Pastor Ron received his Master of Divinity degree from the Theological School of Drew University in May 2012. While studying at Drew, he participated in the Theological School’s Partnership for Religion and Education in Prison (“PREP”) at Northern State Prison.
While in seminary he partnered with a fellow seminarian to formally establish SPECTRUM as a student caucus for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students of the Theological School, increase its active presence on campus and participation in the religious life of the community. He was presented with the 2014 Antoinette Esquire Holland Award by SPECTRUM in recognition of his ministry and advocacy for the LGBTQ community. He was a joint recipient of the Drew Theological School Franz Hildebrandt Award in April 2012 for combining deep faith and excellence in theological studies with effective ministry as an intern or pastor in a field education assignment (student ministry).
Pastor Ron and his husband were active members of the Stanley Congregational Church, Chatham, NJ. Accepted as a Member-in-Discernment by the New Jersey Association of the Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ in April 2010, he was ordained at Stanley Church on January 19, 2015.
Rutherford Congregational Church called Pastor Ron to be their part-time Interim Pastor in October 2014. He became full-time Transitional Pastor of the church in April 2016 and has been tasked with leading revitalization and renewal efforts of the church in conjunction with the Center for Progressive Renewal, Atlanta, GA. Pastor Ron is a member of the Interim Ministry Network (“IMN”) and received Interim Ministry training and certification from IMN.
Pastor Ron serves on the New Jersey Association Church & Ministry Commission and as an At-Large member of the New Jersey Association Council. In January 2018, Mayor Joseph Di Salvo appointed him to the Rutherford Civil Rights Commission.
Prior to entering seminary, Pastor Ron majored in Public Accounting at Pace University’s Downtown NYC campus, graduating in June 1978 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He received his New Jersey CPA license and he worked in public accounting until May 1990 and thereafter in several corporate accounting and finance positions. He left the corporate world in July 2010 to pursue full-time studies at Drew Theological School.
Pastor Ron has a lifelong love for the pipe organ and sacred music and is a member of the American Guild of Organists. He began private piano lessons at the age of seven and graduated to the organ at thirteen. He served as choral accompanist and rehearsal conductor during his high school years and as volunteer organist in his family’s church for many years. Love of music has meant that, in addition to his full-time professional business career, Pastor Ron has held part-time positions as Organist and Choir Director at United Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and UCC churches.
Rev. Ronald E. ("Pastor Ron") Verblaauw