History of Mt. Bethel Baptist Church

Mount Bethel Baptist Church was established in Crooker’s Stationery store on Chestnut Street in the village of Ridgewood, New Jersey in 1905. Rev. A.J. Hubbard was the first pastor and led the church with support of nearby Calvary Baptist Church of Paterson, NJ. Establishing the tradition of faith community involvement in Ridgewood, Rev. Hubbard was the noted “negro” pastor attending the  cornerstone service at A.M.E. Zion Church, the second Black church in the village and this area of Bergen County. Those relationships in the early 1900s with the (now, First) Reformed Church of Ridgewood, The Methodist Episcopal Church (now Ridgewood United Methodist) and A.M.E. Zion Church formed the foundation for The Ridgewood Interfaith Council and the leadership body of the longest running Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in the state. Mount Bethel is proud to continue this legacy in 2026 maintaining a board member and leadership positions on the Celebration Committee. 

By 1907, Mt. Bethel eventually grew from its storefront home to move to its first independent church building on Ackerman Avenue. In 1918, around the corner from the church, the Ridgewood YMCA established a colored YMCA on Broad Street to serve the Black men of the village. The goal was to provide space for Black men to have a haircut and shave in the village, versus traveling down to Paterson, roughly 5 miles away from the church, where a more diverse community resided. In February 1919, the church’s new location caught fire and was largely destroyed. The village firemen were only able to save a portion of the building. According to The Ridgewood News “Half of the roof was burned, the pulpit destroyed, and the back of the building burned out.”  Following the fire, the church moved to the YMCA as their home for Wednesday night Bible study and Sunday worship for a period of time. 

In 1939, the church purchased part of the property that it sits on today on South Broad and Dean streets. Ground was broken on June 2, 1940, and the cornerstone laid on October 13. On February 2nd, 1941 Pastor George H. Reed dedicated the newly built church house “with the mayors of Ridgewood and Glen Rock ringing the bell,” the same firehouse bell that rang when the church building on Ackerman avenue caught fire. The firehouse bell along with the stained glass windows purchased by members remain in the church today. The 1940 building was designed by architect William Platt, who was the benefactor that facilitated the transfer of the bell to the church. 

Through the years, the church continued to grow, and in 1976, Rev. Dr. Thomas Johnson became the 10th pastor. During his tenure, the church expanded its presence and impact in the village and globally. Mt. Bethel helped to seed Mt. Bethel Baptist Church of Uitenhage, South Africa and the church locally grew in numbers and impact. Rev. Dr. Johnson was deeply involved in the community during his 40 year tenure as pastor – the most recognizable leader of the MLK march, frequently called upon civic leader, and an elder statesman among clergy. His work within and outside of the church walls led the village to dedicate the Dean Street in his name. Upon Johnson’s passing in 2018, Rev. Gloria Nobles assumed the interim pastorship and became the first woman to pastor the church leading the congregation to its 120th year. During the interim tenure, Rev. Nobles kept a steady hand of leadership, comfort and guidance on the church until our current pastor, Rev. Alan Lawrence was elected in 2025. 

While through time, demographic change, and challenging moments, Mt. Bethel has continued to grow and looks forward to thriving in its next era.