The Bishop’s Church Emergency Fund (BCEF) provides financial support for church buildings in the diocese needing repairs and renovation, usually with a special focus on emergency and unforeseen needs. Through the BCEF, you can support the critical needs identified by the Bishop.
The third BCEF call of 2025 is for sound system upgrades for St. Luke’s Church in Haworth. You can donate online, or mail a check payable to Diocese of Newark with BCEF Call #3 in the memo line to: Diocese of Newark, Attn: BCEF, 94 E. Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in the Borough of Haworth was founded in Dumont in 1922, but by the 1950s, the parishioners had outgrown their original church. Their present building, a fine example of mid-century A-frame architecture, is spaciously situated on five acres in a lovely residential neighborhood. The parish also has parking for forty cars, a parish hall, and a nearby rectory which serves as the residence of the Rev. Beverly J. Huck, Priest-in-Charge.
Rev. Huck, a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, has served as St. Luke’s Priest-in-Charge for the last five years. She was ordained in the Diocese of Newark 41 years ago and has ministered in the diocese for many years. For five years she served as Rector of St. David’s Church in Kinnelon and for 17 years she was Rector of the Church of the Saviour in Denville.
“While it’s true that most Episcopal parishes see themselves as highly welcoming to visitors, I feel St. Luke’s is especially so,” says Rev. Huck. Each Sunday features a celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 10:30 a.m. with music. Parishioners serve as acolytes and carry out other altar ministries. A choir performs on special occasions, and the average Sunday attendance is between 20 and 30 worshippers.
St. Luke’s also combines worship and outreach ministries with two other nearby Episcopal parishes, St. Andrew’s in Harrington Park and Church of the Holy Communion in Norwood. In addition to celebrating the Eucharist at St. Luke’s every Sunday, Rev. Huck also celebrates the Eucharist at St. Andrew’s for two Sundays each month. On the remaining two Sundays, the Norwood parish comes to St. Luke’s for a joint service. Once each month St. Luke’s sponsors an ingathering of food for distribution at the WholeSum Food Pantry in Norwood. The three churches also work together in the Lap Blanket Ministry where participants knit and crochet small blankets for distribution to those in need. St. Luke’s also hosts a very active community book club.
The BCEF application St. Luke’s submitted is for assistance in funding a new sound system. As other parishes in the diocese have done when seeking a turnkey solution to livestreaming their services, St. Luke’s acquired one of the very popular Mevo cameras to stream their Sunday service over Facebook. The device offers users an affordable, user-friendly product with the ability to integrate with a church’s existing system for high-quality audio. The problem is that St. Luke’s existing sound system is now 40 years old and woefully inadequate. As a result, the sound quality is sadly lacking, both over the internet and in person.
Being able to hear the preacher and the lessons is especially important given the aging of our Episcopal congregations. It’s safe to say we have all experienced how poor sound quality can impede effective participation in worship. The upgrades St. Luke’s seeks to make will not only provide much-needed amplification for all worshippers but will include special provisions for those who are hard of hearing. Initial estimates indicate the total cost will run between $10,000 and $15,000—a daunting amount for this modest sized parish. I hope you will be as generous as possible in helping St. Luke’s to defray these costs by way of this, our third BCEF call of 2025.
God’s peace,
+Carlye J. Hughes
The Rt. Rev. Carlye J. Hughes
Bishop of Newark
