Street Named after Reverend Ray Frazier
- This Is Rutherford
- 5m
- 2 min read
By Jennifer Ersalesi
Photo credits: Kim Bogosian
Reverend Ray Frazier, a longtime Rutherford resident, former Councilman, and retired Reverend of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, passed away on June 30, 2025. On Monday, October 27th, he was honored with a street naming. His family, the Mayor and Council, former Mayor, Bernadette McPherson, Pastor Pate of Mt. Ararat Baptist
Church and many others attended this event. This special ceremony took place at the intersection of Washington Street and Elm Street. The Frazier children unveiled the sign to great applause from all who gathered there to honor their father.
Even after Reverend Frazier began his pastoral career at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, he also served as Director of the Educational Opportunity Fund at Fairleigh Dickinson University and later as Project Coordinator of Student Services at Seton Hall University.
For fifteen years, Reverend Frazier was also a Councilman, serving under three different Mayors beginning in the late 1980s. In an interview with Downtown Rutherford Magazine, he explained, "I was part of a group that was making Rutherford a great place to live, and that was what I understood my role to be. I felt like we were responsive to people's needs. We were able to examine areas and address those needs, whether they were physical improvements in the town or fiscal aspects."
In 1992, Reverend Frazier suddenly lost his eyesight, but he did not let this unexpected challenge stand in his way. He found ways to adapt and continue to be a wonderful father, husband, grandfather, and Reverend, and serve his community in so many ways.
Sadly, in 2013, Myrna Frazier, Reverend Frazier's wife of 53 years, passed away. He often spoke of the impact she had on her community as a Board of Education member, Girl Scouts leader, and member of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church.
When asked to describe his preaching style in the aforementioned article in Downtown Rutherford Magazine, Reverend Frazier said, "When I preach, it's a matter of the Lord working through me to deliver the message. If people are burdened down, hopefully they are uplifted. If they are complacent with themselves, hopefully they will learn that they have some faults that can be brought before God and that forgiveness can be sought. Ministry is not just a profession. At the core of it all, it is a calling...God chooses us in spite of ourselves."
Honoring Reverend Frazier by naming the street on which he lived and preached at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, Reverend Frazier Way, will preserve his legacy in the community where he made a lasting impact.