The Rev. Bill Rutherford Jr., left, of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Orange stands with his father, the Rev. William Rutherford Sr., the pastor of Greater New Point Baptist Church in Irvington, right, on Sunday, June 4, 2017, following his fifth annual pastoral celebration. Rutherford Sr. has announced he will retire on Sunday, Dec. 30.
IRVINGTON, NJ — During his farewell speech to U.S. Congress in 1951, World War II hero Gen. Douglas MacArthur said: “Old soldiers don’t die, they simply fade away.”
But apparently the same thing does not apply to church pastors, since the Rev. Dwight D. Gill of New Hope Baptist Church in East Orange, who has already retired, and the Rev. William Rutherford Sr. of Greater New Point Baptist Church in Irvington, who announced he would be retiring at the end of the year, both said would continue to preach during their retirement.
For years, Rutherford allowed the Irvington NAACP to host its meetings in his church, free of charge, as part of his service and devotion to the township community.
“I will be retiring from Greater New Point Baptist Church on Dec. 30,” said Rutherford, who also serves as the Irvington NAACP treasurer, on Friday, Oct. 5, at the Irvington NAACP annual Freedom Fund Banquet in Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark. “I’m going into retirement, after 38 years with Greater New Point Baptist Church. I’m going to keep on preaching. I’m just not going to pastor anymore.”
Rutherford was the pastor at Greater New Point Baptist Church since 1981, but now his tenure is about to end. That was news to state Assemblyman Thomas Giblin, who said Rutherford’s leadership at the church would be missed.
“A young man like you retiring? After 38 years, you’re just getting started,” joked Giblin on Friday, Oct. 5, at the Irvington NAACP annual Freedom Fund Banquet. “He’s got a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, he’s great at spreading the word and all of us appreciate his yeoman work at the NAACP. I didn’t realize it was 38 years, but as we all know, the clock has a way of flying by. He’s not going anywhere. He’s going to bury guys like me.”
Giblin also had some sage advice for Rutherford about retirement and growing older.
“The most important thing I can wish for him is good health,” said Giblin. “If he doesn’t have his wealth by now, then forget about it. But good health in itself is a great asset. Health is everything.”
Giblin, who represents District 34, which includes Orange and East Orange, also said Rutherford has “got all your bases covered,” since the Rutherford’s son, the Rev. Bill Rutherford Jr., is the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Orange.
“I’ve been up in your son’s church. I was up there for a community meeting,” Giblin said. “It’s in the DNA. That’s what’s good about it. The Rutherford name is top shelf in Essex County. You’ve got it all covered. You’ve got Irvington, you’ve got Orange. You’ve got all your bases covered.”
Rutherford agreed with Giblin.
“And I live in South Orange,” said Rutherford with a laugh on Friday, Oct. 5. “I’ve got 42 years of leading congregations. Greater New Point is my second congregation. My first congregation was Green Pastures in East Orange. I came to Greater New Point in 1981.”
After 25 years of service, Gill preached his final sermon and said farewell to his congregation on Sunday, Sept. 30, officially retiring as pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in East Orange. But, like Rutherford, he said he still plans to preach in his retirement.
“He’s retiring from pastoring at this church, but he wants to go into world ministry, where he can travel and minister all around the world.” New Hope Baptist Church Deacon Brian Adams on Sunday, Sept. 30. “Right now, we’re in the process of searching for a pastor. We’re down to a couple of candidates and the church, when we have our church meeting, we’ll get a chance to go on what candidates. We’ve been in the process for about two years of looking for a pastor. We just wanted to send Pastor Gill off very well.”
Adams said Gill is a “big-hearted man” and the outgoing pastor then gave his blessing to the church’s search for a new pastor to succeed him.
Principal Winston Jackson, of Chancellor Avenue School in Irvington, and his wife, Andrea, were both at Gill’s 11 a.m. service on Sunday, Sept. 30, and said they have personal reasons for honoring their departing pastor.
“We were the first couple that the Rev. Gill married, 24 and a half years ago,” said Jackson on Sunday, Sept. 30. “We thank him for blessing marriage. We love him and we will truly miss him. We wish him peace, happiness and blessings.”
Former Essex County Prosecutor Patricia Heard, a member of the New Hope Baptist Church congregation, agreed that Gill had been a historic pastor and church leader, whose accomplishments in the church and community should be recognized.
Saying she had personal reasons for honoring Gill, Heard spoke from the church pulpit on Sunday, Sept. 30.
“I’m not a part of any ministry, but 20 years ago, when I was having problems at the county with Essex County Executive Jim Treffinger, it was the Rev. Gill who came down and told him to stop maligning my character,” said Heard. “I resigned a few weeks later. But while I resigned, Jim Treffinger went to jail.”
“Rev. Gill is retiring after 25 years as the pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, and that’s a part of the history of the city of East Orange, so I thought it should be recognized and documented,” said Historical Society of East Orange President Goldie Burbage on Sunday, Sept. 30. “He did a lot for that church and for this city. He built a whole new church. I attended the 8 a.m. service, but there is another service at 11 a.m. and, afterward, they are having a cookout in the church parking lot as a goodbye party.”
Gill said he was grateful for his New Hope Baptist Church congregation’s outpouring of love and Rutherford agreed.
“I am so excited. I’m so excited and so thankful,” said Gill on Sept. 30.
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