Reverend Terrell Person

Today, we gather to celebrate and honor the unshakeable spirit of social justice through the David McAlpin Humanitarian Award. This award is named after our dear friend and founder of the Trenton Area Habitat for Humanity Affiliate, Dave McAlpin, who tirelessly advocated for equitable housing opportunities, and is bestowed upon individuals who continue his legacy.  

 For the past 30 years, he has served as the pastor of the historic Jacob’s Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, located in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. The church was built in 1867 to replace the smaller Colemantown Meeting House (circa 1840), the oldest black church in Burlington County, New Jersey. Named after Charles Coleman, an early church leader, the meeting house also served as a schoolhouse for black children. It is located on Elbo Lane, near the present sanctuary. Both edifices played integral roles in history as stops along the Underground Railroad. A cemetery also located on the church property contains the graves of notable black Civil War soldiers and Dr. James Still, known as the “Black Doctor of the Pines.” 

Rev. Person serves as President of Jacobs Chapel Colemantown Foundation, Inc., organized for the charitable and educational purpose of the preservation, study, and interpretation of Jacob’s Chapel’s history, the restoration of its historic buildings, cemetery and artifacts, and the dissemination of information about Jacob’s Chapel’s illustrious past through educational tours and historical reenactments. Recently, Rev. Person wrote and co-directed If These Stones Could Talk, a theatrical portrayal of former slave Charity Still, whose children were snatched from her by slave catchers and later miraculously reunited with her when they were older adults.   

Rev. Person is also director of the Project T.I.M.E. Mentoring Programing the Mt. Laurel School District. The mentoring program fosters positive relationships between public elementary- and middle-school students. The mentors support families by mentoring the students and helping to improve the students’ chances of succeeding academically and socially. 

 A passionate public speaker, Rev. Person is frequently called upon to speak on a variety of topics, including history, religion, and the importance of the family and mentoring. 

 It is with great honor and admiration that we present you both with the David McAlpin Humanitarian Award. Thank you for your commitment to social justice and for being a beacon of hope and progress in our community