Bio coming soon!
Hope has been married to her husband, Mark, for 27 years and they have two amazing adult children who are using their talents to serve the Lord. Hope and Mark welcomed their first granddaughter in 2026. Hope spent 30 years serving in youth and children's ministry. She is so blessed to serve you all here at FPC.
We are so thankful to have Gary on staff. He has been such an asset to the building and always keeps the coffee brewing.
First Presbyterian Church is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA). You can find out more about the denomination at pcusa.org.
Session is the main governing body of the church and is made up of 9 church Elders elected by the congregation to 3 year terms. Each elder serves as the chair of one of the church’s committees. They are:
Manages the church’s finances.
Maintains educational services for people of all ages.
Encourages fellowship within the congregation.
The clerk keeps the church's records in order and keeps minutes of all Session meetings.
Try to reach out to those in need.
Makes sure that the church is helping those in need, both physical and spiritual.
Seeks appropriate individuals to serve church offices. Seeks the efficiency and effectiveness of church staff.
The upkeep and maintenance of the church structures and grounds.
Makes sure that we worship the Lord with heart and soul.
First Presbyterian Church of Newark was founded in 1808 - just six years after the town of Newark itself was established. The congregation first met in a one-room log cabin on the courthouse square. The present church building was built in 1909 and dedicated in 1910. In 1954, a chapel, ladies' parlor, and office space were added. The church celebrated its bicentennial in 2008 with a year of special services, dinners, and the opening of a time capsule (to be reopened in 2033). We are proud of our long history of faithful service in this community.