Zarephath, New Jersey

Zarephath is an unincorporated area of Franklin Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is home to the Pillar of Fire Church and houses their Bible school. It is named after Zarephath, the place in the bible where the "widow woman" sustained the prophet Elijah. Zarephath is a group of buildings located between the Delaware and Raritan Canal and the Millstone River.

Origins

The community began as a farm owned by Peter Workman Garretson in Franklin Township. Peter married Caroline Van Neste Field and she became a follower of Alma Bridwell White and donated the land to the church after meeting Alma White. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Pillar of Fire Bishop Marks 75th Birthday in Jersey. |url= |quote= |publisher=New York Times |date=March 16, 1964 |accessdate=2007-08-21 ] The church assumed all debts associated with the mortgage on the property, which were considerable, and in return it was agreed the church would take title to the land upon repayment of the mortgage.

Pillar of Fire

The religious group takes its name from a phrase used in Exodus 13:21: "He guided the Israelites on their escape from Egypt by giving them a pillar of fire to light their way across the dark wilderness". It was founded by Alma White in 1901 and originally called the Pentecostal Union. The church moved to Zarephath in Franklin Township (Somerset County), New Jersey, in 1907 or 1908. The church was previously located in Colorado.

The buildings on the church grounds were built by members of the Zarephath community, as the church stressed self-reliance. The church continued to farm a portion of the property.

omerset Christian College

The Zarephath Bible Seminary was operated by the Pillar of Fire community. It had been an extension of the Zarephath Bible Training School that had been in Zarephath since 1908. The name was changed to Somerset Christian College on March 23, 2001. It is licensed by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education to grant a two-year Associate Degree in Biblical Studies. As of Fall 2006, they will offer a 4-year degree.

Alma White College Zarephath

Alma College was established by the Pillar of Fire in Zarephath and named for Pillar founder Bishop Alma White. The college began when a retired college professor came to Zarephath in 1917 and offered to teach college level classes. A charter was granted by the State of New Jersey in 1921. Because there was already Alma College in Michigan, the school took the name Alma White College. The college granted bachelor of arts, science and theology degrees, and a master's degree. The college made the decision to shut down its liberal arts and science programs. The state gave the school permission to allow the students already enrolled to complete their studies until graduation. It graduated its last student in June 1978.

Flood of 1999

Hurricane Floyd in September 1999 brought a record flood to the areas adjacent to the Millstone River, which is located behind the Zarephath compound. Despite maintaining a twelve foot flood levee, Zarephath was inundated with water from the neaby river and Delaware and Raritan canal. The flood crest was a record crest, over three feet higher than the previously recorded crest in the river basin. The water level in the Zarephath compound was seven feet at the height of the flood. [ [http://www.belleview-college.org/at/Zarephath/flood-01.htm Hurricane Floyd Devastates Pillar of Fire International Headquarters (Friday, September 17, 1999)] ] Zarephath suffered extensive flood damage, but was able to recover rather quickly. The church's damage from Floyd was estimated at $2.5 million. [ [http://sierraactivist.org/article.php?sid=45815 SierraActivist.org - DEP Aims To Update Its Flood Maps (By Matthew Reilly)Star-Ledger - 11/9/2004 ] ]

Other

*Pillar of Fire Cemetery, Zarephath
*WAWZ ("Star 99.1 FM"); Zarephath, New Jersey; Owner: Pillar of Fire - Religious oriented music radio station

Biblical references to the ancient Zarephath

*1 Kings 17:9-10. "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?"
*Obadiah 1:20. This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan will possess the land as far as Zarephath; the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the towns of the Negev.
*Luke 4:26. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.

References

External links

* [http://www.somerset.edu Somerset Christian College]
* [http://www.pillar.org Pillar of Fire]
* [http://www.zarephath.org Zarephath Christian Church]
* [http://www.franklintwp.org/photoarchive/default.asp?SavedQuery=Zarephath&searchtype=boolean&sc=&RankBase=1000&CurrentPage=1 Franklin Township Public Library Photo Archive of Zarephath] compiled by William B. Brahms

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