know god's love, show god's love, share god's love

We are called by God to be a hub of caring in the community. We want people to know and experience the reconciling love of Jesus Christ through our church as we gather and serve together.


Our Vision

A Hub of Caring in the Community - Pluckemin Church seeks to be a welcoming and active presence in Bedminster, serving as a place where people can experience God’s love through fellowship, service, and meaningful relationships.

Helping Families Grow in Faith - With a special focus on young families, the church is committed to nurturing children and parents in their faith journey through Sunday School, Adult Bible Study, Family Service Days, and intergenerational worship experiences like Messy Church.

Valuing Tradition, Engaged in Mission - While valuing historical continuity and Reformed theology, the church also looks outward, working to share the reconciling love of Christ with the broader community through acts of service, and globally by working with international organizations such as Africa Surgery.


Our Focus

1. Faith - Grounded in Christ and shaped by Reformed theology.

2. Worship - biblical based and centered on praising God in a blended fashion

3. Community - A church family that welcomes, cares, and supports each other.

4. Discipleship - Nurturing spiritual growth for all ages.

5. Mission - Serving others and sharing God’s love in action.


Our history

The Presbyterian Church at Pluckemin is located in the small   village of Pluckemin, which is part of Bedminster Township in the hills of Somerset County.


The beginnings of the church in the Pluckemin area go back to about 1720, when early settlers started to arrive from Holland, Ireland, Scotland, and Germany. The area was then known as Raritan in the Hills. An early log church was erected on the mountainside about a mile and a quarter east of the present site, but usually it was more convenient for the people to meet in each other's homes. In 1758, the first church was built on the present site in Pluckemin village. This church was a stone structure, called St. Paul's and barely survived through the American Revolution, which brought raids of British troops and Washington's Army to the area. By 1850, the population had grown to sufficient size to warrant formal approval from the Presbytery of Elizabethtown to form a local Presbyterian Church. The year 1851 is the official date the cornerstone was laid, and by 1856 the church membership was up to nearly 140 people. The present building is located within 70 yards of the original site, on the same street.   Membership is currently about 300.

some presbyterian history

Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings established the core of Reformed Theology which is at the heart of the Presbyterian Church.


Calvin did much of his writing from Geneva, Switzerland. From there, the Reformed movement spread to other parts of Europe and the British Isles. Many of the early Presbyterians in America came from England, Scotland and Ireland. The first American Presbytery was organized at Philadelphia in 1706. The first General Assembly was held in the same city in 1789. The first Assembly was convened by the Rev. John Witherspoon, the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence.


What is distinctive about the Presbyterian Church?

Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways: they adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, leadership of both pastors and church members.


Presbyterian Beliefs

The principles articulated by John Calvin remain at the core of Presbyterian beliefs. Among these are the sovereignty of God, the authority of the scripture, justification by grace through faith and the priesthood of all believers.

What they mean is that God is the supreme authority throughout the universe. Our knowledge of God and God’s purpose for humanity comes from the Bible. Our salvation (justification) through Jesus is God’s generous gift to us and not the result of our own accomplishments. It is everyone’s job — ministers and lay people alike — to share this Good News with the whole world. That is also why the Presbyterian church is governed at all levels by a combination of clergy and laity, men and women alike.