A Nice Problem to Have: When Church Pews Overflow

For Rev. Russell “Rusty” Eidmann-Hicks and the members of the Holmdel Community Church located at 40 Main Street, the current plan to expand their church home is not just about elbow room.

It's about expanding its mission to both its members and the surrounding community, honoring the church's rich history, and “paying it forward” to future generations.

“When I first came here in 1991, people referred to this as 'the dying church',” said Eidmann-Hicks, “and I knew that that was the reputation I had to change.”

Working with the church's highly active membership, Eidmann-Hicks has expanded local outreach programs, tripled membership to 300 adults,  and embarked upon a $1.2 million capital improvement plan to add a 6,670-foot addition to the rear of the church structure. The sanctuary, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is not included in the renovations.

Holmdel Community UCC will appear before the Planning Board on Tuesday, March 1 to seek final site plan approval to expand the hall, office and classrooms, add an open-air pavilion and covered walkway connecting the sanctuary to the hall, add meeting rooms and reconfigure the parking lot. (Their previous date with the Board was cancelled in order to review some late arriving engineering reports.)

“We've outgrown the space, as you can see,” said Eidmann-Hicks, in his tidy but cramped office, overflowing with books, files and an eclectic mix of antique chairs and a long conference table.  

“Sometimes at coffee hour we're shoulder to shoulder. We now have to do four seatings at our annual Turkey Dinner because we don't have the space to seat more people," he said. "And our classrooms are getting overcrowded." 

Holmdel Community, as it is often called, is one of two iconic steepled buildings in the old Holmdel Village on Route 520 and Holmdel Road, now surrounded by real estate offices, banks and professional offices.

The architectural plan envisioned by Marilyn Gentile of Colts Neck, a church member, shows several outer buildings, linked to a central courtyard through paths and walkways. Gentile has described her design to connect the buildings symbolic of connecting people to their faith. 

“The architectural forms of the sanctuary are also mirrored in the new architectural form of Fellowship Hall, almost like the church has given birth to a child,” said Gentile.

It will not only be attractive, but also have a practical aspect, said the pastor. “I think the covered walkway will be very beautiful with a lot of glass and sunlight streaming in. Right now everyone has to walk through the rain or snow or sleet to get from the church to Fellowship Hall.”

The choir room expansion for the back of the church structure will be welcome, said Susan Davies Muhler, Minister of Music   “Expanding our quarters will mean the ability to safely store all of our materials and music.," she said. 'It also allows us to have more practice room and allow for more people to participate."

The church is also the caretaker of a historic cemetery on its property, which dates back to the 1700s. It contains the graves of historical figures such as Asher Holmes, a leader in the Revolutionary War and John Witlock, who was killed in 1777.

But many of the grave sites are within a 100 ft. buffer zone along the abutting stream on its southerly border. There was an initial suggestion from the Planning Board that a portion of the cemetery would have to be allowed to revert back to nature.

Township historian George Joynson said his opinion on the Church expansion project had not been solicited. "I have not been contacted, this is not a historic issue," he said. 

The church's capital campaign has raised nearly $620,000, said Eidmann-Hicks, despite bad timing.  

“We had a congregational meeting to vote on the project in 2008 and the very next day, the stock market dropped 700 points and the whole congregation reeled,” said Eidmann-Hicks.

“But we went ahead with the plan, despite a very difficult fund raising atmosphere," he said. "The congregation has stepped up and given very generously across the board, which shows the nature of our congregation. People have really stretched to make this happen.”

The Holmdel Planning Board will meet on March 1, at 7 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.

Editors note: The author of this article, Grace Modla, has attended services at Holmdel Community United Church of Christ.