First Baptist Manlius

After Reverend R. Jay Robert's rapid departure on October 28, 1907, the Church Services for three Sundays were conducted by candidates or supplies, one of whom, Reverend Elbert Henry Conrad, seemed interested in serving in either capacity. Reverend Conrad turned to farming in Bridgeport for a short time after concluding his Pastorate at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Syracuse. After three Sundays the Church voted 28 yes, 2 no, to call Reverend Conrad to come on trial as a supply pastor for two months beginning November 24, 1907. We do not know how well Reverend Conrad did as a farmer. Serving as a supply, especially during the winter months, could have been helpful for him as well as the Church. If perhaps a season of farming made the ministry more desirable, then serving full-time as preacher for the Manlius Church could have been an attractive choice.

The Church was experiencing its usual financial problems in the fall of 1907 and the Trustees calculated that $204.23 would be required to pay all outstanding bills by January 1, 1908. The Trustees voted to sponsor an oyster supper in Smith Hall to help defray the deficit. F. B. Perry was appointed Chairman of the Supper Committee and the Ladies Aid, the Junior and Senior Christian Endeavors and all the Societies of the Church were asked to unite to make the supper a success in every way. Public suppers were held frequently as a relatively painless way of raising money for the Church. The Congregation and the village enjoyed the fellowship and the profits were helpful in paying Church bills.

The Annual Meeting of the Church was held on December 8, 1907. The Trustees were called to a special meeting on December 18, 1907. In those days the State Law required a Trustee's Meeting to be held within ten days after the election of a new Trustee.

On January 2, 1908, before a public decision had been reached on his future status as Pastor of the Manlius Baptist Church, Reverend Elbert Henry Conrad, wife Carlotta, and children, Paul and Carlotta, transferred their letters from the Immanuel Baptist Church to the Manlius Baptist Church.

On January 19, 1908, the Church and Pastor reached an understanding and Reverend Conrad was unanimously called to the Pastorate of the Church for an indefinite time with three months notice of change to be given by either the Pastor or the Church. Reverend Conrad left his farm and moved his family into the parsonage on April 1, 1908, and from then on gave the Church his full time (but not for long).

Isaac Newton Loomis, Jr. (his name was always written I. N. Loomis, Jr.) died on January 30, 1908, and was another of the pillars of the Church whose presence was greatly missed.) Mr. Loomis was the brother of Mary Broadfield and of Yettie Harris.) According to the obituary in a local paper (the Church has the clipping in its historical files), "Manlius has lost another old landmark." (We would call have called him a pillar of the church, a pioneer, a senior statesman, or a wise leader and reserve old landmark for ancient buildings.) Mr. I. N. Loomis Jr. was born on June 3, 1818. He graduated from Madison University (now Colgate) in 1845 and taught in several schools in Tennessee and Pennsylvania. He joined the Manlius Baptist Church in 1836 and was a member for 72 years (most of the first 24 in absentia). After returning to Manlius to take care of his parents in 1860, he became a Deacon, Church Clerk for 20 years, Superintendent of the Sunday School for an equal time and a member of the choir.

In the spring of 1908 the Church decided to purchase some real estate. It was a lot with a house and large hitching barn located on Franklin Street, at the rear of the Church and behind the house on 105 North Street, former home of Lawyer and Manlius Historian Henry Van Schaack. No reason was given for the Church's purchase, but the availability of the large hitching barn on the premises for sheltering Baptist horses on Sunday may have been an important factor. The possibility of using land for further church expansion was not mentioned. The Church bought the property from Bert Van Brocklin, and it was known in our records as the Van Brocklin property.

Reverend Elbert Henry Conrad was born in Farmersville, Michigan, on December 19, 1861. He attended Kalamazoo College in the years 1883-85, 1886-88, 1891-92. He was ordained in Reading, Michigan, on October 11, 1888. He was listed as a graduate of the Hamilton Seminary in 1898. Before coming to Manlius he preached in several Baptist Churches, i.e.,Watervliet, NY ,1898-1900; Arcade, NY, 1900-1901; Newark, NY, 1901-1904; Syracuse, NY, (Immanuel Baptist) 1904-1907. He was a farmer in Bridgeport, NY, when he came to preach at the Manlius Baptist Church in the fall of 1907.

After the purchase, William Nightingale and E.H. Baldwin, agents for the Church and parties of the First Part, and M. E. Reed, prospective Janitor and party of the Second Part, drew up an agreement for its management. Mr. Reed was to be our Janitor for one year from April 1, 1908. His duties were janitorial work and keeping the lawn and driveway in good shape, and for this he would be paid $1.50/week if furnace fires were required and $1.00 if they were not. An additional task for Mr. Reed was to take charge of renting the hitching barn and for this he would receive 1/2 of all revenues. The Church would pay the cost of advertising the hitching accommodations and reserved the rights to the manure and took the responsibility for having it
drawn away as often as necessary. Church members attending Church were to have free hitching privileges. The venture was a short one for some unexplained reason (perhaps no one wanted to serve on the Manure Removal Committee). Burt Van Brocklin bought the house and barn back on December 4, 1909, and was to have possession of the premises after January 1, 1910. After the fact, the Church empowered the Trustees to dispose of the Van Brocklin property on January 17, 1910. The Church has in its files the original agreement between the Church and the custodian, and the account book in which the record of transactions concerning the house and barn were kept.

The trend in the late 1800s was to establish branches of nationwide (and sometimes worldwide) Sunday School and Youth organizations in local Protestant Churches, regardless of denominations. The Christian Endeavour and Farther Lights Society were examples already mentioned. It was during the pastorate of Reverend Conrad that the Church also started a Young Women's Philathea Sunday School Class which was organized by Mr. Conrad and "from which we hope much good will result." Philathea was the female counterpart of Baraca, an international Sunday School Class for men which originated in the First Baptist Church of Syracuse in 1890. It was reported that from that Class between 1890 and 1914, 500 men joined the First Baptist church of Syracuse.

The Philathea Class also originated in the First Baptist Church of Syracuse in 1893. By 1914 there were over 500,000 Philatheans registered nationally, in a union with the Baracas called the Worldwide Baraca and Philathea Union, Inc., with a total of over one million participants. The headquarters of the group was for a time in Syracuse, New York. Philathea meant "lovers of truth" and their motto was "we do things." (Baraca meant blessed.) Emphasis was on the Bible, having a strong organization, and "intense" class spirit, an enthusiastic social life and a deep spiritual work.

The Baraca men's group was started in our Church later. We know that the two groups met together monthly for social meetings (on two occasions the groups were photographed together.) One photograph was of 16 men and 24 women, a second of 23 men and 35 women. We do not know if the groups met together on Sunday morning. It was normal in most of the first half of the 20th century for men and women and boys and girls to meet in separate Sunday School Classes.

According to the Trustees' Meeting notes, it was generally understood that Reverend Conrad was to be paid $800.00 per year (approximately $15.00 per week) by January 1, 1909. However, on August 30, 1908, the Trustees reported being able to pay him only $9.50 per week, $2.50 short of the $12.00 he had usually been paid, and $5.50 less than promised. On November 2, 1908, the Trustees decided it was not possible to raise $800.00 yearly for a Pastor's salary, and a Committee was appointed to confer with Reverend Conrad. It appeared that Reverend Conrad was not willing to accept a lower salary and on January 1, 1909, resigned as Pastor (but consented to act as a supply until June 1, 1909.) On May 27, 1909, letters of dismission were granted for Reverend Conrad and his family, but not to any specific Church as is the usual procedure.

Early in the spring of 1909 the Church held another series of evangelistic meetings. This time Association Evangelist, Reverend H. Clay Poland, soon to be Pastor of the Fayetteville Baptist Church, led the meetings and they were "productive of good" to the Church.

During the winter of 1908-1909 heating the church had been a problem. Early in June 1909 the Trustees met to inspect the church property with reference to heating requirements. The Trustees decided to buy two furnaces for the church. Bids were invited and five were received. The Syracuse Heating Company was the low bidder at $172.09. The low bid was accepted and the furnaces installed for the winter of 1909-1910.

The Trustees apparently believed in putting things in writing and in late 1908 had 1000 pledge cards printed for less than 100 members. This was followed by the purchase of 500 letter heads and envelopes and 100 circular letters printed with the name of the Church. No samples of the Church stationery have survived.

After leaving Manlius, Reverend Conrad preached to a large number of churches, never staying very long at any one place. His first call was to preach for six months in the First Baptist Church of Binghamton, New York, during the absence of the regular pastor who was on a six month sabbatical. In South Edmeston and Utica he established new Baptist Churches.

Reverend Conrad closed his pastorate in Manlius on Sunday, May 30, 1909. The Church made full use of this last Sunday with the ordinance of baptism administered in the inside Baptistry after the morning sermon, and again at 3:30 o'clock in the creek near the lower bridge. A short vesper service was held at the Church at 4:45 and the Right Hand of Fellowship was given to the new members. It was not mentioned if Reverend Conrad was also asked to preach at the Evening Service. Reverend Conrad temporarily moved his family from the parsonage into a home on Pleasant St. and they left there on November 16, 1909 for their new home in Binghamton.

Concerning the early loss of Reverend Conrad, the Clerk, Yettie Harris, states the year just past "1909" has been one of joys and sorrows. She laments "we desire a pastor, but it seem to be impossible for us to give a salary sufficiently large to secure one, although we have a good parsonage." She explains that "while in numbers we have grown, many are too young to contribute largely to the support of the Church (24 members are non-resident and 36 under 21 years of age, our of a total membership of 152). "However," she says, "we are not discouraged but are hoping that we may soon be led to a right decision as to the one who shall be in all things spiritual our leader." E. E. Clemons, local historian, commented that in his short stay Reverend Conrad made many friends and took an active part in the welfare of the community.