275 years

Almost fifty years ago our parents deposited my brother and me in Shiloh, NJ, for the summer. Dad was attending classes that summer in Upper Montclair. Our uncle, Charles H. Bond, our mother's brother, was the Seventh Day Baptist pastor in Shiloh. His wife, Margaret Skaggs Bond, was our father's sister. So we spent the summer fraternizing, so to speak, with their sons, our double first cousins. And we worshiped at the Shiloh Seventh Day Baptist Church. Our Shiloh Bond cousins, Ron, Phil, and Tim, grew up in that church and are still members there.

I have vivid recollections of the sanctuary, which is still much the same, although there have been modifications to the exterior of the building. Today the denominational site calls attention to a significant upcoming anniversary for that church:

The Shiloh SDB Church, located in Shiloh, New Jersey, will be celebrating their 275th Anniversary.  To mark the significance of this celebration the members of the Shiloh Church will be signing the Church covenant on March 24, 2012.

A history of the Shiloh church indicates that the building in this picture was the third for the congregation, and dates back to 1850. It was gutted by fire in 1934 but was restored in time for the 200th anniversary.

Shiloh New Jersey SDB Church celebrates 275 Years! | Seventh Day Baptist | General Conference of the United States and Canada, History | Seventh Day Baptist Church of Shiloh, NJ