"Life is desperate; we need all the hugs we can get," said Rev. Bob Lewis after Sunday morning worship at Wright Memorial Presbyterian Church.

He was standing at the foot of the church's front steps greeting people after the service. There were hugs for the men and kisses on the cheek for the women. He inquired warmly about each person's concerns and sent them on their way.

This kind of affection permeated the morning.

At 9 a.m., people gathered for coffee and conversation, Lewis said.

"Sometimes it's religious. Sometimes it's just funny and jokes," he said.

At 10 a.m., Lewis began strumming his guitar and singing modern worship songs while congregants arrived and chatted. Music has always been important to the congregation, in keeping with its history as a former opera house that was foreclosed upon and purchased by the Presbytery of Monmouth in 1877, a church brochure said.

The church's Wrighteous bluegrass band is currently on hiatus, because the age of its members has made it difficult for some of them to continue, said Lewis. The name of the group and of the church derives from an early pastor, Rev. Ormond Wright, who reportedly pastored in Dodge City before moving to Barnegat and serving here for many years. Another early pastor was John Brainerd, brother of David Brainerd, who was a well-known missionary to the Delaware Indians.

A church tower and bell were added to the building in 1883. The bell rings most Sundays to signal the beginning of worship, and did so this Sunday morning at 10:30.

The liturgy was traditional, but casual. There were Scripture readings and hymns led in a booming voice by assistant pastor Ed Tenhor, but also prayer requests shouted out from the congregation of 50 or so mostly senior citizens.

Lewis continued a sermon series in the book of Acts, which he said will run through August. His text for the morning was Acts 2:14-19, 32-33 and his sermon was titled, What Do You Talk About Most?

"Is it the hot weather?" he asked, "or last night's TV shows? Or the latest gossip?" He encouraged the congregation to instead talk about their faith with the courage and enthusiasm of the apostles.

During the announcement portion of the service, Tenhor informed the congregation that he and his wife had sold their Barnegat home and are moving to Florida in two weeks.

"I have mixed emotions about making that announcement," said Tenhor. "We will miss you so very much."

Tenhor began attending Wright Memorial after he retired as a pastor in the Reformed Church in America denomination 15 years ago, he said.

"Bob likes to give me little assignments. I really am glad for that. I didn't want to be put out to pasture," said Tenhor.

It was the first congregants Serina and Richard Wille and Yvonne Utendahl, Barnegat, had heard of Tenhor's plans, they said. The group expressed their regrets that Tenhor is leaving, and described their affection for him and for their church.

"It's a real committed family of both caring about each other and caring about the community in a real personal kind of way. It shows by the personal relationships," said Lewis, who has been pastoring the church since 1982.

Lewis grew up in Trenton, attended Rutgers University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, he said, and previously served in north Jersey parishes, inner city and prison ministry. He also spent three years teaching leadership development at the United Nations.

"It was leading round-table dialogues for middle- and upper-level leaders," said Lewis.

Clarene Crum and her husband moved to Barnegat from Clifton 24 years ago, she said, and visited Wright Memorial their first week here. Pastor Bob Lewis' sermons kept them coming back.

"It reminds me of Little House on the Prairie," said Crum of her church. "[It's] a very friendly group of people and I love it."

When he was announcing his move, Tenhor also mentioned the quality of Lewis' sermons.

"Bob knows how to take a sermon theme and, like a diamond, look at it from all angles," said Tenhor.

The church is active in the community, Lewis said, including attending to home repairs, delivering food baskets, paying utility bills, and helping people find jobs.

It has also been collaborating more with other local churches ever since area pastors began meeting together for prayer two-and-a-half years ago in preparation for the Jersey Shore Will Graham Celebration that was held in Ocean Grove May 20-22, said Tenhor. The group still meets monthly, he said, and is developing plans for both homeless and addiction recovery ministries.

"Every Thursday, the pastors of Southern Ocean get together and that's about 12 churches," said Tenhor of another avenue for inter-denominational collaboration and support. 

Although the congregation tends to be older, especially in the summer, Wright Memorial began hosting a youth night within the past year, which draws up to 30 children and teenagers, said Lewis. 

Neither the youth nor the church choir meet in the summer. Both will resume this fall, he said.

Perhaps the most welcome news this month at Wright Memorial is that air conditioning was installed in the historic building two weeks ago. 

For more information, call the church office at (609) 698-3358.