On April 18, 1917, in the same Church Meeting in which Reverend Royden N. Rand was called to the Pastorate of the Manlius Baptist Church, Reverend Charles Burton Allnatt was hired as a supply to fill the Pulpit until Reverend Rand assumed his duties in the fall of 1917. Reverend Allnatt was to be paid $15.00 weekly and was given the use of a few of the rooms in the parsonage, furnished by the ladies of the Church. (Mr. and Mrs. Balsley were renting the major part of the parsonage.) Reverend Allnatt’s letter was received from the First Baptist Church of Cherry Creek, New York on July 12, 1917. Other than his coming and dismission by letter, Reverend Allnatt was not mentioned in Church Records. According to the Fayetteville Weekly Bulletin, he was given a farewell reception on Saturday Evening, November 1, 1917, to which all members of the Congregation were invited. He must have made a very favorable impression in his seven months stay in Manlius, however as he was always included in the roster of the Manlius Baptist Church Elders and Preachers. Reverend Allnatt was dismissed by letter back to the Cherry Creek Baptist Church on April 25, 1918.
After serving many New York State Churches, one of which was the Baptist Church of Bainbridge, New York, where Reverend Whitt was Pastor before he came to Manlius in 1982, Reverend Allnatt and his wife retired in Lebanon, New York. A few years after Mrs. Allnatt died, Reverend Alnatt moved to live with his son and daughter-in-law in Little Falls, New York. He preached regularly as a supply until his 85th year and counted 188 churches in which he had conducted services during his long career. He was known for his memorable and moving sermons, often with nature themes; for the particular attention he gave to children; and as a minister who “always smiles.”
Charles Burton Allnatt was born in Sheridan, New York, on August 18, 1890. He grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Chataugua County, New York. He was said to have been interested in civil engineering, dairying, fruit growing and carpentry, but heeded what he remembered as a definite call to the ministry. He entered the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from there in 1915. “It’s what the Lord wanted,” he said, “ and I yielded.” He was ordained in 1918. He attended the Colgate Seminary. According to Seminary alumni records he was a member of the class of 1928. Other records indicate he graduated from the Seminary as a member of the Centennial Class of 1919. He married Honorine Watson Saunders in 1919. They had one child, Don Allnatt, who became a minister of the United Church of Christ.
The Manlius Baptist Church Records do not tell of any contacts with Reverend Allnatt after he left Manlius. However, in the Fall of 1990, when the Manlius Baptist Mission Board made its usual plea for donations to the American Baptist Missionary and Ministers (M&M) Offering, they asked for help for many of the retired men and women who “gave faithful and caring service on low salaries, lived in a succession of parsonages without the equity of owning their own homes, and gave unstintingly of themselves to enrich our spirits.” Nine upstate retired ABC ministers were to receive funds from the 1990 offering. The only one mentioned by name was Reverend Allnatt who at that time lived on Hatch Lake near Eaton, New York, with his son and daughter-in-law. Apparently the writer was not aware that Reverend Allnatt was a former pastor of the Manlius Baptist Church, so it was not mentioned that we would be helping one of our former ministers as well as many other deserving New York State ministers and missionaries and their wives.
Reverend Allnatt was 100 years old at the time of the M&M offering. He died in 1993 at the age of 102. It is unfortunate that the Manlius Baptists lost contact with Reverend Allnatt, especially since he lived so close to Manlius. He would have been a welcomed guest at any time, and especially during the 175th Church Anniversary Celebration.
Charles Burton was the Pastor of the Manlius Baptist Church from 1902-1906. It is not known if there is any significance in the duplication of names.
