At Pastor John Baker’s last Official Board Meeting on November 1, 1956, and after Reverend Baker’s explanation of his call to Rome, New York (“God directed him”), the church went directly to the business of selecting a Pulpit Committee to find a new leader. This time the Official Board decided to send each one of its members a letter with a list of the eligible Board Members (Associate Members were excluded) and each person was asked to select five members who would best serve on the Pulpit Committee. The results were presented to an Official Board Meeting on Sunday, November 18, 1956, for further discussion and action.
The five leading vote-getters were (in order of votes received):
They became the Pulpit Committee.
The selection of an Interim Pastor was not mentioned in the Church Clerk’s minutes, but according to the records of the Pulpit Committee, they discussed with Reverend Russell Raker Jr. conditions for his employment on November 29, 1956. They found he would be able to preach every Sunday except for one a month, and would make hospital calls. His salary was to be $25.00/week. His appointment was announced on December 20, 1956, and his pay was raised to $45.00/week.
At the January 14, 1957, Annual (159th) Meeting of the church, the congregation voted that five members of those present be nominated to form a committee to study the Constitution and By-Laws of the church and present their findings at the 1958 Annual Meeting. Reverend Russell Raker Jr., Herbert Meyer, Marjorie Lincoln, , Spencer Greene and Kenneth Phelps were appointed. A suggestion was made to have a box placed in the church for members to put suggestions in for the committee to consider and this was done.
The brochure contained information that we have for no other pastor. Reverend Guckert was 5’11” tall and weighed proximately 165 pounds.
After an intensive effort to find, interview and assess several possible candidates, the Pulpit Committee brought their choice, Reverend Harry E. Guckert, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of San Anselmo, California, to the First Baptist Church of Manlius as guest preacher and candidate on February 14, 1957. A special brochure continuing a biography of Reverend Guckert and featuring a picture of the Guckert family was distributed to the congregation.*
Reverend Harry E. Guckert, who comes to us from the First Baptist Church of San Anselmo, California, is forty-two years of age, five feet eleven inches tall and weighs approximately one hundred and sixty-five pounds. He graduated as valedictorian from Pompey Academy and received his Bachelor of Theology degree from the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1939. He then completed two years of post-graduate work at the International School of Languages.
Reverend Guckert, a native of Central New York, has served in five churches in the areas of Central New York, Pennsylvania, and California. He was ordained in 1939 into the Onondaga Baptist Association at Tully, New York. His successful ministry in California includes the Bronze Achievement award for his present church, with a significant increase in Missionary giving to the Unified Budget of the American Baptist Convention every place he has served. During the last ten years he has received over one thousand persons into church memberships. His two years at San Anselmo saw a greatly expanded youth program, the starting of two Guilds, and the Choirs increased from one choir to four.
Mrs. Guckert has been a school librarian, a church secretary, a secretary for the Christian Education Department of the Southern California Baptist Convention. She is particularly interesting in theWomen’s Mission Society, and Guild, and instituted and supervises the nursery at San Anselmo. We understand she is a most gracious hostess, a prime requisite for the First Lady of Manlius Baptist Church.
The Guckerts have two lovely girls, Karen and Stephanie- ages 5 and 6 ½ .
After the service the congregation (325 people were present) remained. The Pulpit Committee announced that Reverend Guckert, if called, would be paid $5,600.00. He would be provided housing (the parsonage), full M&M payments, all utilities, $500.00 car expense, and all moving expenses ($1,400.00). The congregation voted unanimously to call Reverend Guckert, who then came to the meeting to tell them that a decision would be made as soon as possible and that he was very much interested.
The Trustee’s minutes contained many references to the work done to keep the parsonage in good condition. By 1957, however, the need for repairs apparently outdistanced the ability of the Trustees (and the Treasury) to keep up. On February 17, 1957, a special Trustee’s meeting was called for the purpose of obtaining the views of the Board concerning the possibility of building a new parsonage. The Trustees voted to recommend to the next Official Board Meeting that, in the opinion of the Board of Trustees, “We should take necessary steps to buy a plot of ground and erect a new parsonage.”
On Sunday, February 24, 1957, a special Official Board Meeting was called (30 members present) to decide if a new parsonage were needed. Lloyd Slentz, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, led the discussion. Kenneth Phelps moved that the Planning Committee meet with the Trustees and decide the important needs and bring a plan to the next Official Board Meeting for discussion. The motion was seconded and carried.
On February 27, 1957, another Trustee meeting was held to set up a proposal for a new parsonage to present to the Congregation at the Family Night Supper on February 28, 1957. The Trustees went to the parsonage to investigate possible remodeling for renting or occupation by the pastor and decided that minor repairs ($3,750-$4,000), a significant amount for a house valued at approximately $15,000-$20,000 at the time, were required for continued pastoral use or use as classrooms. On Thursday, February 28, 1957, Mr. Meyer, from the Board of Trustees, presented the need for a new parsonage to the congregation and asked everyone to be thinking about it. He also suggested that church members inspect the parsonage so as to be more familiar with its condition.
On March 14, 1957, the Official Board met after Prayer Meeting for their first quarterly meeting of the year. Herbert Meyer presented for the Trustees the reasons for the need for a new parsonage. An important factor other than the condition of the parsonage and not mentioned in the minutes was that a parsonage next to the church, while being convenient in some ways, left the Pastor and family on constant call to unlock the doors for someone, to turn off forgotten lights, to furnish information for a meeting, to supervise and unsupervised activity, etc, which resulted in a lack of privacy and time to get away from church problems, if only for an evening. After much discussion, Charles Cathers moved that we secure a parsonage not to exceed $24,000 and recommend this to the Congregation. Carl Christensen seconded the motion, and the majority of the Official Board was in favor.
Each member of the congregation was to be informed by letter of this recommendation, and it was also to be announced in the Sunday Bulletin. On March 24, 1957, after the church service, the congregation met to vote on the parsonage. Herbert Meyer again presented the plan. After a discussion, Sid Mawson moved acceptance of the recommendation of the Official Board and that the Trustees be empowered to proceed in that direction. Ray Heller seconded the motion. Donald Jenks moved that we vote by ballot, a motion which Mildred Dopp seconded and which was carried. The vote on building a parsonage was 61 for and 58 against. The whole procedure from the Trustee’s suggestion to affirmative vote took only thirty-five days and six meetings.
At the March 28, 1957, Official Board Meeting, the Building Committee members were announced: Jean Clausen, Esther Lamoreaux, Ray Heller, Robert Lyon, Charles Stark and Archie Adsit. Early pledges of $6,350 had been received and it was suggested that a letter be sent to each church family with a pledge card enclosed. Because of the closeness of the vote, the response was to be voluntary with no calls involved.
In the spring of 1957, the Prayer Meetings were held weekly in Member’s homes and were called Cottage Prayer Meetings. Thursday night Family Suppers were held monthly with special programs.
The third of the American Baptist Quarterly offerings appeared. (The first was America for Christ and the second the World Fellowship Offering.) the Ministers and Missionaries Board asked churches to give one Communion offering a year to those retired Ministers and Missionaries who had not been able to participate in the new Baptist Retirement Plan and the church agreed. Later it became the offering for the fourth quarter of the year and became known as the Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO).
In March, 1957, the Diaconate adopted the Parish Zone Plan. The areas in which the members lived were to be divided into zones, each containing 6-8 church families. Each zone would have a leader (about 30 were hope for) who would call on the families quarterly to bring them up to date on the affairs of the church and keep the church informed of the concerns of the families as well. Robert Vermilya was the leader. The Diaconate was concerned about the possible need for a minimum age for baptism. They decided to let the Pastor decide whether or not the child was ready.
In the late winter or early spring of 1957, Reverend Guckert accepted his call. He began his ministry in Manlius on May 12, 1957. An installation ceremony and welcoming reception were held on Sunday evening, May 19, 1957, at 7:30 in the church.
Reverend Guckert and his wife, Marjorie, were received by letter from the First Baptist Church of San Anselmo, California, in May, 1957. The new parsonage was not ready and the Guckerts with their two daughters Karen and Stephanie occupied for a few months the old parsonage on Pleasant Street.
Harry Edwin Guckert was born on September 17, 1914. He was raised in the home of U. S. Representative Walter Riehlman of Tully, New York. He graduated from The Pompey Academy as valedictorian. He attended Eastern Baptist College for two years and the Eastern Theological Seminary for three years, graduating in 1939 with a Bachelor of Theology Degree. He was ordained in June 1939 by the Baptist Church of Tully, New York, in the Onondaga Baptist Association. He then took a two year course at the International School of Languages. He served five churches before coming to Manlius:
Mrs. Marjorie Guckert was a school librarian, a church secretary, and a secretary of the California Baptist Convention, where she and Reverend Guckert met.
In early 1957, Helen (Mrs. Donald) Jenks, the Church Organist and Choir Director, resigned and she and Mr. Jenks left the church. Mrs. Jenks was also active in Women’s Groups and the Christian Education Committee and was leading the Released Time Weekly Church School. We are indebted to Mr. Donald Jenks for the excellent photographic record of the church and its activities during the time of their membership.
Doreta Chapman (who had resigned the position in 1951 after fourteen years of service) became the new organist and Rhoda Edwards became the new choir director. The Trustees voted to have the organ (deemed in poor condition) repaired by the Estey Organ Co. The cost was to be $375.00 and the repair could take 32-34 weeks.
At the Official Board Meeting of July 11, 1957, two new committees were formed, the Music Committee and the Church Service Committee, which because of their usefulness still exist today. (the Church Service Committee, whose purpose was to provide food for families in distress because of illness or death in the families is now part of the Diaconate function.)
The Board of Deacons reported that the Church Covenant had been printed and placed in the new hymnals (Christian Worship-a Hymnal). There was no mention of a change in Covenants,. The Covenant in use from 1939-1957 was replaced with the Covenant used before 1939, which contained the admonitions to avoid all tattling, backing and excess anger, and to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks.
Lloyd Slentz, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, reported that the Board recommended a unified treasury for the Church and Sunday School for 1958, and that the Sector Plan be used again for the Financial Campaign for 1958. The Official Board voted its approval
The 160th Anniversary of the church was to be December 7, 1957. Both the Deacons and Trustees were interested in a celebration. The question was asked, “Should we celebrate in some way?” A committee with members from each Board and headed by Doug Clausen was appointed to answer the question. (Unfortunately, the answer turned out to be no. At least there was no mention of any celebration in the church records.)
The new Manlius Baptist Church parsonage was dedicated on Sunday, September 22, 1957. On December 30, 1957 the church obtained a mortgage on the house and lot from the Marine Midland Bank for $10,300.00 at 5% interest.
In the Fall of 1957, the Baptist Youth Fellowship was divided into three groups: Junior Boys and Girls, Junior High Youth and Senior High Young People. They met every Sunday from 6:30P.M. to 8:00 P.M. There was some serious study or discussion, recreation and refreshments. According to the 1957 report, there were over 60 young people in attendance each Sunday Evening.
The Released Time School, for which Reverend and Mrs. Guckert took responsibility for the remainder of the 1956-1957 school year, was discontinued in the Fall of 1957 because of the difficulty in providing leadership.
At the Third Quarterly Meeting of the Church on October 23, 1957, the starting time for the Sunday Morning Service was moved from 10:30 to 10:45 A.M. to permit a full hour of Sunday School and to eliminate “unnecessary commotion” prior to the service.
The Church decided to renovate the old parsonage for the Pastor’s Study, the Church office and a Nursery and classrooms for the younger children. Lloyd Slentz reported on the renovations to the old parsonage. Furniture for offices and the library had been purchased. The Christian Education Committee reported an average attendance of 128 at the weekly Leader’s Training Classes. The Released Time enrollment was 125 students. There were now three Guild Girl Groups, each with 8-10 girls attending weekly. Plans for the Annual Harvest Supper were underway by the Baptist Women’s Fellowship.
A Motion was made, seconded and carried that beginning in January, 1958, the Sunday School Budget and monetary needs were to be unified with the regular budget. Changing the name of the church legally was discussed. The legal name in 1958 was still The Baptist Church and Society of Pompey and Manlius. The unofficial name used was The Manlius Baptist Church. The Trustees proposed to have the church name legally changed to the First Baptist Church of Manlius and purchase a seal with the new name that could be used to mark church records and official documents.
The Trustees were asked to present their reasons for the change to the various chairmen of the Boards of the church so that the change could be discussed and understood before any action was taken at the next Annual Meeting in January. However, at a Family Night Supper on December 21, 1957, the change of name was explained by the Trustees and the church voted for the new name without opposition.
At the January 13, 1958, Annual Meeting, the 161st, the Constitution Committee reaad the present Constitution (The first church Constitution was adopted for trial on December 3, 1938,m during Reverend Wheaton’s Pastorate), and then the proposed new Constitution. Many questions were asked by the members and further changes were proposed. People with suggestions were asked to write them down, sign their names and give them to the Constitution Committee within ten days. The meeting was extended to January 30, 1958, and at that meeting, the new Constitution was accepted by a vote of the congregation. Since the new Constitution required more officers, the Nominating Committee was given until the first Quarterly Meeting (April 24, 1958) to recruit new people. The Official Board was now and Advisory Council with much the same duties, the Diaconate was split into the Board of Deacons and Board of Deaconesses (no reason was given) and the Christian Education and Missionary Committees were given Board status. The Sunday School was no longer a separate entity with its own constitution but became part of the responsibility of the Board of Christian Education.
At the April 14, 1958, Trustees meeting, the status of the organ was discussed (again). Despite the 1951 repairs, the organ was again found to be in poor condition and this time the repairs were expected to cost $2,600.00.
At the April 24, 1958, Quarterly Business Meeting, the church voted to adopt a 12 month program for the church and Sunday School by a vote of 21-19, and to enlarge the Board of Deacons by three members (from 6 to 9), as recommended by the April 23, 1958, Advisory Council meeting. In addition, the slate of officers for 1958 approved by the April 23, 1958, Advisory Council was elected at the Quarterly Business Meeting. The Boards were very slow in getting started in 1958.
Herb Meyer gave a thorough report on the status of the organ to both the Advisory Council (April 23, 1958) and the Quarterly Business Meeting (April 24, 1958). Then, at a Family Night Supper in May, the Quarterly Business Meeting was continued and the members present voted to purchase a Conn Classic Model organ. A Trustees Committee (Lloyd Slentz, Robert Lyon and Treasurer Kenneth Phelps) was appointed to investigate the financing of the $4,500.00 organ. Letters were sent to the membership explaining the problem and the need for pledges. Dr. Laura Harris read the letter and decided to present the organ to the church as a memorial for her mother, Mrs. Yettie Harris, who had served for many years as the church organist. Another letter had to be sent to others who had already pledged to tell them that their pledges would not be needed. The organ was dedicated with a concert on November 9, 1958, followed by a reception in Loomis Hall.
The Trustees had a lot of work to do to get ready for the new electric organ. There was no mention of the disposition of the old organ, but it had to be removed as well as the organ pipes from the room above the choir loft. A new door was cut into the north side of the choir loft to improve access for the choir. Wall panels behind the old organ had to be replaced, the old organ console platform removed and a new one built on the sanctuary floor for the new organ. The blower room was converted into a storage room for the custodian. If you look closely at the back of the choir loft you will notice that the two sides are not symmetrical because of the need for a passageway for the air from the pump in the basement, one reminder we have left of the old pipe organ.
The Sunday School celebrated Christmas as usual with a Sunday School Party on the Sunday preceding Christmas, this time on December 321, 1958. After a family buffet supper, the “Surprise Package” program was presented by the children. Santa Claus was welcomed and brought a gift of a “beautiful plastic star” for each child to put on the family Christmas tree at home. Many brought mittens for “children with cold hands” and gift of food for the less fortunate in the community.
After a discussion in their May 28, 1958, Board of Deacon’s meeting, the Deacons announced at the 2nd Quarterly Meeting of the church on July 24, 1958, that the church would participate in the Baptist Jubilee Advance and the CHEC (Christian Higher Education Challenge) program. Little information was given concerning the BJA program but CHEC was a three year American Baptist Convention program to raise several million dollars on a national scale for a national program to improve Baptist Colleges and Seminaries. Ray Heller was to be on a committee to promote the CHEC program in our church. Previous ABC programs in which the Manlius church participated were the World Emergency Fund, World Mission Crusade and Churches for New Frontiers. There was no mention of a formal campaign with an organized attempt to obtain pledges. However, the 1962 financial report indicated that the congregation pledged $8,262.00 to CHEC.
The Trustees continued their efforts to save the elm trees which rose majestically around the front of the church and made a perfect setting for the colonial steeple. The trees were sprayed and pruned, but in the end succumbed to the Elm Beetle Disease.
The Christian Education Board reported that for the first time in many years, Sunday School and Junior Church continued through the summer of 1958 and that the attendance of teachers and pupils was very good. The director of the Vacation Bible School, Esther Lamoreaux, reported on another successful Vacation Bible School and was commended for the fine job she had done as Director during the last five years.
At the July 24, 1958, Quarterly Business Meeting, the Trustees requested permission to use the Sector Plan for raising money for the 1959 budget. Many people suggested trying other plans but the vote was 14 to 6 in favor of the Sector Plan. The proposed budget for 1958 was $35,813.00 for the local church and $7, 040.00 for World Missions. A second professionally printed budget with special photographs (this time showing Reverend Guckert and his family) was distributed.
Robert Vermilya reported from the Board of Deacons that there would be a Bingo Referendum on July 29, 1958, and that the Protestant churches were very much in opposition. He urged church members to vote no. On September 28, 1958, the Deacons held open house (in their own homes) for members of the church. The attendance was disappointing and was blamed on poor weather. The Deacons planned on visiting all those who did not come.
On December 2, 1958, Rhoda Edwards asked to be relieved of her duties as Choir Director as of June 1959. On February 1, 1959, Abdiel Lorente, our Cuban student making his home with the Lynn Mapstones “brought our Communion meditation” and on February 8, 1959, a new Cable Studio Model piano was dedicated in memory of Fred J. Goddard, Harry Goodfellow and Nevin Shankweiler.
At the April 15, 1959, Quarterly Business Meeting, the Board of Christian Education reported that a scholarship fund had been established for Abdiel Lorente’s college education and that “all contributions are welcome.” The Board of Christian Education also announced that a full Christian Education Program would continue through the summer of 1960, in addition to the usual Vacation Bible School.
Ray Heller, a staunch supporter of the Sector Plan, made a presentation for the Plan. He noted that of the nineteen Baptist Churches in the Onondaga Baptist Association, the Manlius Church was first on the list in per capita giving to the United Budget and 25th in the state. He reported that the Trustees have checked out other plans but that the Sector Plan best answered the needs of the church.
At the same meeting, Sid Mawson was commended for his faithful attention and service regarding the tape recorder by Mrs. Goodfellow, who had been privileged to hear the services every week through the recordings. The recorder was purchased in May 1953 by the J.B. Sunday School Class and installed between then and October 1953. In 1954 the J.B. Class note reported that “the recorder is very much appreciated by all who use it and listen to it.” Five to eleven people a week were said to listen to the tapes. Sometime after 1954 Sid Mawson took over making the tapes and continued to do so for many years. (Sid sat in the balcony tending the tape recorder and Gertrude sat next to or at the piano. She and the organist would actionably the hymns together and sometimes would play memorable duets.)
At the May 11, 1959, Trustees’ Meeting, Lloyd Slentz moved that the Sector Plan be used for raising money for the 1960 budget. The motion was seconded and carried. Robert Lyon was chosen chairman of the Sector Plan for the 1960 Budget and asked the Trustees to prepare their 1960 budget by May 30, 1959, a very early date. A problem came up with the rental payment for the rental annex. The Trustees voted to sue the recalcitrant renter. Failure of tenants to pay the rent was a recurring problem with the Phofl house and later with the Newall house.
At the July 16, 1959, Quarterly Business Meeting (conducted after a family picnic on the annex lawn,) it was announced that Mrs. Rhoda Edwards had withdrawn her resignation request and would conduct all four choirs in the fall of 1959 (Cherub, Carol, Concord and Adult).
The church was advertising its Services in the Post Standard on Saturdays. On September 9, 1959, Mrs. Marjorie Guckert was honored at a Stork Shower (planned by the Board of Deaconesses) in Loomis Hall. Eighty-five women attended. On October 6, 1959, David Jeffery Guckert was born.
A planning retreat was held on September 19, 1959, for 30 church officers in Tully, New York. During the morning the Boards met in the Tully Baptist Church for program planning sessions. After a lunch served by the women of the Tully church, the group “retreated” to Congressman Walter Riehlman’s camp on Tully Lake for “a time of relaxation and fellowship.” The programs planned earlier were approved and placed in the church calendar for 1960. The day ended with a dinner also served by the ladies of Tully Church with their Pastor, Reverend Peacock “bringing us an inspiration in the thoughts he shared with us.”
At the September 28, 1959, Deacons’ Meeting, the Baptism and Worship Committee complained of an “improper atmosphere” in the sanctuary between 10:30 and 10:45 A.M. because of “talking and gossip.” The proposed remedy was to have the Minister mention the situation from the pulpit, to put a notice in the Bulletin and to have Sunday School Teachers and BYF leaders talk to the young people.
At the Advisory Council Meeting on October 8, 1959, the Trustees reported that the church, the education annex (old parsonage) and the rental annex were to be painted at a cost of $620.00, $550.00 and $225.00 respectively with the church furnishing the paint. Also, in 1959, the Trustees arrange to have a dual heat control system installed in the church to conserve fuel at a cost of $325.00 (one zone for the sanctuary, a second for Loomis Hall and the class rooms.)
The Deacons were concerned about the BYF program as well as with a lack of reverence in the congregation on Sundays and at their October 28, 1959, meeting, they decided to take turns attending the BYF meetings “to be aware of church life and the nature of the religious concepts being presented to the youth of our church,.” At the February 2, 1960 Deacon’s meeting, Gamble Huffaker reported on the activities of the Junior and Senior BYF, After a discussion a committee of three Deacons was appointed to investigate in more detail the program problem and leadership of the BYF. On March 1, 1960, the committee reported to the Board. Apparently things were not too bad because the Deacons disbanded the committee and charged existing committees to be more aware of possible problems of this nature in the future.
The 162nd Annual Meeting of the First Baptist Church of Manlius was held on January 21, 19660. Gamble Huffaker, chairman of the Board of Deacons, reported that the Secret Place was to be sent to all church families. It was reported that contributions for CHEC had reached $9,180.00.
The Trustees reported removing a partition between two small rooms in the Junior Department to make one “useable room.” This was the first of what would be the removal of many of the small cubicles in the education annex. (Small rooms connected to a larger assembly room for each department was the favored style of division of classroom space in the 1920-1930s when the church was built.)
At an Advisory Council meeting on July 14, 1960, the Trustees reported n the project of providing shade screens for the three south sanctuary window. Enough screen was purchased to cover the lower square windows next to the organ which Charles Stark installed. The company that made the shade screens either stopped making them or went out of business. Comstock Lincoln, who was in the business of building supplies, searched all over he country but no more of the screen was available.. That is the reason only one window is partially covered.
At the same meeting, the Board of Deacons presented a resolution that “A Building Program Committee be appointed to make a survey to determine the advisability of immediate expansion of the existing Church and Church School facilities.” In addition, they recommended that the church appoint a Pastoral Relations Committee with members chosen from various groups and Boards of the church. The Advisory Council approved of both resolutions but was very slow to fill the new positions. The establishment of a Pastoral Relations Committee was one of several recommendations to come out of the Baptist Jubilee Advance Program.
At the 2nd Quarterly Meeting on July 21, 1960, held after a picnic supper, plans for the Fall campaign to raise money for 1961 were discussed. Lloyd Slentz made a motion, seconded by Thomas Clute and carried, to prepare an adequate plan other than the Sector Plan for money raising in October. In addition, as recommended by the preceding Advisory Council, the congregation voted to establish a Building Program Committee and a Pastoral Relations Committee.
The Board of Christian Education reported on a Teacher’s Appreciation Dinner held on May 20, 1960, at Lake Meadows for Teachers in the Church School and their spouses. It was also reported that 348 children attended the Vacation Bible School headed by Mrs. Shirley Radley.
The choirs were reported as doing well:
| Services | Average Attendance | |
| Sanctuary Choir | 11 | 22 |
| Concord Choir | 3 | 15 |
| Carol Choir | 3 | 36 |
| Cherub Choir | 3 | 17 |
At the Advisory Council meeting On October 20, 1960, the Board of Trustees reported that the resignation of Margaret Vermilya as Church Secretary was regretfully accepted. Beryl Grubel was hired to fill the position. (The pay was $1.375 an hour for 20 hrs/week.)
The Every Member Enlistment Committee for the 1960 fall financial campaign was announced:
During Youth Week members of the BYF were appointed Junior Members of all the Boards and were invited to join their meetings during the month of February. For March 22-24, 1961, a preaching Mission for the church was arranged by the Board of Deacons. The Reverend Leo Peacock, pastor of the Tully Baptist Church, was the preacher and the meetings were “well attended.” On April 2, 9, 16 and 23, the usual School of Mission was held and was “very successful.”
A new Boy Scout Troop (Troop #215) was organized with the Board of Christian Education as the sponsor and Louis Nash as Scoutmaster. The Troop started meetin on April 24, 1961.
It as safe to say that William Nightingale’s record of service to the Church has not been matched by any other member. William Nightingale and his wife, Fannie, were received into the church by experience on October 17, 1894. Nr. Nightingale was baptized on October 21, 1894. He was Church Clerk from 1896-1901, Sunday School Superintendent from 1898-1928, a member of the Board of Trustees for 51 years from 1894-1945 (many as chairman) and a Deacon from April 25, 1901, to December 5, 1938, approximately 37 years. He also taught Sunday School, sang in the choir and served on pulpit Committees and other committees of the church. The most important job of all was as Chairman of the Building Committee which planned and directed the construction of the new Pleasant Street Church. On December 5, 1938, Mr. Nightingale was made a Deacon Emeritus and on December 3, 1945, a life Honorary Trustee. In addition to his church duties, he served as a civic leader. He was elected President (an early name for Mayor) of the Village of Manlius in 1913 and from 1928 to 1931. According to Reverend John Baker, Mr. Nightingale suffered financial losses during the depression and was forced to become Custodian for the church in order to make ends meet and to continued in that job through most of the years Reverend Baker was pastor. Reverend Baker stated that in his later years, Mr. Nightingale was physically unable to do all of the work and that the congregation was “most generous in its assistance and support.” (Reverend Baker didn’t say so, but it seems that one of Mr. Nightingale’s most loyal helpers was Reverend Baker himself.) If there ever was a person whose church was indeed his family (his only child, a son, died at age 20, his wife Fannie in 1951, and according to his obituary he had no known survivors), it was Mr. Nightingale. To show their gratitude for his lifetime of service, and in recognition of their responsibilities for a fellow member, the church voted to assume Mr. Nightingale’s funeral expenses.
William Nightingale died on July 25, 1961. Services were held in the Manlius Baptist Church and burial was in the Manlius Cemetery. He had fallen in his home on 517 E. Seneca Street in the village and was taken to the University Hospital for a short time and then brought to the Maple Lawn Nursing Home where he died. Nr. Nightingale was 92, the oldest member of First Baptist church in both age and years of membership. He was also a charter member of the Manlius Senior Citizens.
Harry Guckert read a letter to those present at the Weekly Prayer Service on August 17, 1961, announcing his resignation effective on September 10, 1961. The letter was also read at the Second Quarterly Business Meeting on August 17, 1961, and the congregation voted its acceptance. (The church does not have a copy of the letter.) The church voted to give letters of dismissal to Reverend and Mrs. Guckert and daughters Karen and Stephanie to join the First Baptist Church of Paradise, California. The Deaconesses sponsored a farewell party for the Guckerts in September, 1961.
