Rev. Jennifer Bridges Brewer,
Pastor

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Reverend Jennifer L. Bridges Brewer currently serves as the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Sussex, NJ, a biblically-based, Christ-centered body of believers, empowered by the Spirit of God, commissioned to make disciples and to demonstrate God's love, mercy and grace. 

Affectionately called “Rev. Jenn,” through her leadership, First Baptist has realized growth both spiritually and physically. Even during COVID-19 the congregation remained connected, united and encouraged. God’s faithfulness allowed First Baptist to maintain Sunday morning worship service via conference call, Zoom and in-person. 

Rev. Jenn is an accredited Interim/Transitional Ministry Pastor for American Baptist Churches (ABC) who served as a pulpit supply minister for ABC Metro-New York, for Northern New Jersey, and for United Missionary Baptist Association, NJ. She also served as Moderator to the North New Jersey Baptist Association of ABCNJ, as well as Chairperson of the NNJBA Ordination Committee.  Previously, Rev. Jenn served as the Executive Minister/Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor, Reverend Dr. Renee F. Washington Gardner of the Memorial Baptist Church in Harlem, NY, for more than 12 years.

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Reverend Bridges Brewer’s ministry extends into the community. She currently serves as the in-house Eulogist/Officiating Clergy for Earl Jones Funeral Home, Inc. in Hackensack, NJ; has served as Chaplain and member of the Board of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Senior Citizen Center of Bergen County; and currently serves as the treasurer to the Fellowship of Black Churches (FOBC) of Hackensack and Vicinity, and member of the Bergen County Council of Churches. Previously, she served as the Director of Sons and Daughters of Rizpah Prayer Ministry/FOBC, specializing in prayer retreats for six years. As an entrepreneur and in her professional career Reverend Bridges Brewer is a wedding consultant-event planner, as well as an owner/manager, along with her husband, of restate for low-income families. 

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Though a native New Yorker, Reverend Bridges Brewer’s spiritual development was nurtured by her grandparents and the Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Seaboard, NC. Reverend Bridges Brewer was licensed to preach the gospel by the Rev. Dr.  M. France Manning-Fontaine, Pastor and her New Hope family in 1999, and in 2015 was ordained by her New Hope family (currently Rev. Dr. Drew Kyndall Ross, Senior Pastor, 2019) and the Northern New Jersey Baptist Association of American Baptist Churches of New Jersey. 

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Her fields of study include, but are not limited to, two Bachelor  of Sciences degrees from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC, a Masters of Divinity/Metro-Urban Ministry Concentration from the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New Brunswick, New Jersey, an intensive study course at the Fifteenth International School of Theology in Hydepark, Doorn, Netherlands, the completion of a Palliative Care Certificate Program from Union Theological Seminary in NY, and completion of certificate program for transitional ministry for ABC. Reverend Bridges Brewer is a gifted, multi-faceted woman of faith. Her ministry activities are reflective of her commitment to the ministry of prayer, women, our seniors, mission work, evangelism, and social justice. Her desire is for everyone to know that Jesus Christ loves them and that Salvation is available to all. She currently resides in East Orange, NJ with her husband Deacon Steven D. Brewer, Co-Chairperson, Deaconate Ministry, New Hope Baptist Church of Hackensack, for 17 years