A Parish Older Than the Nation, Still Working in Clarksboro
On a stretch of Kings Highway in East Greenwich Township, St. Peter's Episcopal Church has stood watch over the small Gloucester County hamlet of Clarksboro for more than 250 years. Founded in 1770 and incorporated in 1835, it was the last of twenty parishes established in colonial New Jersey by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, the missionary arm of the Church of England. The U.S. Department of the Interior placed the property on the National Register of Historic Places on August 11, 1977.
Despite its long history, St. Peter's makes clear it is not a musty museum. It calls itself a vibrant, thriving Church of the Episcopal Faith in the Diocese of New Jersey, and it invites all sorts and conditions of persons to take part in its ministry. The parish describes itself as a worshiping community of Christians responding to God's call to know Christ, to love Christ, and to serve Christ in our time and in this place.
Members come together to proclaim the Good News by word and example, seek and serve Christ in all persons, strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. As faithful stewards, they pledge themselves to an ever-deepening personal commitment to use their resources rightly in the service of others and to God's honor and glory. The parish invites all persons to join in giving themselves to this ministry of God's work in the community and the world.
Two Sunday Services, One Tradition
Sunday worship at St. Peter's follows the customs of the Episcopal Church, with two services each week:
- 8:00 AM spoken service, a quieter liturgy without music
- 10:00 AM service with music, featuring hymns and choir, followed by a Coffee Hour
Special services are added throughout the year as the liturgical calendar calls for them. Ample parking and handicap access are available behind the church building, and the facilities are fully handicapped accessible.
A Campus of Five Properties on Kings Highway
St. Peter's holds five parish properties along Kings Highway in East Greenwich Township. In Clarksboro itself sit the 1846 church building, the Green House, and the former Sexton's residence. A short distance away in Mt. Royal stand the Rectory and a colonial-era cemetery that ties the present congregation directly to the earliest generations of parishioners.
A Capital Campaign Committee has been working to care for these historic structures. Thanks to early donations and pledges, the parish has already completed painting of the church and installed a new roof on the Green House. As more funds become available, future projects will begin work on the Green House porch and the bell tower. Donations and event tickets can be made online through Zeffy, the parish's donation platform.
St. Peter's Community Pantry
The church runs St. Peter's Community Pantry, a food pantry that serves neighbors in need in Clarksboro and the surrounding area. The pantry has its own dedicated phone line (856-599-0491) and email (foodpantry@stpetersclarksboro.org), and it depends on the steady support of parish fundraisers and outside donors.
Many of the parish's largest events send a portion of their proceeds to the pantry. The annual Crab Cake Supper, the Spaghetti Dinner, and the Fall Basket Extravaganza all raise money for the pantry, the parish's general fund, and outreach projects including Episcopal Community Services of New Jersey.
St. Peter's Haven: A Home for Families in Transition
In the summer of 2015, St. Peter's partnered with Family Promise of Southwest New Jersey to launch St. Peter's Haven, a new ministry that uses a three-bedroom home on the church campus as transitional housing. The program serves homeless families who are working toward a place of their own. The Vestry chose the partnership as the appropriate use for the property, and parishioners continue to volunteer their time and resources to keep the program running.
St. Peter's Guild: Fundraising, Fellowship, and Fun
Formed in 2013 to renew and strengthen parish life, St. Peter's Guild focuses on four areas: fundraising, outreach, project teams, and plain old fun. The Guild generally meets after the 10:00 AM Coffee Hour on the first Sunday of the month, and all are welcome to join in.
Past Guild events have included Pork and Sauerkraut Suppers, Mardi Gras celebrations, Bag Bingo nights, cookbook sales, relish and crab cake fundraisers, and Giving Trees at Christmas. The most recent Giving Trees raised more than $450 to help local elderly and needy families with heating costs, more than $600 for the Episcopal Relief and Development Gifts for Life program, and a carload of food items for the Blessing Store Food Pantry hosted at EUM.
The Guild's homemade relishes, made with locally grown ingredients from Grasso Girls Farm Market in Mullica Hill, are sold through the parish's online store. Salem County Sweet Pepper Relish and Zucchini Relish are available in pint jars, in gift packs, and alongside branded St. Peter's polo shirts and a brass Christmas ornament featuring the iconic image of the church.
Reading Group in the Parish Hall
St. Peter's hosts a book group that meets at 7:00 PM on the last Tuesday of each month in the Parish Hall. The group reads a wide mix of fiction and non-fiction, from memoirs to mystery novels, and newcomers are welcome at any meeting. Members do not need to belong to St. Peter's and do not have to commit to making every meeting. Hot and cold drinks are provided, and snacks are optional. Past reads have included works by Michelle Obama, J.D. Vance, Delia Owens, Donna Tartt, and Lori Gottlieb. Cathy Hawn coordinates the group.
The Five Marks of Mission
St. Peter's frames its ministry around the Five Marks of Mission shared across the Anglican Communion: to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom, to teach, baptize, and nurture new believers, to respond to human need by loving service, to transform unjust structures and challenge violence, and to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. The pantry, the Haven, the Guild's outreach projects, and Sunday worship together embody each mark in the life of the parish.
Capital Campaign and Planned Giving
The Capital Campaign Fund is in full swing to care for the historic campus. Online gifts can be made through Zeffy, the parish's donation platform. The parish has also launched a Planned Giving initiative and a Legacy Society to provide a foundation for future growth in every area of parish life. Members and friends of the parish can give to the Capital Campaign or join the Legacy Society to support continued ministry in East Greenwich and the surrounding communities for generations to come.
Part of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of New Jersey
St. Peter's is part of the Diocese of New Jersey, a member of The Episcopal Church, Province II of the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, and the world-wide family tied to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The parish has historical ties to the Church of England through its colonial founding by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. It also partners with Episcopal Community Services of New Jersey on outreach projects and connects with Episcopal Relief and Development on disaster response and global mission.
Resources from across the wider church are linked through the parish, including the Book of Common Prayer, daily Morning and Evening Prayer online, the Episcopal Digital Network, the Episcopal Network for Stewardship, Anglicans Online, and Anglican Frontier Missions.
Visiting St. Peter's
The church is at 304 King's Highway, Clarksboro, NJ 08020. The office phone is 856-423-4116, with a fax at 856-599-1670. The office email is office@stpetersclarksboro.org. The Rev. M. Mantelle Bradley serves as Rector.
Sunday worship is at 8:00 AM (spoken) and 10:00 AM (with music). Ample parking and handicap access are available behind the church. The Reading Group meets at 7:00 PM on the last Tuesday of each month in the Parish Hall. The Community Pantry has its own phone line and email. Whether someone is looking for a quiet spoken liturgy, a fuller sung service, a place to volunteer, or a parish to call home, St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Clarksboro keeps its doors open to all sorts and conditions of persons.