About Us

Since 1698, Christians have gathered here, and later built what was originally called “The Maidenhead Meetinghouse.” But, though the past is important to us, we refuse to live in it. Our 10am worship is a traditional Presbyterian service, made alive with a variety of music provided by a choir of committed and gifted singers, and led by intergenerational worship leaders. Our worship is focused around God’s word in scripture, read and proclaimed in sermons that are informative and lively, challenging and accessible.

We are people of diverse perspective and make-up—Republican and Democrat, of varying lifestyles and backgrounds. On a given Sunday you will find children, youth, families, and elderly worshipping together—all find welcome here. People of all ages create lifelong friendships in Christian fellowship through small groups, ongoing Fellowship Groups, and mission and study experiences. Children learn of God’s love through our Sunday School and our mid-week intergenerational Logos program. We find church to be a place of meaning-making, where seekers can explore Christ’s truth and purpose for their lives, but where few wear their piety on their sleeves.

We are people committed to mission, existing to serve those beyond our walls—from serving meals to the homeless, “mucking out” houses in Mississippi, to building homes in Trenton, we are a “roll up your sleeves” community of Christians. We seek in various ways to live out God’s call to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Learn more about us:

We Believe
Our Mission
Our History

We Believe

• God’s love and purpose are most fully revealed through Christ’s cross and resurrection.
• Grace is costly. Our response is not guilt, but joyful service.
• We find our unity in Jesus, not in uniformity.
• The church is Christ’s hands and feet, here and now.
• God’s truth is revealed in a person, Jesus Christ, who comes alive to and in us through the scriptures.
• Through sacraments of baptism and communion, God washes, feeds and sends us.
• God is sovereign over our life, and all of life.

Our History

We are nurtured by a long and fruitful history of service in Christ’s name. The Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville (formerly Maidenhead) was founded by settlers who came down the old Indian trails from Long Island and Connecticut in the late 17th century. In 1698, those who came to Maidenhead were granted land near the corner of Route 206 and Carter Road for a cemetery, school house and church. The land was never used for these purposes, probably because the grantors expected that an Anglican church would be established, while the settlers preferred a Presbyterian one.

A meetinghouse was erected on the site of the present building sometime in the early 1700's. A record from 1709 indicates that it was used both for a meeting of the Presbytery of Philadelphia and for a session of the Hunterdon County Court. The present structure was built in 1764, originally measuring 45 feet wide and 32 feet deep, about half the present depth. Most likely, the roof line ran parallel to the road and the congregation sat on three sides of a central pulpit and communion table. In 1853, the building was given its present depth of 75 feet, the balcony was enlarged, and the pulpit was carved to match the front arch.

People are the life of the church. Through the centuries, countless hundreds have sung praises to God here, pondered God's Word, cared for one another, and witnessed to God's love in the affairs of life. Some names stand out for particular deeds. Elias Phillips, a major in General Washington's army and later high sheriff of the county, is credited with attacking a Hessian supply train passing through the village, taking prisoners for Washington, and giving the supplies to the residents of Maidenhead. John Hart, signer of the Declaration of Independence, was baptized here on December 31, 1713. Legend has it that Molly Pitcher, heroine of the Battle of Monmouth, was also baptized here as Mary Ludwig. In 1810, the seventh minister of the church, Isaac V. Brown, began the Maidenhead Academy to prepare young men for college. This school is now The Lawrenceville School. Nearly a hundred years after the Revolutionary War, Robert Hamill Nassau and his sister Isabella left Lawrenceville to serve as missionaries on the River Ogawe in Gabon, West Africa. They served there from 1861 to 1906, and even today are honored by the government of Gabon for their medical, educational and pastoral work. Accounts of their work attracted Albert Schweitzer, and he continued the mission they had begun in the town of Lambarene.

The Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville has been at the heart of the community for over 300 years. Our church continues to grow in ministry and mission. In recent times, members of the church have served God in the affairs of the township and region by working for better housing, schools, recreation for the young, assistance for those in trouble, and more responsive government. The church's participation in the broader affairs of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been carried out by men and women in state and national positions.