A Parish in the Heart of Morris Plains
St. Paul's Episcopal Church stands at the corner of Hillview Avenue and Mountain Way in Morris Plains, New Jersey, in a brick building that has welcomed worshippers since 1928. The parish itself is older than its walls, and it has been shaped over more than a century by the rhythms of Episcopal worship, twelve-step recovery, and quiet acts of community service. The church's own motto is simple: "All are welcome." Inside, members describe the congregation as a "welcoming, diverse, inclusive community of faith" committed to Christian fellowship, the personal growth of its members, and outreach to the wider Morris Plains community.
A Century on Hillview Avenue
In 1921, a small group of local residents recognized that no Episcopal congregation served the stretch of Morris County between Dover and Morristown. They gathered for their first regular worship on Christmas Day of that year under the name Christ Mission Church, meeting in a union hall and forming a Sunday School alongside the new congregation. By 1924 the name had been changed to St. Paul's - a move that caused, in the parish's own words, "a considerable stir among some of the founding members for some unknown reason" - and around that time the first confirmands were presented to the Bishop.
As the congregation grew, members purchased the Hillview Avenue property and built the present church, which was dedicated on October 28, 1928. Through the Depression years St. Paul's was a developing mission served by a series of Vicars. The parish came of age in 1949 when layman John C. Van Dyk was appointed Lay Reader in Charge, was later ordained, and in 1955 became the church's first Rector. Father VanDyk also began the parish's long sponsorship of Alcoholics Anonymous, Alanon, and Alateen, a relationship that continues today.
Five rectors have shaped the parish since then. The Rev. Roy J. Hendricks (1961-1971) oversaw construction of the present education and office wing for the many families with children who made St. Paul's their spiritual home. The Rev. David H. Hamilton, who arrived as a curate and became the third Rector in 1971, served twenty-five years and led St. Paul's to be recognized as a teaching parish in the Diocese of Newark; under his leadership Abigail Painter became the first woman ordained a priest in the Diocese of Newark, here at St. Paul's. The Rev. Joanne Murphy was called in 1996 as the fourth Rector and the first woman priest in charge, followed by the Rev. Paul V. Olsson, who served from 2003 to November 2020 and led a successful capital campaign to address decades of deferred maintenance. Today the parish operates as a part-time congregation under the Rev. Danielle D. Baker, appointed Priest-in-Charge in April 2022 after a parish-wide discernment.
Sunday Worship
Sunday worship at St. Paul's follows the Episcopal tradition. Holy Eucharist is celebrated at 10:00 a.m. most Sundays, with the Rev. Danielle D. Baker presiding as the parish's celebrant. On the third Sunday of each month the 10:00 a.m. service is a Liturgy of the Word without Holy Eucharist. The church is mask-optional, and visitors of every background are welcomed into the liturgy.
For those who cannot attend in person, the Sunday service is available via Zoom (Meeting ID 894 2380 4413, Passcode 188301), and links to recent worship bulletins are posted alongside recordings of past Sundays. The same archive collects seasonal sermons from Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, with preachers including Rev. Baker, parishioner John Squillace, diocesan colleagues, and guests from partner organizations such as JBWS.
Sacraments and the Memorial Garden
Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, and Funeral rites all shape parish life. Baptisms are generally scheduled during Sunday worship on four traditional dates - the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord in January, Easter, Pentecost, and All Saints' Sunday in November - though other dates can be arranged. Confirmation at St. Paul's follows the Diocese of Newark's regional practice: youth typically begin preparation in eighth grade and are confirmed in the District 3 ceremony the following spring, while adults take a shorter series of formation classes before the same regional rite.
Christian marriage at St. Paul's is open to anyone from the wider community who wishes to have a church wedding and is willing to follow the parish's guidelines. The parish welcomes same-sex couples and offers access to all sacraments including marriage, and the priest asks that ceremonies be scheduled at least eight months in advance. Funeral rites and Christian burial are also offered through the parish, and the St. Paul's Memorial Garden, established in 1985 on the church grounds, is the final resting place of more than forty-five parishioners and members of the wider community.
The Lenten Rhythm
Lent brings a richer weekly pattern of prayer and study. On Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. the church is open for an in-person meditation. Wednesday Evening Prayer is offered at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom in partnership with St. Bernard's Episcopal Church in Bernardsville and the Community of St. John Baptist, and on Thursdays at 12:00 p.m. the church hosts an intimate in-person Midweek Noonday Prayer, with the building remaining open for private quiet time until 2:00 p.m.
The season also includes a parish-wide book study, meeting Thursdays from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the lounge and repeated Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Zoom. Daily Lenten meditations are shared through Episcopal Relief and Development's Sister Monica Clare series, and the parish takes part in Lent Madness, the popular saint-by-saint bracket, with a downloadable bracket for the season.
A Twelve-Step Ministry Since 1955
One of the oldest ministries of St. Paul's is also one of the quietest. Since 1955 the parish has hosted meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, Alanon, and Alateen, and the church continues to provide space for a strong network of twelve-step groups. The partnership reflects the parish's long commitment to walking alongside neighbors in recovery and has been a thread of parish life across every rectorate since Father VanDyk's time.
Bikes, Veggies, and the Hands and Feet of Christ
The parish's outreach page is called The Hands and Feet of Christ, and two regular programs carry that name outward into Morris Plains and beyond. The Annual Bike Ministry, now in its fourth year, has collected and donated more than 150 gently used adult and children's bicycles to local families in need, with Avenues in Motion supplying new helmets. Donations of bikes are welcomed at the Hillview Avenue office Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., or on Sunday mornings.
Seed Time and Harvest, the parish's Daily Veggies Ministry, gathers a wide variety of fresh produce each growing season for Table of Hope. In 2025 the garden broke its own record, contributing 4,098 pounds of vegetables over the year, and gardeners of every experience level are invited to join in.
Beliefs and Wider Affiliation
St. Paul's follows the traditions of the Episcopal Church, with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The parish confesses the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and worships on Sundays and Holy Days, participates in Bible study and prayer groups, and gathers for educational programs on a range of topics. A core commitment is that all are children of God and all of God's children are welcome at St. Paul's.
The parish is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, within The Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion. Rev. Danielle serves the wider church as President of the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) Newark Chapter, Property Chair on the Diocesan Standing Committee, a member of the Anti-Sexism Task Force, and a board member and associate of the Community of St. John Baptist.
Clergy, Staff, and Music
The Rev. Danielle D. Baker, a lifelong Morristown resident and Drew University Theological Seminary graduate who was awarded the John Heston Willey Prize for excellence in pulpit oratory, leads the parish as Priest-in-Charge. Amanda Boyadjis serves as Parish Administrator, and Kristin Cappuccino is the parish's organist and choir director, bringing a background in classical, jazz, and musical theater performance to the Sunday liturgy. The parish is governed by a vestry led by Senior Warden Bob Sullivan and Treasurer Jack Cox.
Practical Details
The parish is at 29 Hillview Avenue in Morris Plains, with office hours Tuesday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The parish phone is (973) 285-0884, the office email is office@stpaulsmp.org, and Rev. Danielle can be reached at priest@stpaulsmp.org for matters of sacraments and pastoral conversation. Sunday parking is available on site, and the building is mask-optional.