NEWARK, NJ — In a spirit of solidarity and shared heritage, Franklin-St. John’s United Methodist Church hosted members of the Oheb Shalom Congregation from South Orange, NJ, for a moving joint worship experience on Sunday, June 29, 2025. The gathering marked a deepening relationship between the two faith communities, one rooted in history, shared values, and a collective commitment to justice.
The seeds for this historic service were planted on May 14, 2025, when Franklin-St. John’s and Oheb Shalom held a joint interfaith Seder at Oheb Shalom’s synagogue. It was during that gathering the congregations discovered a profound connection: both had roots in the city of Newark, even though Oheb Shalom had since relocated to South Orange. That realization led to a mutual desire for deeper collaboration, culminating in Sunday’s powerful service of unity.
To begin the day, Oheb Shalom was invited to hold their traditional morning prayer, Shacharit, in the chapel of Franklin-St. John’s. As they transitioned from their sacred observance into the sanctuary, the two communities became one in worship. Together, they clapped, sang, and affirmed a common truth: unity was not just possible, it was palpable.
Rabbi Abigail Treu, spiritual leader of Oheb Shalom, offered opening remarks and a reading from Psalm 100. Her words stirred the congregation as she reflected on the fires of hate that once consumed churches in the South during her childhood in the 1990s.
“There were a spade of church burnings down south,” Rabbi Treu recalled. “For weeks, it made the news that people full of hate were burning down the churches of African-American communities… My friends, we have a lot of fires to put out together. And there’s a lot of holy good fire burning inside of each one of us… The Holy Spark, which is waiting to ignite.” The congregation received her with claps of affirmation and celebration.
Her message set the tone for what was to come: a joint call to extinguish the flames of injustice by fanning the flames of sacred love and mutual respect.
Following a musical offering from the Franklin-St. John’s choir led by Mr. Emory Lee, Senior Pastor, Rev. Dr. William D. Carter III stepped into the pulpit with a sermon titled, “Come On & Get Up,” drawn from Luke 10:25–37. Dr. Carter opened with a vivid scene from New York Penn Station just days before: a street performer’s reimagined lyrics to “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang, shouting not “come on,” but “Get up.” In the sermon Dr. Carter highlighted how he witnessed a Jewish man wearing a kippah helping a Latina mother carrying her baby stroller down the stairs.
“I said, ‘Thank you, Lord. This is how I’m opening my sermon on Sunday,’” Dr. Carter told the congregation.
What followed was a rousing sermon that blended scriptural exegesis with a prophetic charge. Dr. Carter reminded the audience that Jesus consistently stood with the marginalized, not the oppressor.
“Jesus never pushed His religion onto people,” he said. “Instead, He gave them redemption and hope.”
Driving home the theme of radical neighbor-love, Dr. Carter challenged listeners to expand their understanding of who qualifies as a
“neighbor.”
“Your neighbor is the Muslim and the Methodist, the Jew and the Gentile… the single mother trying to make it… the rural farmer forgotten by Washington… the Palestinian child and the Israeli grandmother. Your neighbor is the person who offended you. Your neighbor is the person who gets on your last nerves. Love your neighbor as yourself.”
The sanctuary swelled with emotion as Dr. Carter neared his conclusion, delivering a call to action that left no one seated.
“So if your neighbor is undocumented, get up! If your neighbor wears a hijab, get up! If your neighbor speaks another language, get up!” he thundered.
“Get up from religious comfort. Get up from performative justice. Get up from ‘thoughts and prayers’ and move into action. Get up from the safe side of the road and get down where the wounded are! Because every time we get up… Heaven leans in. Every time we get up… Mercy multiplies. Every time we get up… The kingdom of God comes near.” With those words, the sanctuary ignited in praise. Congregants from both traditions stood shoulder to shoulder, clapping, affirming, and rejoicing in the Spirit that filled the room.
After the benediction, the celebration continued with a joint question-and-answer session between Rabbi Treu, Dr. Carter, and members of Oheb Shalom Congregation. It was an opportunity to exchange reflections, deepen connections, and explore further paths for partnership.
In a time marked by division and distrust, this service was a sacred reminder: faith can still bring us together. And when it does, the world catches fire, not with destruction, but with divine possibility.