disability ministry at MBC, branded as "Upside Down Glory," is one of the defining expressions of the church's identity. Its vision is that "weakness is not the exception. It's the canvas." Drawing on biblical stories of Jacob's limp, Moses' stammering tongue, Mephibosheth at the king's table, and the man born blind, the ministry teaches that disability is not an exception to the image of God but an expression of it.
The ministry operates through a Disability Leadership Team (DsLT), a Disability Support Team, and a partnership with Joni and Friends, the disability ministry founded by Joni Eareckson Tada. An eight-week sermon series, "Upside Down Glory," redefines ability, confronts suffering with hope, and builds a welcoming church family. A Disability Intake Form helps the Care Team understand each family or individual's unique needs. A Parent's Night Out Respite Program is launching soon, and a new Disability Ministry Internship offers hands-on experience for those exploring the calling. The recommended reading list includes books such as Accessible Church, Disability and The Gospel, When Disability Hits Home, Same Lake Different Boat, You Are Only Human, and Disability: Living into the Diversity of Christ's Body. Pastors Bob Erbig and Dave Hentschel are both deeply involved; Bob's research interests include apologetics, worldview, culture, and ethics, and he serves as MBC's lead on Family Life and Mission.
Women's, Men's, and Senior Communities
The Women's Ministry gathers women from MBC and the surrounding community for Bible study, fellowship, prayer, and service. The Fall 2026 Bible Study is an eighteen-week journey through Exodus chapters 1 to 18 by Jen Wilkin, meeting Tuesday mornings at 9:45 a.m. with childcare provided, Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in YFMB Room 201 and on Zoom, and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. A separate Mark study through Precept runs Wednesday evenings. The Morning Edition study meets Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. in the YFMB, and a Sermon Series Discussion Group meets Tuesdays at 9:45 a.m. with childcare. A Risen Motherhood podcast group meets Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. on Zoom for moms of young children, and a Faith and Fitness class for seniors meets Fridays at 6:30 p.m. in YFMB Room 201. The ministry is led by Coordinator Kim McCarthy and Assistant Coordinator Krisana Ukritnukun.
The Men's Ministry seeks to encourage men toward true joy, deep relationships with other brothers, and effective service. Saturday mornings are packed with options: Barn Brothers, a breakfast and study group of ten to fifteen young adults through seniors, meets from 7:15 to 8:45 a.m. in members' homes; Men's Power Hour, led by Jim Luedecker, meets from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. in YFMB Room 202; and the Men's Small Group for 18-30s meets the first and third Saturday from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. Radical Mentoring offers group mentoring, in-depth Bible study, personal development, and accountability. Band of Brothers is a high-school boys' ministry cultivating a Biblical view of masculinity. Men's Breakfasts are held several times a year in Fellowship Hall, and the ministry partners with the Stand Courageous men's conference.
The Senior Luncheon gathers seniors from MBC and neighboring communities on the third Friday of each month from October through June in the Fellowship Hall. Each luncheon includes a meal, fellowship, and a live speaker or performance. A Faith and Fitness class designed specifically for seniors is led by Ruth Prothero.
Small Groups, Bible Studies, and Spiritual Formation
Small groups are a primary way MBC seeks to live in authentic community. Groups have three specific purposes: fellowship, scripture, and prayer, with the goal of both individual spiritual growth and authentic relationship. There are dozens of small groups meeting on Sundays, weekday evenings, Saturday mornings, and in homes across Basking Ridge, Warren, Bernardsville, and beyond. Some meet in the YFMB, some online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, and others in rotating homes. Sermon-discussion groups are particularly common, along with men's and women's groups, family groups, a teen families group, and topical studies. The Isler Couples Small Group and the Loehr Circle Group are currently full.
Adult Education on Sunday mornings complements the worship service. Classes run at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and cover books of the Bible and topical studies. Recent offerings include a verse-by-verse walk through Galatians (led by Kerri Mullins), a chapter-by-chapter study of Genesis focused on God's covenant with the Patriarchs (led by Paul Achenbach), a Genesis 1-10 study in the YFMB Great Room (led by Jack Kraus and Ken Huber), a Firmly Planted discipleship track led by Pastor Dave Hentschel and Amy Huber, and a four-week Stephen Ministries study of "Christian Caregiving: A Way of Life" led by Drew Huber. An Investigators Bible Study is designed for newcomers and seekers with little or no background in the Bible. The church's signature discipleship resource is the Cultivating the Christian Life workbook, which forms the backbone of small groups during discipleship campaigns.
Spiritual formation is a through-line. The new Spiritual Formation Small Group led by Pastor Dave and Juli Hentschel uses the Spiritual Formation Workbook from Renovare and meets bi-monthly on Sundays at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. A Bible Engagement Plan walks the church through Isaiah with daily readings, a sermon on Sunday, discussion questions, a memory verse, and a Wednesday devotional on the Pastor's Table.
Missions at Home and Around the World
The MBC Missions Team supports World Partners serving in 16 countries as well as five local and three international organizations. The goal is both hands-on and monetary support. The Missions Team is chaired by Yvonne Lai, with Pastor Bob Erbig as staff liaison.
World Partners include missionaries in Senegal (the Columbines run a vocational auto-mechanics school in Dakar; the Gruddas teach at Dakar Academy; the Kendalls train pastors), Romania (the Antons and the Bocsas with Josiah Venture, using sports as a ministry), Ukraine (the Whites at the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary), Cambodia (the Vosters with World Team), Ecuador (the Andersons among the Awa people), Indonesia (the Yees in Jakarta), Japan (the Lavermans in a Tokyo subdivision with no Christian church), France (the Parmers running a coffee-shop ministry to refugees and immigrants in Strasbourg), England (the Hunts with a micro-church coffee shop), the Philippines (Diana Muenzenberger at Faith Academy), the Middle East (various workers), Kenya (George and Linda Renner training African Christian leaders), and across the United States (Adrienne Livingston fighting sex trafficking, the Scalabrins with the Navigators running After-School Bible Clubs, Joe Violi with Nav20s in Philadelphia, the Watkins with DiscipleMakers, Lindsey Williams with Athletes in Action, and others).
MBC's longest-running missions partnership is with a small church in Langomack, Senegal, which began in 2005. MBC has made more than eighteen visits to the village, helping with Kids Clubs, construction projects, worship, prayer walking, and providing books for the village school and a water pipe that brings water to the entire village. Local partners include City Relief (mobile outreach to people experiencing homelessness), Market Street Mission, First Choice (a crisis pregnancy center), Feeding Hands (a food pantry), Street Hope Alive, and YoungLives (mentoring teen parents).
Care, Stephen Ministry, and Walking with Hurting People
The Care Leadership Team coordinates practical and spiritual care through several streams. Encouragement Ministry sends cards, prays, visits the homebound, and provides gift cards through an Encouragement Fund. Household Ministry offers light housework, yard work, household repairs, packing, and moving help. Family Support Ministry provides childcare, tutoring, mentoring, and rides for school and appointments. Transportation Ministry offers rides to doctors, stores, and appointments. Hospitality Ministry delivers hot or frozen meals, maintains the Shepherd's Freezer, and offers the gift of hospitality through shared meals and coffee. Craig McLaughlin serves as Care Ministry Coordinator.
Stephen Ministry is a lay-caregiving program in which trained Stephen Ministers provide one-on-one Christian care to people going through difficult times such as divorce, grief, hospitalization, unemployment, terminal illness, relocation, chronic illness, or loneliness. The Stephen Ministry team at MBC includes Pastor Dave Hentschel, Jim Romaine, Bruce Corke (Stephen Leader), Drew Huber, Cecil Ruth, Carol Lynn, Christine Wenslau, Michelle Klemme, Carrie Isler, Izzy Siegel, Judy Torgimsen, Yvonne Lai, KaWing Kam, and Grace Kam. Men are matched with men; women with women; confidentiality is paramount. GriefShare runs as a separate support ministry.
City Relief is a strategic local partner. MBC sends volunteers to monthly outreaches that depart from the church at 7:15 a.m., travel to the City Relief base in Clifton, New Jersey, prepare soup, drinks, and bread, ride to outreach sites, and serve those experiencing homelessness. Volunteers must be 18 or older, or 16 with a parent or guardian. The church's missions team also partnered with a local church (Camino de Fe) and the Somerset Hills School District to provide lunches for English Language Learner students entering kindergarten, and has funded COVID relief for pastors in Africa.
Beliefs and Heritage
MBC is affiliated with the Venture Church Network, formerly known as the Conservative Baptist Association of America. The congregation adopted the New Hampshire Confession of Faith in 1851 and continues to embrace that evangelical heritage. The church describes itself as gospel-centered, biblically grounded and culturally relevant, passionate for the mission of God locally and globally, intentional in spiritual formation, committed to authentic community, servant-led, and devoted to strong families.
The Articles of Faith teach that the Bible, composed of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the supreme authority in life and faith; that there is one eternal God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that Jesus Christ is true God and true Man, the only sufficient Mediator; that the Holy Spirit indwells and equips every believer; that man was created in God's image but fell into sin and needs regeneration; that Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and will return personally and visibly; that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ, not by works; that all who trust in Christ are guaranteed their salvation from the moment of trust; that believers should be baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that the Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the Savior's death; and that the local church exists for worship, instruction, evangelism, service, and fellowship, with the charge to make disciples around the world.
The church's vision statement is summarized in three words: Firmly Planted, Growing Together, Made to Multiply. The motto is shaped by the conviction that believers should be deeply rooted in God's Word, growing in community with one another, and multiplying disciples locally and globally. The mission is to bring glory to God through lives transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Leadership and How the Church Is Run
MBC subscribes to a philosophy of shared leadership. The Pastoral Leadership Team consists of the two Lead Pastors and ministry directors, who together manage day-to-day operations. Pastor Bob Erbig oversees Preaching, Family Life, and Mission; Pastor Dave Hentschel oversees Preaching, Spiritual Formation, and Care, including Small Groups, Adult Education, Women's Ministries, Men's Ministries, and Care ministries such as Stephen Ministry and GriefShare. Both pastors hold degrees from major evangelical seminaries: Bob from Denver Seminary, where he studied under Dr. Craig Blomberg and Dr. Doug Groothuis, and Dave from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Th.M. in Bible Exposition and Pastoral Ministries. Bob is a Fellow of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and a Level 1 Certified Biblical Counselor through the Association of Biblical Counselors, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Together they have co-authored three books: A Beautiful Mess, Proverbs: The Way of Wisdom, and We Need a King After God's Heart.
The Elder Board provides spiritual oversight. Members include Tom DiProspero, Chris Dowden, Hector Garcell (Secretary), Darren Hernandez (Chair), Ken Huber (Vice Chair), John McCarthy (Treasurer), Ricardo Mendes, Harish Radha, Rick Splinter, Andrew Strain, Paul Wilford, and Steve Mianowski, with both lead pastors as ex-officio non-voting members.
Membership and the Next Step
Becoming a member at MBC is a four-step process: attend a Membership Class, be baptized (if not already baptized as a believer), sign the Church Covenant and Statement of Faith, and meet with an Elder for a forty-five minute conversation. The church practices believer's baptism by immersion as a public profession of faith in Christ. Classes for children are generally encouraged after age twelve, with exceptions considered on a case-by-case basis. Communion is observed together once a month, and baptism services are held periodically; those interested can sign up to be baptized online.
Little Footprints Learning Center
On the same campus, Little Footprints Learning Center is a ministry of Millington Baptist Church offering a preschool program for children ages two-and-a-half through five. The center provides a quality education in a loving Christian environment. The school shares the church's commitment to nurturing the next generation, and serves as a natural pipeline into MBC Kids.
Getting Involved and Staying Connected
MBC runs a Giving page that accepts online gifts through Pushpay, by text ("MBCNJ" to 77977), through AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com, with MBC as the chosen charity), by check or cash, by direct stock or mutual fund transfer, through online bill pay, and through legacy giving. Discipleship resources include the MBC Discipleship Portal, the Bible Memory app (with a dedicated Millington Baptist Church group), the YouVersion Bible app, the Bible Project on YouTube, RightNow Media, and the ESV Study Bible. A Discipleship Portal, called The Bridge, helps newcomers learn about the mission and ministries of MBC. Shared Interest Groups meet around shared hobbies and interests: arts and crafts, beach days, camping, card and board games, cooking and baking, cycling, dancing, day trips, fishing, gardening, golf, hiking, hunting and shooting, kayaking, knitting, movies, photography, music, pickleball, reading, running, tennis, woodworking, and more.
Volunteers serve on dozens of teams: Ushers and Greeters, the Welcome Team, the Parking Team, Shuttle Drivers, Follow-up Team, Sunday Morning Coffee and Café, Audio Visual Team, Hospitality Team, Safety and Security Team, Buildings and Grounds Team, Money Counters, Finance Team, Communications Team, Worship Team, Adult Sunday School leaders, Stephen Ministers, Women's Ministry planning team, Men's Ministry leadership team, Senior Luncheon team, Small-Group Leaders and Hosts, and many more. Newcomers are invited to fill out a Connection Form, after which a pastor or follow-up team member will reach out personally.
Weekly communication includes an E-News announcement email, the Praise & Prayer Weekly Update, and Teen Sync for students. Prayer requests can be submitted online, and both Men's and Women's Prayer Rooms are open throughout the week: ladies meet Sundays at 8:00 a.m. in YFMB Room 202, men meet Sundays at 8:00 a.m. in YFMB Room 204, and men gather for prayer Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 6:00 to 7:15 a.m. in YFMB Room 203.
Millington Baptist Church sits today at the same junction of roads where its founders chose to build, holding fast to the same gospel and the same call to make disciples. After 175 years, the welcome at the door is the same one offered in 1851: pull up a chair, take a seat, and discover what it means to follow Jesus together.