about

About Us

ABOUT US

About Us

We believe “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:4-7, 11-16 NRSV

We recognize Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and endeavor to follow him as God’s children. We strive to accept each other as Christ has accepted us, bearing with one another in love as brothers and sisters. We seek in worship, fellowship, Christian education, and in our daily lives to “grow up into Christ” and to promote such growth in others.

We are witnesses to the grace and love that we have received as individuals and as members of the body of Christ. We commit ourselves to nurturing the fruit of the Spirit in the family of God. We welcome as a privilege our responsibility to act as God’s people in our community and world.

Mission Statement

We are committed to providing a nurturing environment where followers of Jesus Christ will grow in faith and discipleship. We endeavor in all things to nurture the fruit of the Spirit within the family of God. Our goal is to offer opportunities for spiritual development which will include worship, bible study and fellowship for all ages.

As a Christian community of faith, we consider it essential that we uphold each other through life’s journey. We offer care and support to one another, our teachers, our pastor and our staff members. We welcome everyone and are open and inclusive to the LGBTQIA+ community and anyone else who has historically been shut out or discriminated against.

We will continue to reach out to our community by supporting ecumenical programs and other projects that serve the needs of others.

Guided by the Holy Spirit, we will blossom more and more into faithful stewards of our gifts, time and talents.

Vision

As we look to the future of the First Presbyterian Church, we envision we will grow spiritually, emotionally and in number with the confidence that our congregation will continue to thrive.

We envision continuing to be a congregation that:

Is open, tolerant, compassionate, introspective and attuned to the needs of our church family and the surrounding community.
Continues to support one another and the church through faith, talents, time and resources.
Provides opportunity for spiritual enrichment through additional fellowship opportunities for all age groups, and offers programs for continuing education for our teaching staff.
Experiences effective communication from its leaders so that members are fully aware of the church’s activities and issues.
Understands the fiscal needs of the church, recognizes the challenge of eliminating budget shortfalls and exercises good stewardship of time, talent and financial resources.
Collaborates with other faith communities as we meet needs within the community.
Makes our facilities available to community organizations and maintains and improves our property so that all who use it will find it spiritually inspiring, clean, safe, attractive and comfortable.
Expands on our ability to communicate and inform others through creative use of emerging technology.

Staff

Pastor

Margaret E. Brungard

Margaret was born and raised in Old Bridge, New Jersey and is a lifelong Presbyterian. She is a graduate of Rutgers University, New Brunswick (Bachelor of Arts in Classics) and The George Washington University (Master of Tourism Administration). After graduate school, she worked for four years in Human Resources, specializing in training and professional development. She has always loved learning new things, teaching, and caring for others.

Though she enjoyed her corporate career, Margaret realized that God was calling her to use her gifts for pastoral ministry. She attended Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) and graduated in May 2023 with her Master of Divinity degree. At PTS, Margaret served as the Clerk of the Presbyterian Student Fellowship and worked for the Admissions Office as a campus tour guide. Most recently, Margaret was the Acting Director of Adult Education at the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville (PCOL) in Lawrenceville, NJ. She is thrilled to begin her ordained ministry at FPC Bordentown.

Margaret is married to her college sweetheart, TJ, who is a high school band director, and she is the mom of two young children. In her free time, Margaret loves to read, journal, and explore new places with her family and friends.
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Church Office Manager

Sheri Devlin
mail: bordentownpresbyterian@gmail.com

Sheri comes to us with 15 years of experience working in a Presbyterian Church office, and an additional 10 years of secretarial experience. She has been a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Hightstown since 2001 and is currently spending 25 hours of her work week in their office. At FPC Hightstown, she volunteers as the Kids Club Coordinator and has been teaching Sunday School for about 18 years. Sheri was previously employed by Princeton University at Firestone Library for 10 years before taking time off to care for her family. Sheri began working part-time to help out in the office at Hightstown during that time, and eventually took over as Office Manager when her predecessor retired. Sheri has been married to her high school sweetheart Mark for 28 years at their home in Hightstown where together they raised 5 beautiful children. They currently share their home with 2 cats and a small black dog (Jack Russell-Chihuahua) with a big chip on his shoulder.

When not working/volunteering at church, Sheri enjoys reading, crocheting, word puzzles and relaxing. Between the months of April and November, she and her husband are frequently found in Rio Grande NJ (right between Cape May and Wildwood) at the Beachcomber Camping Resort in their small trailer at the beach.
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Director of Music Ministry

Colin Levins

A native of the St. Louis, Missouri area, Colin Levins has performed solo and chamber music in the United States and abroad. Recent appearances and awards include performances at the Peabody Institute of Music (Baltimore, MD), Kauffman Center for Performing Arts (Kansas City, MO), and being a prizewinner of the Kansas City Sigma Alpha Iota Scholarship Awards. He received his Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory under a fully-funded Graduate Teaching Assistantship, and his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from the University of Central Missouri Honors College, where he graduated summa cum laude. Major teachers include Dr. Francine Kay, Professor Sean Chen, Dr. Mia Kim, and Dr. Jennifer Judd. Also a dedicated piano teacher, his students regularly earn top ratings at music festivals. Previous teaching appointments include the UMKC Conservatory Academy, Interlochen Arts Camp, and the Wentzville Academy of Arts, Music, and Education. Currently, Mr. Levins is on the faculty of the New School for Music Study, a division of the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy (Kingston, NJ). He also serves as the Director of Music Ministry at the First Presbyterian Church in Bordentown, NJ. For more information, including recordings, please visit Mr. Levins’ website at www.colinlevins.com.
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Treasurer

Don Ryba

Don and his wife Dana first joined the congregation in 1998. He became actively involved in 2003 as a member of the Board of Trustees, which later became the Buildings & Grounds Team. Don was ordained as an Elder in 2006 and eventually served for 5 years as chair-person of Buildings & Grounds. Don is currently a member of Session and helps to oversee the financial affairs of the church including the development and management of the annual Budget.

Don was born and raised in the city of Trenton as part of a large Roman Catholic parish where his family was very active. He attended parochial schools in Trenton and earned a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Rider University. When he and his wife moved to Bordentown City they were looking for a smaller church close to home. They immediately found our church to be a comfortable welcoming place and are very happy having their two sons grow up here.
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Director of Christian Education

Dana Maiuro

Dana grew up in the church, attending Sunday School, singing in children's choir, and participating as an active and enthusiastic member of Youth Group. Dana also served as a Youth Member of Session. These combined experiences prepared her well for her current position on the staff of the church. She worked with the Youth Group for the past 9 years, first as a helper and then as Youth Group Leader. In 2012 she assumed the role of Director of Christian Education, placing both areas, Christian education and Youth Group, under her leadership.

Dana attended Rider University majoring in Elementary Ed and Music, programs which enhanced the skills she uses in her work at the church. She has a gift for helping Sunday School kids and Youth Groupers find their place both inside and outside of the church.
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Live Stream Technician

Jacob Machado

Jacob is originally from Orange, CA and grew up attending a large Presbyterian church with family and friends. Participating in youth ministry as a student and then as a volunteer leader, he was always actively involved in the life of the church. Jacob loves computer science and learning more about any tech subject. He started working AV at the church in college while majoring in computer science. He enjoys using his intellectual interests and talents to help people worship God.

Jacob and his wife Cece moved to Princeton so she could pursue an M. Div, and Jacob currently works at B&W Tek as a Software Engineer. In his free time, Jacob enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends and spending time exploring his new home in New Jersey with Cece. They are both excited to worship with you!
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Custodian

Charlie Reeder
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