Saint Stepanos Armenian Church, 1184 Ocean Ave, Long Branch, NJ 07740, US

Nearly five decades have passed since a member of the Reformed Church of North Brunswick penned those thoughts for the dedication of the church's sanctuary, located at Laurel Place and Cedar Avenue in the township's Berdines Corner section. And many of the shoots from those roots nurtured during the first 40 years, such as North Brunswick's volunteer fire department and first aid squad, are standing on their own. During those first four decades much older roots were grafted to our North Brunswick stock when this local church affiliated itself with The Reformed Church in America ( RCA ). Known as the nation's oldest Protestant Denomination Church, its roots are traced back to 1628 when Dutch settlers began worshiping in New Amsterdam. The township organization was founded on May 16, 1919, as the North Brunswick Religious and Civic Association. The members began holding weekly prayer meetings in 1918. They had to organize to purchase land and build a chapel to house their worship services, which had grown too large to be held in their homes. In 1921, the association purchased the Sunday school building of the New Brunswick Presbyterian Church, which the members dismantled and rebuilt on a new foundation to create the Berdines Corner Chapel. It also served as a meeting place for many community groups, including the one that formed Engine Company Number One of the North Brunswick Volunteer Fire Department in 1925. Thirty years later, another set of meetings resulted in formation of the North Brunswick First Aid & Rescue Squad. Located on Cedar Avenue, one block up the hill from the present church site, the chapel housed all worship activities until 1959, when the present sanctuary was built. The original building continued to be used as a Sunday school until the education wing was built in 1967. The original structure now houses the Odd Fellows Lodge. Accepted for affiliation with The RCA in April 1945, the group that first gathered in 1918 became The Reformed Church of North Brunswick. Nearly 85 years later, it continues as a place of worship in the Berdines Corner area with members that can trace their roots to 19 different European, African and Asian nationalities.