Martin Luther King, Jr. Multifaith Service: “The Beloved Community in an Age of Shrinking Circles”

The annual Multifaith Service to Honor the Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, co-sponsored by CFPA and the Princeton Clergy Association. Diverse faith leaders from a wide range of traditions will co-lead the worship Service. Princeton United Methodist Church 7 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton, NJ 08542. Rev. Maureen Gerald is preaching.

Rev. Maureen Gerald leads where faith, mental health, and social justice meet—cultivating spaces for authentic healing, courageous leadership, and sustainable change.

She currently serves as the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Princeton, NJ, making history as only the second woman to lead the 146-year-old congregation.

Rev. Gerald is the Founder and CEO of Momentum Counseling, Coaching, and Consulting LLC, a thriving mental health and wellness practice based in Princeton, NJ, serving diverse communities through two physical locations and a virtual platform. She also serves as a Spiritual Director at Princeton Theological Seminary, creating spaces for deep listening, discernment, and spiritual growth.

Rev. Gerald’s leadership spans both institutional and congregational contexts. She has served as a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Consultant and Ombudsperson at Columbia Theological Seminary, and was a founding leader of Kingdom Church (now Change Church) in Ewing, NJ. She also serves as the Board President of The Timbuctoo Historical Society, a nonprofit corporation committed to preserving and uplifting Black history, legacy, and community memory.

Her commitment to health equity, community empowerment, and global healing has earned her state congressional commendations for her work nationally and abroad. Having survived the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, an experience later featured on Dateline NBC, Rev. Gerald deepened her lifelong commitment to building solidarity across divides and centering the voices of marginalized communities.

Rev. Gerald’s academic journey includes studies at the College of St. Elizabeth, Columbia University, Cornell University, and Princeton Theological Seminary. She holds a New Jersey state mental health license, a DEI certification, and a Spiritual Direction certification, affirming her preparation for leadership across disciplines.

A proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Rev. Gerald embodies a lifelong commitment to service, sisterhood, and scholarship, values that echo through her greatest joys: faith, family, and future-building. Whether preaching from the pulpit, counseling in sacred spaces, or speaking on stages around the world, Rev. Maureen Gerald brings a bold, healing, and hopeful voice to every space she touches.

All are warmly welcomed to join a wonderful community choir for the service!
Sign up here by January 8 to volunteer and get practice materials.  Participants are strongly encouraged to attend the Choir rehearsal January 12, 2026 7:00 PM, Princeton United Methodist Church.

Re parking to attend the MLK Service in person:  There is paid parking at the lot next to the church, as well as a municipal garage on Spring Street nearby. There are several Princeton University parking lots on William Street, just off Washington Road a short walk away from the church. Those lots are free for the public every day after 5 PM, and they are only a 10 minute walk to the church.