Goshen United Methodist Church to Close April 13

GOSHEN – Palm Sunday, April 13, begins Holy Week, but it will be the last Sunday when services will be held at the 104-year old Goshen United Methodist Church, 321 North Route 47.
A special church conference was held March 30 at which time the congregation voted to cease operation.
There are 24 on the church record, and 11, on average, attend the Sunday 11 a.m. service, according to Rev. Gerri Ridings, pastor.
“Members will have the opportunity to decide what church they want to transfer to,” said Ridings, who is also pastor at Green Creek United Methodist Church. “It appears many will transfer to Green Creek,” she said in a telephone interview April 1.
The church building was the second built in 1910 after the first was destroyed by fire, Ridings said. The congregation began in 1833 as a Sunday school.
“It is the congregation’s hope they might find another faith community looking for a building and something could be worked out,” Ridings continued.
The small congregation did not have the financial resources to care for the structure, she noted.
Rev. Paul Maliel, Cape Atlantic District superintendent, said the property of the Goshen church and its cemetery, which is filled, and has no more plots available, would be assumed by the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference trustees. They will manage the property as well as attempt to locate some other denomination which may be interested, he said.
“This building has beautiful stained glass windows,” said Maliel.
Much depends upon the community, Maliel said. A small United Methodist church at Head of the River conducts one service annually, yet its cemetery is cared for by community members.
In his seven years as district superintendent of the region that includes Cape May County, Maliel said only one other church closed in Atlantic County, at Conovertown.
Within proximity of the Goshen church is the Methodist church in Green Creek and one in Dias Creek to the south. To the north Methodist churches are located in South Dennis and Dennisville. There are also Methodist churches in Court House and Swainton.