getting to know us

Meet Our Staff

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Reverend Randy Van Osten, Pastor 

Randy has over 14 years ministry experience in the church.  Randy is a lifelong learner who has a dual BA in Psychology and Urban Studies from Eastern University and a Master of Divinity from Palmer Seminary.  He is an active member of his community and serves as a member (secretary) of the Pitman Council of Churches, Pitman Chamber of Commerce, Pitman Anti-Racism Collective (founding member),and PRIDE Alliance of Pitman (board member). Randy is a father of three boys (Matteo, Liam, and Jayden) and dog (Latke), a husband, an entrepreneur, and a hippie at heart.  Yes, he drives a VW camper he named Dorothy.  He has a passion for Jesus and loves talking about Jesus with others.  He loves the woods and playing with his boys.  He ends many days by watching a movie with his family.  Born and raised in South Jersey. Randy Van Osten is a highly motivated self-starter and entrepreneur who planted The Treehouse Coffee Shop and Café in 2003 and has owned and operated it with his wife Tina until they closed it in March 2021.  His family moved to Pitman in 2017 and have enjoyed being a part of this awesome community.  In 2021, Rev. Ran helped the church to start and incorporate The Lighthouse Community Center where he is the Keeper/Director.  Rev. Ran has a vision for the church building and property to be used for more than just Sunday services and other church functions, but to be used to help meet the needs of our community.  The Lighthouse is home to Fig Leaf Thrift, which is a pay as you can thrift shop.  The Lighthouse also gives out free hot meals twice a month to those in need averaging 80-100 each distribution.  The Lighthouse partnered with Renaissance Village another local non-profit (Rev. Ran is a board member) to create a youth center for the kids in our town.  Favorite drink is coffee (he'd love to share a cup with you.  Send an email to set up a meeting).  Favorite food: Sweet Potatoes and Bacon (together or separate).

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“Welcome and Blessings” from Rev. Ran!
 

Thank you for checking out our website at The First Baptist Church of Pitman.  I am so thankful that you have found yourself here.  I hope that the information that you find here is helpful and gives you more insight about who we are and what we are about.  We are truly a community of people who care for each other.  There are always more seats at our table for you.  We welcome ALL people.  We want everyone to feel loved not only by God but by us as well. 
 

The best way to get to know us is to join us on a Sunday morning for our worship service at 10:15am and stay for the social time afterwards or join us for one of the activities listed on our calendar.  We are trying to do more regular events and meetings now that we are on the other side of the pandemic.  Our calendar should be filling up again soon.  We would love for you to join us! 

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, so you can learn more about us from those platforms.  You can find our livestream, videos, photos, and more.  We believe that it is important to fulfill what Jesus calls the two greatest commandments, love God and love your neighbor as yourself.  We create opportunities to do both at our church.  Love God by spending with God together, learning from God’s Word, and praying together.  We love others by spending time with others, serving others, and meeting their needs.  I am excited by what God is doing in and through this church.

 If you have any questions or would like to know more, it would be my pleasure to talk with you.  Please reach out via email at revrandy25@gmail.com or give me a call at 856-589-2266.
 

Be blessed and be a blessing!
Rev. Ran

Julie-Ann Whitely Green, Music Director
Julie-Ann, soprano, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree as a double major in Vocal Performance and Music Education from Rowan University. She has earned Artists Diplomas from the Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg, Austria, and has studied Italian Opera, Language, Art and Culture at the Florence Voice Seminar in Florence, Italy. Her vocal talents have attained her numerous honors including Encouragement Grant, Marian Anderson Award; Mozarteum Academy Scholarship; and National Winner, Leontyne Price Vocal Arts Competition.
Ms. Green made her New York solo debut at Carnegie Hall in 1992, and was presented in a solo recital at Weill Hall in 1997. Other major venues include cathedrals in London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Madrid, and the Mormon Tabernacle. Popular music performances have been with Barry Manilow, Michael Crawford and with Barbra Streisand. Ms. Green has sung with the Opera Company of Philadelphia since 2001, and has performed solo roles in Porgy and Bess (Strawberry Woman), and Il Trovatore (Inez) as well as their innovative production, the Hip H’Opera Project. Her debut with New York City Opera at Lincoln Center was in Richard Danielpour’s opera, Margaret Garner. Ms. Green made her debut as Aida in the spring of 2008, and has sung with Lyric Opera of Chicago and San Francisco Opera in their productions of Porgy and Bess. Other appearances have been with the Reading Symphony, Allentown Symphony, Erie Symphony, Norwalk Symphony, and as soprano soloist for the Verdi Requiem with both the Lancaster Symphony and Vox Ama Deus Ensemble.
As an active teacher and clinician, Ms. Green is an annual presenter at the Burlington County TeenArts Festival, a vocal teacher at Chartertech High School for the Performing Arts in Somers Point, New Jersey; and Music Director at First Baptist Church of Pitman, New Jersey.

 
Gabrielle Bowen, Church Secretary
Gabi is a mother of two who works as the secretary for Pitman's Environmental Committee, is actively involved in community events and projects including the Pitman Grove Community Garden, and the PRIDE Alliance of Pitman.  Her hobbies include singing, various needle crafts, collecting recipes, and she serves as a facilitator of the Pitman Grove Facebook group which connects nearly 3K people. Gabi has also recently begun pursuing a degree in Accounting from RCSJ.