Sixth Reformed Church was one of the historic Dutch Reformed congregations established during the rapid growth of Paterson’s Dutch immigrant community in the nineteenth century. Organized on January 2, 1867, it was the sixth congregation of the Reformed Church in America to be formed in the city, giving rise to its name. Services were conducted in the Dutch language for many years before gradually transitioning to English as later generations became Americanized.
Founding
During the mid-1800s, thousands of immigrants from the Netherlands settled in Paterson to work in the city’s silk mills, textile factories, and other industries. As the Dutch population expanded, new congregations were organized to serve neighborhoods throughout the city. Sixth Reformed Church was founded to minister to Dutch families living in the northern section of Paterson.
The Godwin Street Church
The congregation’s first church was built on Godwin Street near Bridge Street. The original wooden building served the congregation for more than twenty-five years before it was destroyed by fire in 1893. Rather than relocate, the congregation rebuilt a larger brick church on the same site, demonstrating the strength and stability of the church and its membership.
The church became an important religious and social center for Dutch-American families. In addition to worship services, it offered:
- Sunday School
- Christian education
- Mission programs
- Youth organizations
- Choirs and music programs
- Community gatherings
Move to Hopper Street
As Paterson’s population shifted during the early twentieth century, the congregation relocated in 1919–1920 to a new church on Hopper Street, near the border of Prospect Park. The move reflected the migration of many Dutch families from the older industrial neighborhoods to newer residential areas.
Relocation to North Haledon
Following suburban growth after World War II, many members moved out of Paterson. To remain close to its congregation, Sixth Reformed Church built a new church at 21 Pleasant View Drive, North Haledon, where it relocated in 1975. The congregation continues there today as a member of the Reformed Church in America.
Beliefs and Worship
Sixth Reformed Church has traditionally held to the historic doctrines of the Reformed Church in America, including:
- The authority of the Bible
- The historic confessions of the Reformed faith
- Regular Sunday worship
- Sunday School
- Midweek prayer meetings
- Strong emphasis on missions and Christian education
For much of its early history, worship was conducted entirely in Dutch before eventually changing to English.
Significance to Paterson
Sixth Reformed Church represents an important chapter in Paterson’s Dutch heritage. Along with the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Reformed churches, it helped preserve the language, customs, and faith of thousands of Dutch immigrants while they adapted to life in America. These congregations played a major role in shaping neighborhoods, founding schools, supporting charitable work, and strengthening the civic life of Paterson during the city’s industrial peak.
Today, although no longer located within Paterson, Sixth Reformed Church remains one of the oldest surviving congregations that traces its origins directly to the city’s nineteenth-century Dutch immigrant community.