When Elder David Bellamy withdrew himself as a candidate for his seventh year of preaching in the Pompey and Manlius Baptist Church because of ill health, the Church voted to sustain preaching for the coming year and appointed a Committee to find a worthy successor. Brothers Moses Eells, Laurenton Fish and James Sisson were asked to correspond with the Elders in the area to find one who would be interested in preaching in Manlius in 1839-1840. The Church voted on June 22, 1839, to raise $175.00 to pay for preaching for six months. The Church was without a full-time Elder until the Spring of 1840. During this time the Church voted on August 3, 1839 to call Elder Zenos Freeman. Elder Freeman rejected the call. The Church turned to Brother Edmund with a call on October 13, 1839, and he also said no. Since Brother Edmund and Elder Bellamy along with Bradford Sherwood, Daniel Weston, William Filmore, John White, and Rufus K. Bellamy were delegates from the Church to the 1839 Fall Onondaga Association Meeting, and the Church paid Brother Edmund's way, it appears that Brother Edmund might have been an interim Elder. As of January, 1840, Elder Bellamy was still in the area and he may have done some preaching in the Church also. He prayed at the January 4, 1840, Covenant Meeting and voiced his concern about money owed Jesse Smith, Moses Eells and Brother Edmund. A subscription was circulated for $130.00, which was to pay for debts due and for preaching until the first of February, 1840, or "thereabouts."
The next meeting in which the subject of calling a Pastor (Elder and Pastor were now both used titles for the spiritual leader of the Church) was on March 8, 1840. There were conversations on the subject of obtaining Elder William McCarthy (Clerk Hiram Smith spelled the name McArthy) as our Pastor. Every Brother present stated that he thought it was the duty of the Church to make an effort to obtain him. They felt that in so far that each had become acquainted with him, and so far as they have had opportunities to hear him preach, they were satisfied.
On March 8, 1840, in the Conference Room, the Church voted to call Elder William McCarthy of the Baptist Church in Paris, New York, to be its pastor. The Church members voted to raise $400.00, exclusive of the use of the parsonage house, for the purpose of sustaining Elder McCarthy for one year should he accept the call. The Church selected the Clerk, Hiram Smith, and William Fillmore, Moses Eells, James Sisson, Jesse Smith as a Committee to make the call to Elder McCarthy. Elder McCarthy accepted but perhaps on the advice of previous Elders asked for some alterations in the proposed terms:
- That his salary be paid quarterly.
- The Church be at the expense of paying his moving expenses from Paris to Manlius.
- The Church would furnish him wood for his fire.
The Church agreed to propositions 1 and 2, but did not vote on number 3. Those present, however, noted they would give towards furnishing wood.
On May 20, 1840, at a Covenant Meeting Elder William McCarthy and his wife Elmina presented letters from the Baptist Church in Paris, New York, (Paris is approximately eleven miles south of Utica) with a request to be received as members of the Pompey and Manlius Baptist Church. The request was granted.
On August 1, 1840, letters of dismission were granted to Alfred Bellamy, Joseph Plank and wife, and Sister Grant and Susan Wright to form a branch of the Fayetteville Baptist Church in Chittenango. Alfred Bellamy was another of Elder Bellamy's brothers.
In the Fall of 1840 the Church was honored to be selected as hosts for the Onondaga Association (of Baptist Churches). A Committee was chosen to make arrangements to provide suitable accommodations for the members of the Association. There were no comments made concerning the Association Meeting in the minutes of the Church.
In the Annual Meeting of Dec. 8, 1840, wood for the fire was on the minds of the Trustees. The Church voted to spend $16.00 for wood for the ensuing year. Since wood was readily available and the Church used a considerable amount, the Church voted that anyone shall have the privilege of paying his proportion (of money) in wood, if paid by the first of January next (January 1, 1841) at the rate of $2.00 a cord. For the amount that had to be purchased for cash, a special committee was appointed to average the wood bill on the Church Members.
On January 2, 1841, the Congregation met for a Covenant Meeting and related their minds on the subject of religion. They agreed to meet again the following Monday for a day of fasting, prayer and again for the conversion of the world. This was the start of another unusual period in the Church's history of worship, somewhat reminiscent of the excitement generated in the special meetings during Elder Morton's Pastorate. The Clerk, Hiram Smith, described what was happening:
Monday, January 5, 1841. The Church met in the Conference Room for prayer and confession. Many of the brethren and sisters were melted into contrition before the Lord, who by His Spirit seemed to be working in the hearts of His children causing them to humble themselves before Him, and to pour out their souls in prayer and supplication and confessing them to the Lord and one another. In view of the feeling which was manifested, it was agreed that the Church would meet again on the morrow, which was done, and meetings were continued every evening from that time until the regular Church Meeting, which was held in the Conference Room on Saturday the 6th day of February, 1841.
On February 6, 1841, the state of religious feelings being such, the secular business was deferred and the time occupied in religious conversation and prayer. It was the opinion of the brethren and sisters that the present series of meetings ought to be continued. If they were, the Clerk did not record them in the Church minutes. However, as verification of what was happening, on March 6, 1841, at a Covenant Meeting 16 people related their experiences to the Church and 15 were accepted. On March 7, 1841, thirteen were baptized.
On March 29, 1841, at a special meeting of the Church, a motion was made and carried to give Elder William McCarthy a call to continue as leader for another year. Reverend McCarthy agreed. The salary was to be the same $400.00, and the Trustees had the problem of making up an extra $43.00 for the arrears on Reverend McCarthy's previous year's salary. The parsonage house (the first time the modern name for an Elder's house, "parsonage",was used) needed $40.00 worth of repairs. The Trustees were charged to get the work done immediately upon the faith of the Church. This meant apparently get the work done now and pay later. The repairs mentioned were to the roof which needed shingling.
On October 2, 1841, the Church was thinking about eliminating the afternoon service, which would still have left the morning and evening services. They voted not to give up the afternoon service except by a vote of the Church unless Providence seems to desire otherwise.
In all of the Church records thus far, the celebration of Christmas and Easter was never mentioned as being part of the religious program of the Church. Now on December 4, 1841, the Church voted that the Church observe Thanksgiving on Thursday next as recommended by Governor Seward of New York State; services to commence at 11:00 o'clock. It was also agreed that the Church have another singing school. A Committee was named to raise the money and hire a teacher.
On January 1, 1843, Elder William McCarthy gave notice to the Church that he had made up his mind to resign his pastoral charge at the expiration of the pastoral year, April 1, 1843. On March 26, 1843, the Lord's Day, letters of commendation for Reverend and Mrs. McCarthy were requested and granted. We do not know where and when Elder McCarthy was born or educated, where he went after he left Manlius, or when he died. The Madison University records show that Elder and Mrs. McCarthy had a son, also William McCarthy, who graduated in 1858 and also became a minister of the Gospel.
On September 3, 1836, the Church voted that the Treasurer would not only do the usual duties of a Treasurer, but would also act as a collecting agent. This apparently did not work out and on June 4, 1842, a separate collector was appointed for the Church and Society. The Church voted to pay the collector $1.75/day for necessary service and to appoint William Fillmore as collector.
On December 31, 1842, at a Covenant Meeting, the congregation voted to observe the first Monday in the new year as a day of fasting and prayer. This was a tradition in the early Church.
