Rev. James J. Cassidy, Pastor

Participants at the pastor's installation service:

(From left to right): Stan Sutton, Ross Graham, Jim Cassidy, David Cornette, Bill Snodgrass

Pastor Jim was installed in January of 2007 into the pastoral ministry of Calvary Presbyterian Church.  Jim and his family have returned "home" to NJ to serve the Lord.

Jim was raised in a Roman Catholic home in Edison, NJ.  He was later lead to the Lord by a friend in his sophomore year of college.  He has since then come to understand the wonderful Doctrines of Grace by God's kindness.

His wife was raised in Madison, NJ and was led to the Lord through the ministry of Grace OPC in Westfield, NJ.  She is a busy and active mother who is involved in the teaching ministry of the church as well as various events in our community.  

Jim is thrilled to be back in his home state and desires to preach the everlasting Gospel of Grace to a lost and dying world.  He believes that the doctrines of the Reformation are the clearest expression of biblical truth and provide answers for a world lost in sin and suffering.  He is committed to proclaiming Christ and him crucified from all the Scriptures.    

Rev. Jeffrey C. Waddington, Teacher 

Participants in the Ordination and Installation service of Rev. Waddington are (from left to right):

Rev. William Snodgras, Rev. Jim Cassidy, Rev. Jeff Waddington, Rev. Barry Travor, and Rev. Dr. Vern Poythress

I came to faith in Christ in 1983 having been raised in a Christian home. When I came to faith in Christ, I also sensed a call to ministry and in my context, that involved service as a minister in a Wesleyan-Arminian denomination. I served as a pastor for eight years from 1986 to 1994 and after that time became Reformed. Shortly thereafter I was exposed to the writings of Cornelius Van Til and saw his apologetic method as the natural outgrowth of Reformed theology. In 1997 my family and I moved to Philadelphia, PA so that I could commence my MDiv studies at Westminster Theological Seminary. I graduated from that program in 2000 and then began my PhD program in apologetics/historical and theological studies with which I am still involved. My interests are legion, but I am especially interested in epistemology, systematics, biblical and historical theology. My special area of focus is the philosophical theology of Jonathan Edwards. In addition to my academic pursuits I served as an intern in the Presbyterian Church in America before moving over to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in which I am currently licensed and make my church home. I have been married since 1990 and have two wonderful daughters.

In 1997 we moved to Philadelphia so that I could commence my studies at Westminster Theological Seminary. I have found that the Lord has blessed my family and me during this period in many ways. I have developed many friendships and have been able to serve in the church as well as the academy. I served a two year pastoral internship in the PCA Philadelphia Presbytery from 1997 to 1999 (I was licensed in 1998) and graduated from the Master of Divinity program in May of 2000. The following fall I commenced my studies in the PhD program in historical and theological studies with an emphasis in apologetics and at the same time began a four year stint with the Westminster Seminary campus bookstore which included duties as an administrative assistant to the bookstore director and as book buyer. I also transferred to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 2001 and was brought under care of the OPC Philadelphia Presbytery in the fall of 2002 and licensed in May of 2003. From June 2003 to April 2004 I served as an intern at an OPC mission work in Yardley, PA. For one year I worked as outreach and evangelism coordinator for Covenant OPC in Easton, PA. Currently, in addition to my studies and frequent preaching opportunities, I serve as executive director of Skilton House Ministries in Philadelphia. All of this is to say that the Lord has brought me along a path I would probably not have chosen but has been challenging and good for me and my family (my wife’s name is Ruth and she a Registered Nurse and I have two daughters, Suzannah who is 15 and Carolynne who is 11).

I am grateful for the fact that the Holy Spirit enlightened my mind and renewed my will so that I could turn to Jesus Christ as my only redeemer. In Holy Spirit-wrought faith union with Christ I experience the benefits of redemption that Jesus Christ has obtained for his own.

Copyright 2000 - Calvary OPC, Ringoes, NJ