Faith Brethren in Christ is a small, but active, congregation that has served the Essex community since 1991. The congregation of 30 people has been led by Pastor John Melhorn since 1998.
The church offers its congregation care groups, which are home Bible studies, as well as a kid's program called TeamKid. The church also strives to serve the community through a variety of activities including picnics, free yard sales and more. The congregation is also involved in Streets of Hope homeless ministry and EIO, the local food bank.
The First Baptist Church of Back River dates back to 1905. Its congregation is led by the Rev. James E. Modlin, who in 2001 was installed as the 11th known pastor of the church. Since then, Pastor Modlin has helped restart the church's Mass Choir, which now has more than 60 members. The church itself has established several ministries within the congregation, including ones for singles and outreach.
New Life Sanctuary offers contemporary and traditional services, as well as youth and adult programs, religious education and more. For additional information, be sure to call the telephone number provided.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School offers strong academic, religious, athletic and extracurricular programs for children from infancy through high school. The school is dedicated to fostering students' spiritual, intellectual, physical, social and moral development.
Boulevard Christian Church has been a part of Essex since 1956. The church was formed after members from other churches in neighboring communities desired a place to worship closer to home. The congregation is led by Pastor David Mackie, who has been at the helm since December, 2005. During his tenure, the congregation has doubled in size as there has been an added emphasis on the church's youth ministry which has attracted young families to the congregation.
Tabernacle Baptist Church's history dates back to 1947 when 23 people joined a service conducted by the Rev. Frank Brazington. The church was constituted in 1950 and its current building on Bennett Road has been serving residents of Essex, Middlesex and Middle River since 1956. The church is in the process of continuing renovations of the property as resources become available. In the meantime, the church offers a diverse range of programs designed for children, men, women and seniors.
Saint Clare has been a fixture among Essex Roman Catholics for decades. The church is led by Rev. C. Lou Martin. Along with offering daily mass services, the church tries to reach out to many segments of the community, including offering youth ministry programs and Spanish services while also hosting Boy Scout and Girl Scout meetings. The church also operates the Saint Clare Reception Hall and Pavilion that is available to rent for all types of special events. The Parish was also home to Saint Clare School from 1956 until 2010 when it was one of 13 Catholic schools closed in the area.
Back River United Methodist Church serves a diverse congregation of 125 people in the Essex and Middle River area. The Rev. Lori Cantin leads the congregation after joining the church in July 2010. The church tries to reach people of all generations through its "blended" Sunday services, which take elements from traditional and contemporary services. The church also reaches out to the community through Bible studies, hosting Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts meetings and even through social media on Facebook and Twitter.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel has served as the epicenter of Catholic worship in Middle River dating back to 1887, and is also home to an elementary and high school. The church officially became a parish in 1904 and a rectory was finished a year later. It is led by Msgr. Robert L. Hartnett, who has helped guide the parish toward tremendous growth in recent years.
The First Apostolic Faith Church has been a part of Essex for more than 50 years. The church was founded by Pastor Chester Knotts. Today, the church, which is in the process of rehabbing and expanding its building, is led by Pastor Grace Wilson. The congregation currently has about 25 members.
With more than 200 members, the Essex United Methodist Church, led by Rev. Kimberly Brown-Whale, tries to cater to all of its members. The church offers both contemporary and traditional services along with hosting several charitable events throughout the year. This includes its weekly Table of Grace event during which the church serves meals to those in need. In just one year, the church has served more than 4,000 meals.
Hope Lutheran Church has been a part of the community since the 1950s. The congregation is led by Pastor Charles Marshall. The church offers a mix of contemporary and traditional services, along with Bible study groups and youth programs. In addition, the church offers a preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds along with before- and after-school programs.