Browse to a staff member by clicking on their name below.
Mark Beckett (Back to top)
 Minister Mark Beckett, born and raised in East Orange, NJ and an Associate Minister of the Union Baptist Church of Montclair. As a Disciple of Union, for over 25 years, Minister Mark has sharpened his leadership skills and has served as ministry leader in the Music Ministry, Men’s Ministry and Couples Ministry at Union.
Minister Mark, Class of 1980 graduate of East Orange High School, continued his education in Electrical Technology from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), in Newark, NJ, then moving on to certification and a career in Audio Technology. He is now a High school Performing Arts Teacher for the Essex County Vocational School districts, West Caldwell Tech Campus, where he teaches 9th through 12th grade students Vocational Art and Vocal performance.
On March 7, 2007, Minister Mark preached his licensing sermon at Union Baptist and officially began service as an Associate Minister. He now serves as the Director of Christian Education and oversees the assimilation of new members into the life of the church.
Minister Mark is married to his Union Baptist Church Sunday School sweetheart, Wendy Williams Beckett. They have 5 sons and 1 daughter.
Ephesians 1; 11 NIV
In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.
“I am humbled that God has chosen me and has put a plan and purpose in place for me, so now I press toward the mark, for the prize of the High calling which is in Jesus Christ and I will continue to live my life on purpose”
Wanda Edwards (Back to top)
Minister Edwards has been a baptized member of Union Baptist church for over 10 years. She rejoined Union in 2001 under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Walter L. Parrish. She served as church clerk and was an active member of the dance ministry. During this time the Lord was making a special request on her life. Minister Edwards answered God’s call and in May 2007 presented her trial sermon entitled “No Hiding Place”, and was licensed by her Pastor to preach the Gospel.
Currently, Minister Edwards is attending Alliance Theological Seminary pursing her Masters of Divinity degree. She serves in the pulpit, as a Sunday School teacher and Chair of the Volunteer Ministry. Minister Edwards is dedicated to women in crisis and works very closely with Real House a shelter for women in her community.
DR. GREG B. JONES (Back to top)
Born a native New Yorker, educated in the Manning, South Carolina Public School system, and reared in the Westminster Presbyterian Church (USA) and Clarendon County, South Carolina community, Greg B. Jones is a graduate and former student body president of Manning High School. Upon graduation, he entered Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he matriculated for three years, distinguishing himself as an R. J. Reynolds Scholar, inductee in the National Dean’s List, Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges & Universities, and a member of the NAACP and the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Having served as Chief of Pastoral Staff for the renowned Rev. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker and Liturgist for the Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem, he is currently the Minister of Christian Education for the Union Baptist Church of Montclair, New Jersey, where The Rev. Dr. Walter L. Parrish serves as Senior Pastor.
To say that Rev. Jones has taken a non-traditional road to ministry is an understatement. Because of his colorful path to ministry, he brings a wealth of talents and abilities to the ministerial task. He is a trained actor and musician, having received a double-degree with major departmental honors from Hunter College of the City University of New York, having studied at Weist-Barron School for Television and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and having worked professionally in the entertainment industry.
He has had the benefit of over 20 years in the corporate sector as a management consultant and systems engineer, and his current career is as Senior Global Technology Training Manager for Hewlett-Packard Financial Services.
Because of his love of learning and his desire to be the best instrument he can be for the God who has called him to serve, Rev. Jones completed a Certificate in Christian Education & Urban Ministry at New York Theological Seminary with high honors, where he was the recipient of awards for Outstanding Student in Pastoral Care & Counseling, Outstanding Student in Church History, and Outstanding Student in Preaching. On the heels of this accomplishment, he received his Master of Divinity degree (cum laude) from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he was also appointed a teaching fellow for two of his three years there. His most recent achievement is the completion of his doctoral degree (summa cum laude) at The Theological School of Drew University in May, 2005.
With his life’s motto to “Never disappoint God, and never disappoint my ancestors,” Rev. Jones strives to live a life that, like Jacob’s ladder, has every round going higher and higher.
 FELICIA YVONNE THOMAS (Back to top)
An ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches, USA, the Reverend Felicia Y. Thomas has held numerous positions in pastoral ministry and higher education. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, Rev. Thomas currently serves on the ministry team of Union Baptist Church, Montclair, New Jersey. A pioneer and trailblazer in ministry, she is a former Pastor of First Baptist Church in Princeton, New Jersey the first and only woman to hold that position in the church’s history.
Rev. Thomas has served on the adjunct teaching faculties of Princeton, New Brunswick, New York, and Union Theological Seminaries. She also volunteers for Mount Holyoke College. Rev. Thomas is currently a teaching assistant at Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey as well as a graduate student in African American History at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
Rev. Thomas is married to the Rev. Walter L. Parrish III and they are the proud and devoted parents of two sons, Jonathan and Joseph.
Bio for Minister Wanda Edwards
 EVA C. FOSTER (Back to top)
Eva C. Foster is a graduate with honors from the College of New Rochelle, New York Theological Seminary Campus where she received a Bachelors of Arts in Religious Studies and Psychology. She earned a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Sacred Theology from the Drew Theological School in Madison, New Jersey. While at Drew she served on the Dean’s Search Committee and the University Sexual Harassment Task Force. She was President of the Drew Theological School’s Black Ministerial Caucus where she organized programs and events celebrating Black History Month, including the Martin Luther King Lecture Series. Under her leadership, an awareness of the needs of African American Seminarians attending Drew was promoted.
While pursuing her Masters of Divinity at the Drew Theological School, Rev. Foster was assigned to the St. Paul Baptist Church in Montclair. At St. Paul, Rev. Foster led the Women’s Ministry, coordinated church member involvement in the Aids Quilt Project, provided leadership for the church’s efforts in the Walter Hoving Home for Women and counseled members when needed.
After a long period with no pastoral leadership and a long tradition of male leadership The First Baptist Church of Jersey City made history on March 1, 1998 by installing Reverend Eva C. Foster as its first woman pastor. Under her leadership, First Baptist developed a renewed sense of commitment and she brought hope and inspiration to the multi-national congregation.
Rev. Foster serves as Minister of In-Reach Care at the Union Baptist Church, Montclair, NJ. She has provided ministry leadership to the Women’s Ministry, Missionary Ministry as well as teaching, preaching, and counseling. She earned a Doctor in Ministry from the New Brunswick Theological Seminary in May 2007 and is currently pursuing coursework for Certification in Grief Counseling.
Rev. Foster was ordained by the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey in April 1996 and was the third woman to be ordained at St. Paul Baptist Church – Montclair. She is the mother of two adult children, Kasandra and Christopher and grandmother of four grandsons, Elijah, Xavier, Simeon and Jonah.
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Shameekqa Warren, Office Manager
Brandon McCune, Minister of Music
Deacon Laverne Williams, Financial Secretary
Dennis Day, Union Storage Manager
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Reverend Walter L. Parrish III – Senior Pastor
Reverend Felicia Y. Thomas – Associate Minister
Reverend Eva C. Foster, Associate Minister
Reverend Greg B. Jones, Associate Minister
Minister Mark Beckett, Associate Minister
Minister Wanda Edwards, Associate Minister |
Union Baptist Church is located at 12 Midland Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey. The entrance to our sanctuary is on Portland Place. Take the New Jersey Garden State Parkway to exit 148 (Bloomfield Avenue). Travel west on Bloomfield Avenue approximately 3 miles to Montclair. Turn right onto Midland Avenue, church is on first block on left.
Sunday School – 9:30 a.m.
Worship Service 11 a.m.
Bible Study: Thursday – 12 noon
Wednesday – 7:45 p.m.
Saturday – As Scheduled
Summer Breeze 11 a.m. to 12 noon (July and August)
Prayer: Tuesday Morning – 8 a.m.
Wednesday Evening – 7 p.m.
Mid-Week Worship – Every First
Wednesday – 7:45 p.m.
Fill out the form below to contact us.
Union Baptist Church
12 Midland Avenue
Montclair, New Jersey 07042
Tel: 973-746-3270
Fax: 973-744-2018
ubcmontclairnj@aol.com |
