We welcome all people as the revealed image of God.
St. Peter’s was first organized in 1756, and we are proud to be one of the oldest, continuously operating communities of Christian faith in New Jersey. Committed to God in Christ and building spiritual belonging through fellowship, faith and service, we empower and support the independent, not-for-profit Community of Hope Ministries (COHM), providing food, friendship, and comfort to the greater Spotswood community including the well-known Alice’s CUP Food Pantry, the new Kellie’s Cupboard, and the Wednesday Night Community Suppers.
Volunteers in our ministries come from all walks of life, faith and passion. St. Peter’s cultivates a robust garden, growing organic produce for both Alice’s CUP and our Community Supper. The Shop at St. Peter’s is a source of bargain-priced goods including clothing, furniture, books, baby gear and much more. We welcome all who seek to serve, even as we welcome all who are in need.
Here you’ll find a vibrant community devoted to the work of Christ, a people of God who freely and passionately share our wealth, our talents and our time.
“The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” (BCP, p. 855)
Parish Leadership
St. Peter’s is under the rectorship of The Rev. Marshall Keith Shelly, who together with a lay Vestry, provide care for the well-being of the parish, its people and the greater community of Spotswood.
Father Marshall - as he is known to just about everyone in town, joined St. Peter’s in 2010. A 1989 graduate of Kenyon College in Ohio, Father Marshall received his Master of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary in New York City, became Deacon in 1994 and in 1995 was ordained a Priest in the Diocese of Southern Ohio. He is currently enrolled as a candidate at Drew Theological School for a Doctor of Ministry.
Father Marshall is a certified interim rector, as well as a diocesan parish and clergy consultant. He serves as Dean-Northern Convocation in NJ and currently serves as Chaplain of the Spotswood Volunteer Fire Department and Police Department.
He has chaired the Congregational Development Committee of the Diocese of New Jersey, served on the Diocesan Disciplinary Board, and served as chair of the recent COVID-19 Task Force on Testing and Vaccination. He is President of the Board of Community of Hope Ministries. He serves the Diocese of New Jersey as Vice President of the Board of Trustees of Episcopal Community Services, and as a member of the Episcopal Community Services Advisory Board. He has served on the Task Force on Refugees and Resettlement in the Diocese of New Jersey.
An avid gardener, he makes his home in nearby South River with his lovely and patient wife, Laura Shelly – who knew St. Peter’s was home from the very start.
Staff
The Rev. (Father Marshall) Marshall Keith Shelly, 36th Rector
Jessica Paiva, Minister of Music
Christine Sickels, Parish Administrator
Carter Quigley and Brian Shonk, Co-treasurers
Bev Stott, Financial Secretary
Vestry
John Grennen and Alice Meyers/Katie Belko, Wardens
Kathie Evans
Gene Dabrowski
Bill Drake
Alison Hyland
Rosita Hamilton
Niels Johnson
Mary LoSardo
History
People have been gathering to pray and serve God and their neighbor in Spotswood since 1756, the earliest record of an Anglican church in the colony that would become New Jersey. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Spotswood was established before the United States of America when King George III granted a charter to name the church in 1773. William Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin and governor of New Jersey at the time, signed the charter. Since then, for more than 260 years, St. Peter’s has continuously served the people of central Middlesex County and is proud to be one of the oldest parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.
The church at the corner of Main Street and DeVoe Avenue in the heart of town, is actually the second church to stand on the site. The first church, after serving the community for over 50 years had to be condemned, forcing the parish to worship in its parish hall in 1838 until the new church could be built. The parish went through hard times during that period, suffering from outbreaks of Yellow Fever in the community. Eventually, work began on a new church with drawings from renowned architect Frank Wills.
The current building was completed in 1854 and is an early example of Carpenter Gothic style, one of the largest in the country, and was patterned after the stone Gothic Revival Churches in Europe. It features a board and batten exterior, Gothic arched openings and lancet windows, stepped buttresses and decorative moldings. It was consecrated in the early 1860s and has been in regular use ever since. The original Parish Hall was expanded in the 1870s, and then again in the 1950s. A rectory was built in 1888 and serves as the offices for the Parish and for the not-for-profit service organization Community of Hope Ministries (COHM).
The graveyard that surrounds the buildings is a veritable monument to the history of America with veterans of every conflict and war and dates that carry us through our independence to this day; and celebrates the families – DeVoe, Helm, Appleby and Perrine, Snowhill, Suydam, Wilmurt, Joy, that are so deeply rooted in the history and success of central Middlesex County. St. Peter’s was named to the National Register of Historic Places and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 1979.
For centuries, our location, our buildings and our focus have been on using all that we are given to the Glory of God in service to others. Every nail, every board, every shingle, every bit of what you see is intended as a tool for ministry in the name of Jesus.