The Trenton Times published the following article on November 3, 2013. To read the full article, click here.

‘Out of the pulpit, onto the pavement’: New pastor at Methodist church looks to help Trenton’s poor

By Alex Zdan/The Times
on November 03, 2013 at 7:15 AM, updated November 03, 2013 at 7:17 AM

TRENTON — At Turning Point United Methodist Church, there are hot meals for the hungry, roundtables for women and after-school programs for children — and for the downtrodden there is hope.

Led by their newly installed pastor, the Rev. Annie Allen, the church has taken on an increasingly involved role in reaching out to the city’s poor in spirit.

Allen has called on her background in social services and government for her new mission. She has worked by a favorite, oft-repeated statement: “Out of the pulpit, onto the pavement.”

“I love the cities, and I’m not afraid to be in the cities,” Allen said. “I want to nurture our community and be seen to be part of downtown Trenton.”

When Allen arrived July 1, she was familiar with Trenton, but still a stranger, she said in an interview late last month.

People are not dumb, but they’re hopeless, and the church is one place that offers hope

Working in the Statehouse in the 1990s for state Sen. Byron Baer and as chief of staff for Assemblyman D. Bennett Mazur, Allen experienced firsthand the insular world of state government. During her time working for the legislators, Allen estimates she stepped out of the Statehouse complex just twice, both times to a city restaurant for lunch.