“No church in the area,” they said. Before 1873, children from Lyndhurst had a long walk to Rutherford for Sunday School. But that changed when a group of young women started a Sunday School in a home on Meadow Road. This marked the humble beginning of what would become the Lyndhurst United Methodist Church.
Three years later, the Lackawanna Railroad offered them space. They held classes in the upper room of the old Kingsland railroad station. Occasional worship services took place there when a preacher was available.
In 1890, Drew Theological School began sending student ministers. They provided weekly worship on Sunday mornings. Rev. W.M. Hughes was the first of these pastors. Within a year, he organized the Kingsland Methodist Episcopal Church. The congregation built a small wooden sanctuary. It stood on the corner of Ridge Road and New Jersey Avenue. This was the first real home for the Lyndhurst United Methodist Church community.
Over the next twenty-three years, the congregation grew steadily. Two women’s organizations formed. These were the Ladies’ Aid and the Willing Workers. They raised money for the church. They held fairs and suppers in the firehouse on Stuyvesant Avenue. They even made gallons of clam chowder. They sold it to workers at the Kingsland railroad shops.
The population of Lyndhurst grew. Many new homes appeared near the town’s other train station on Stuyvesant Avenue. On September 12, 1913, the Official Board acted. They appointed a committee to find land on Stuyvesant Avenue. They envisioned a new, larger church. They purchased a lot on the corner of Tontine Avenue from Eibe Cordts. He was a Methodist from New York City. The price was $3,500. It was secured by a ten-year mortgage at 5% interest held by Mr. Cordts.
At the time, the church’s only financial assets were limited. They had the lot and building on Ridge Road, and a bank account containing $216. Most of this came from a recent rummage sale. Despite this, under Rev. Mark Brown’s leadership, the congregation began raising funds. They were determined to build a new church.
Rev. Brown and his wife were awaiting their next assignment. They were to be missionaries to China. On the day excavation work began, the Browns left. Just an hour before the first shovelful of dirt was lifted, they walked to the train station. They were beginning their journey to China. Seven years later, upon their return to America, they finally saw the building they had dreamed of. Rev. Brown stood in the new pulpit.
Rev. Robert Cummins replaced Rev. Brown. He had considerable experience building new churches. The old church building was sold to the Westminster Presbyterian Church. The new building was completed and furnished under his guidance. On December 6, 1914, the church was dedicated. Enough money and pledges were on hand to cover the entire cost. District Superintendent J. A. Cole called it “the most notable achievement of the year.” One real estate agent marveled at their achievement.
The agent was only slightly exaggerating. It took three years for the pledges to come in and the building costs to be paid off. There was also the ten-year mortgage on the property. Mr. Cordts donated a $300 copper and bronze bell for the belfry. After his death, his daughter offered a reduction. She would reduce the mortgage by $500 if it was paid off on time. With help from the Methodist Board, the congregation raised the funds. On December 1, 1924, a special worship service celebrated the burning of the mortgage.
The next year, the congregation took out a new mortgage. This was to build the parsonage behind the church on Tontine Avenue. Then in 1933, during the Great Depression, they built the church school wing. This was the ExlerMessing Building. It accommodated the growing Sunday School. Inside are the Wright Fellowship Hall, the Vogel Memorial Youth Room, and a room named for church historian Christina Latsha.
On December 7, 2014, the congregation held a special service. It commemorated the 100th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Sanctuary. Dr. William Noll, Interim Pastor, led the Lyndhurst United Methodist Church. It was a celebration of a century of faith. It was a testament to the community’s enduring spirit.