Hard Time For Holy Spirit Lutheran Church

Compared to some of the other, larger religious buildings in town, Holy Spirit Lutheran church at 70 River Road looks run down. Given that its parking lot gates are shut and locked during most weekdays, one could be forgiven for assuming the place closed.

According to congregation President Arnold Berghorn, the church was not always as quiet as it is now. When the area's Lutheran worship ceremonies moved from the cafeteria of Robert R. Lazar middle school to its current home on River Road in 1970, the church was active with life.

"We had a large congregation of about 60 families or so back then," he said. "We had a very good youth group, a big Sunday school and a summer bible camp."

40 years later and Berghorn says the congregation now is about 50 people total, a figure that Norma Berghorn, his wife and congregation secretary, thinks is generous at best.

"If everybody comes, we could get 30," she said. "Its so sad, because we'd really like to see up built up again."

The Berghorns, who have lived in the area and been involved with the church long enough to remember the days of attending church in a middle school cafeteria, are part of a small group trying to keep Holy Sprit running.

According to Arnold, a combination of age, bad timing, ineffective leadership and changing demographics has put the church in its current state.

"Demographics have changed, " he said. "Montville used to be all farm land, now its mansions. Young people can't afford to live here, we don't really have starter homes, it isn't advantageous for a young couple."

The community has struggled to find a pastor willing to help them out of their current funk. According to Norma, their last pastor, who left in 2009, did so without giving the church enough notice to find a suitable replacement.

"We used to be very involved in the community, but we kind of of got away from that with our last pastor," she said. "He came in one Sunday in July and announced he was leaving, took two weeks vacation, came back for one Sunday and left in September."

The church currently uses a retired pastor for its Sunday service. While they are working with the New Jersey district of t he Lutheran church Missouri Synod to find a full-time replacement, Norma feels that the church needs more than a body to fill the void.

"We need someone to come in here and knock on doors," she said. "We know families in town that still live here, but they just don't go."

Arnold agrees with the congregation's need for direction.

We're very concerned for the future of the church," he said. "We can't plug along forever. We need someone who can get us off our butts."

Due to a lack of youth membership, the church has cancelled its bible camps, Sunday school and youth group within the last 10 years. Norma believes that if the church had more to offer in the way of groups, it would be more attractive to potential members.

Still, she says that moral is high among the remaining congregation.

"The group that's here are very close friends," she said. "It's a strong, faithful base. Its dwindling, but strong amongst itself."

Arnold agrees with his wife, saying that the existing parishioners would continue to worship and work for the church.

"Most of us remaining have real stock in this place," he said. "We helped build it. We aren't going to close if we can help it. We're willing to fight for it."

According to Arnold, the church's best way to survive might just be getting its name out in the community a bit more.

"We're the quiet ones," he said. "Our shed deteriorated and I went to the town to get the permit to build a new one and the town clerk says 'oh, there's a Lutheran church over on River Road?'"