On Thursday evening, August 24, 1961m a special meeting of the Advisory Council was called for the purpose of nominating a Pulpit Committee. The procedure was different this time. Eleven people were nominated by the Advisory Council. Each Advisory council member present voted for five choices, and the five people with the highest number of votes were to be presented to the next church Business Meeting (with the sixth and seventh persons as alternates).
The five nominees with the highest number of votes were:
On August 31, 1961, following the Prayer Meeting, a special Congregational Meeting was called for the final election of the Pulpit Committee. Thirty-three church members present were qualified to vote (associate members were not qualified).
Ralph Grubel was nominated from the floor to be added to the five members nominated by the Advisory Council. The following five received the most votes and were elected as the Pulpit Committee:
On September 6, 1961, the group organized and elected Gamble Huffaker as their Chairman and Mrs. Burl Ferguson as their Secretary.
This time the records of the Pulpit Committee were not saved, which is partly why the group was later humorously referred to by Reverend Charles Schmidt, our Interim Pastor, as the “Secret Service.” Later in the Fall of 19671, the Committee reported having met regularly and that they had completed their background work prior to visiting and interviewing candidates. They were also working to establish what the church needed in a minister and were looking for an Interim Pastor.
Ray Laning, from the Board of Deacons, reported that Reverend Peacock, Pastor of the Tully Baptist Church, would take care of our Thursday Evening Prayer Service until an Interim Pastor could be found. The Deacons were also responsible for supplying the Pulpit on Sundays.
In a letter dated November 9, 1961, the Pulpit Committee announced to the congregation the selection of the Reverend Doctor Charles H. Schmidt D.D., as our Interim Pastor.
Reverend Schmidt had been for the past ten years Radio and Television Broadcast Training director for the National Council of Churches. He was Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Syracuse from 1944-1951. He also wrote two books, “Windows Toward God” and “Security From Above.” Reverend Schmidt died in November 19, 1995, at the age of 91 in Syracuse, NY.
The congregation was asked to meet Reverend and Mrs. Schmidt at a tea sponsored by the Board of Deaconesses and the Social Committee in Loomis Hall on Sunday, November 19, 1961, from 3 to 5 P.M.
Reverend Schmidt was not the usual interim pastor whose duties would have been limited mostly to preaching on Sunday and visiting the sick. In the beginning, he was hired to spend three days a week with the Church (Friday through Sunday evening after the BYF meetings). Later this was increased to full time one week, half time the next. Besides preaching on Sunday, he now led the Prayer Meeting, attended Church meetings, some Board meetings and had regular office hours. He made a great many useful suggestions to the various Boards and spent a lot of time on Saturdays on the phone talking to church members and urging them to attend church on Sunday,. As one might expect from his background, he was a dynamic speaker and set a high standard for the Pulpit Committee in its search for a Pastor.
In November, 1961, Reverend Schmidt recommended to the Trustees that the front of the church be lighted at night and that we install a lighted bulletin board that would tell the public who we were, who the Pastor was, and the times and topics of the sermons. Both of these suggestions were accepted and implemented. The church has been lighted ever since and the bulletin board is still in use. Another one of Reverend Schmidt’s major concerns was that the area was growing rapidly with people moving into the suburbs and he wanted the church to be concerned about reaching out to the new people. A Constitution Committee was also working with Reverend Schmidt to determine, what , if any, changes were needed to improve the new 1958 Constitution.
In the Fall of 1961, Doris Dudley, a member of the Board of Christian Education, organized an Adult Forum, a group that would periodically meet on Sunday evenings to discuss community and international issues with new Baptist Frontier Magazine as their guide.
The 164th Annual Meeting was held on January 18, 1962. In its report, the Pulpit Committee listed their qualifications and requirements for a pastor:
They reported having received 24 names of pastors to be considered from the membership, the New York State Baptist Office, former Pastors and Seminaries. Each suggestion was prayerfully considered.
Interviewing and visiting began on October 8, 1961. Eleven pastors were visited. The Committee expected to reach a final decision and present a candidate “in the near future.”
At the Annual Meeting, a letter to the church considering the licensing of Raymond Heller and Robert Vermilya as Lay Preachers was read. The church responded by voting that the licenses should be granted in accordance with State office Regulations. The encouragement of church members to achieve lay Preacher status was part of the Program of the Baptist Jubilee Advance (BJA).
On January 28, 1962, the Pulpit Committee announced the selection of a candidate. They told us when the candidate would be presented but not who he was. The suspense mounted. Then, on February 4, 1962, the Committee announced that the candidate was the Reverend Kurt Klingbeil from the first Baptist Church of Goversvile, NY. Reverend Klingbeil, his wife Lois, and daughters, Carol Ann, Beth Ann and Barbara Kay were to be our guests at a Family Night Supper on February 8, 1962. Preceding the supper a brochure was sent to the membership with information concerning the candidate and his family. (The church does not have a copy of the brochure.)
The dinner proceeded as planned with Reverend Klingbeil preaching his sermon as a candidate to the congregation afterwards. Fortunately, for some reason, the usual custom of voting directly after the candidate’s worship service was not followed.
The congregation instead met to vote on Reverend Klingbeil’s candidacy on Sunday, February 11, 1962, after the church service. The vote was not recorded, but in a rare show of rebellion, the congregation voted no to the Committee’s choice. The congregation, used to an Interim Pastor who was a dynamic speaker with excellent sermons, apparently found the candidate wanting.
The Committee, probably surprised and disappointed, had the unenviable task of informing Reverend Klingbeil of the negative result. (In addition, Moderator Lloyd Slentz made a trip to Utica shortly afterward to apologize for the action of the congregation.)
Reverend Schmidt found it necessary to report in the February 18, 1962, bulletin that “I am definitely not a candidate to be Pastor of this Church. I will serve you as Interim Pastor, such service to be terminated at a time mutually acceptable to all concerned.” (A rule had been cited that Interim Pastors were not to be considered for the permanent job, but in the Baptist scheme of independent churches, who would enforce such a rule (and how) if the church insisted on breaking it?)
The Pulpit Committee was undaunted, at least publicly, and cheerfully went on with their task. They put a notice in the February 25, 1962, bulletin reiterating their requirements for a pastor and assured the congregation that “we do not plan to bring a ‘second choice’ for your consideration.”
Reverend Charles Schmidt preached his last sermon as Interim Pastor on April 19, 1962. He was allowed to store his belongings in the parsonage until June 1, 1962. The Trustees then redecorated the parsonage for its next occupants. Reverend Schmidt thanked the church “for the privilege of being your Interim Pastor for six months. It has been a good and meaningful experience.”
The pulpit was filled with a variety of preachers including our own newly licensed Lay Preacher, Robert Vermilya, and a visitor from California and recent pastor, Reverend Harry Guckert.
In April of 1962 the Advisory Council voted to approve the appointment of a Church Historian and expected to make the position an addition to our list of elected officials. Mabel Richburg was appointed, but didn’t feel well enough to serve and was replaced by Leah Stark. The duties of an Historian were to display pictures, document books, literature, etc., keep and provide proper protection for these items, bring together and keep items of current interest and provide simple chronicle records. The office was never made an elected or appointed one, however.
A Growth and Development Committee was also appointed:
The job of the Committee was to look into the growth of the surrounding area and determine how the church could take part in that growth.
In May, 1962, the monthly newsletter was revived as recommended by the Board of Trustees in an effort to bring about closer harmony and cooperation between the church membership by keeping them fully informed of the happenings of the church and the church family.
Beryl Grubel, Secretary, with Lydia Doubleday and Dorothy White acting as the Publicity Committee, published the First Edition in May 1962. Ken Phelps volunteered to be the “Complaint Editor.” The motto for his section of the newsletter was “He has a right to criticize who lends a hand to help.” (Abraham Lincoln.) The new newsletter was in part an answer to the Baptist Jubilee Advance Program’s emphasis on Christian Social Relations in the Church Community in the year 1962. In the June newsletter the results of a contest to produce a distinctive name for the “newsletter” was announced. “The Christian Carrier” was submitted as a name by Lynn Gaudio, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tony Gaudio. The name is still with us today.
On June 25, 1962, Mrs. Beryl Grubel, Church secretary, submitted to the Trustees her resignation as Church Secretary, but softened the blow by offering to stay until September with Mrs. Kuhneman filling in during Mrs. Grubel’s vacation period. The Trustees’ Committee (Elwin Richardson, Burl Ferguson and Comstock Lincoln) interviewed at least 14 candidates and chose Mrs. Bahner, who immediately, because of health, declined to serve. On September 10, 1062, after a further search, the Committee hired Molly Cordes, wife of Arthur Cordes, a lawyer who worked with the church on legal affairs for many years.
By June, 1962, the Pulpit Committee had reached a conclusion in the second phase of its search for a Pastor. In a letter of June 21, 1962, the congregation was asked to reserve Saturday evening, June 30, 1962, to hear the Reverend Hammond conduct the worship service. A meeting after the service was called for the purpose of hearing the report of the Pulpit Committee and to vote on their second candidate for Pastor.
A second letter followed containing information concerning Reverend Hammond’s birth, education, churches served and offices held. Reverend Hammond met the people, preached his sermon, and the congregation, pleased with the results, overwhelmingly voted 147 yes, 1 no, 1 abstention, to accept the candidate of the Pulpit committee.
The congregation also approved the arrangements for salary and other benefits that the Pulpit Committee had tentatively made with reverend Hammond:
After the business was concluded, the Hammonds were told the results of the meeting and they returned to the congregation to accept the call.
Reverend Hammond preached his first sermon on September 2, 1962. The Advisory Council wrote a letter to the congregation to make certain that the entire church body was aware of the arrival of the Hammond Family, and Reverend Hammond’s assumption of his pastoral duties.
The Hammonds wrote a note of appreciation to the congregation in the September 2, 1962 Sunday bulletin. “The whole Hammond Family would like to express their delight and gratitude for the beautifully redecorated parsonage. I wish you could have seen the little boys, Stephen and George, when they found the food shower you had assembled in the kitchen shelves. Thank you.” Reverend Hammond was installed on September 23, 1962, at 7:30 P.M. followed by a reception in Loomis Hall.
In the fall of 1961 (October 6, 1962), the Hammonds celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. The church gave an open house for them in the parsonage with “all the trimmings.” Glenna remembers that she and George were presented by the church a Paul Revere bowl with the name of the church and the date. In all of their moves she made sure the bowl was with them and she still has it in her room in Landsdale.
At the November 27, 1962, meeting of the Board of Trustees, Reverend Hammond recommended that Miss Lynnette Martin from the State Office be hired to make a survey of our church and office building to determine if they were being used to our best advantage. The Trustees voted to authorize Reverend Hammond to hire Miss Martin(who was to be pain on a donation basis).
There was, in 1963, a growing momentum toward some kind of building program that was not to be stopped. The Growth and Development Committee which started meeting in 1962 was now known as the Long Range Planning Committee and was chaired by Reverend Russell Raker. One of the Committee’s first suggestions was for the Board of Trustees to look into purchasing adjacent properties for possible expansion. The Trustees ad already discussed the need, however, and on February 26, 1963, Comstock Lincoln was asked to report on the owners of the houses on the East and South sides of the church. The owners of the properties directly to the East were Robert Davison (previous owner William Nightingale) and Mrs. Dorothy Goodfellow, and one of the owners to the south was Mr. Hall, whose house was second from the east of the Episcopal Church on Seneca Street and formerly known as the Newell House. It was found that only Mr. Hall’s house was available, but it would be an important acquisition because the lot was long and extended between the church property and that of Mrs. Goodfellow (and part of Mr. Davison’s lot). This end of the Hall lot later became the basis for a large part of what is now the church playground, and the Hall “summer house” moved slightly to the north became the church storage shed.
In February, 1963, Lynette Martin from the Baptist Stat Office visited the Sunday School to evaluate our present facilities. The Board of Christian Education found her visit most helpful and was able to make several useful changes based on her recommendations.
On March 10, 1963, the Trustees were asked by Rev. Raker, the Chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, to pay the Sweeny and Burden Architectural Firm $25.00 for a survey of our church facilities on Saturday AM March 16, 1963, a survey meaning to take a general view of, or to appraise). The Trustees agreed.
The Long Range Planning Committee:
The committee met on march 11, 1963. They discussed topics such as a Sunday School Membership Contest, a Sunday School Class in the summer for college students, a request for the Boy Scouts to make a map of the vicinity with markers for church members, etc., but would soon be spending much of their rime on serious discussions on expanding our church facilities.
At the Quarterly Business Meeting on May 2, 1963, the Long Range Planning Committee made its first report to the church and it was said to have been enthusiastically received. The congregation gave the plans a unanimous vote of approval.
The church then requested the Advisory Council to meet on Thursday evening, May 16, 1963, to appoint a Building Committee.
On May 16, 1963, the Building Committee was appointed by the Advisory Council. The Building committee met on May 23, 1963, for the first time for organization. Robert Lyon was elected Chairman, JoAnne bock, Secretary.
The Committee was charged by the Advisory Council to begin implementing the recommendations of the Long Range Planning Committee which was to secure and work with an architect in the remodeling and enlarging of the church.
Bob Lyon was an excellent choice for Chairman of the Building Committee. He was a Chief Mechanical Designer for Bristol Laboratories and had a wealth of experience in preparing plans and working with contractors. He spent many hours with the Building Committee in the planning stage and when that was completed, took most of the responsibility of watching over the construction and making sure that everything was done properly, according to plans. There were many letters to write, calls to make, and conferences held with the architects and builders.
During the first meeting the Building Committee discussed remodeling the old Sunday School rooms, moving the old parsonage (now the Educational and Office annex) to another lot for possible sale, buying land for expansion and asking the congregation for their ideas about architects to interview.
At the second meeting of the Building Committee, on June 6, 1963, the Committee looked over the blueprints of the present church building and projected plans by Sweeney-Burden Architects who prepared them for the Long Range Planning Committee. (A comment was made that the drawings were much more extensive than expect for a $25.00 fee. Reverend Russell Raker indicated to Mr. Lyon later that Burden had not been asked for such extensive plans.)
Reverend Hammond was looking ahead to financing the new addition and suggested that the church adopt the rigorous full 8 step Sector Plan for the Fall campaign in 1963 to help discipline the congregation towards giving to a Building Fund. He also suggested we start on a five year tithing program. Reverend Hammond asked the Building Committee members who were members of various Boards to emphasize that this might be the one time in a lifetime we will be called on to build. About the building, the consensus of the Committee was that we should retain the attractiveness of the church, i.e., any addition should be architecturally in harmony with our present building.
In the beginning, there were thoughts about expanding the sanctuary as well as providing for an educational wing, but later it was felt that having two services was a more practical solution than the very difficult problems involved in an actual auditorium enlargement.
The Building Committee decided to send letters to various architects who had been suggested, telling them that we had some preliminary sketches and asking them if they were interested in the project. Appointments were made with those who responded favorably.
At the fourth meeting on June 14, 1963, the Building Committee discussed the process for interviewing architects. Different members of the group wee to interview different architects. The Chairman and the Secretary (who took excellent notes) interviewed all of the candidates.
Those individuals or firms to be interviewed were:
Mr. Burden and Mr. Sweeney told the group that they thought they had been talking to the Building Committee when they met with the Long Range Planning Committee and that they had in good faith sent to Mr. Raker a contract for his signature but he had not returned it. Mr. Lyon explained that only this Building Committee had the authority to sign a contract (and then only by prior vote of the church).
Mr. burden felt that our church was “nice on the outside” but on the inside “a disgraceful hodgepodge” (a statement that didn’t win him any friends on the Committee) and that the sanctuary was much too small. (By “hodgepodge” he apparently meant the condition of the Sunday School rooms with each department consisting of several small rooms adjoining a larger room used as a meeting room for the entire department. This was, we were assured by the Baptist architects in 1925, the only intelligent way to design classroom space.)
On July 16, 1963, with Reverend William Keyes, the summer youth director sitting in, the Building Committee asked the Secretary to read the reports of all of the meetings with the architects. The Committee than discussed the merits of each firm, and compared the services each firm offered in relation to the needs of our church. In this light, four firms were chosen from the seven investigated. The Committee’s choices were: McKnight & Kirmmse, Burden & Sweeney, Gordon Schopfer and Sargeant-Webster.
The next step was for members of the building Committee to visit churches the four surviving firms had designed and report on July 30, 1963. There are no minutes available from that meeting, but it appeared that the results of inspections led to the elimination of two more architects, Gordon Schopfer and Sargeant-Webster.
On September 3, 1963, the Committee was given a list of Proposed Building Committee Objectives to arrange in priority, and the results were as follows:
The Building Committee’s final and unanimous choice of architect was McKnight and Kirmmse.
On September 15, 1963, the members of the Building Committee met with Pastor Hammond, Mrs. Helen Fardig, Mrs. Doris Dudley and Mrs. Margaret Vermilya. The group first discussed ideas gleaned from a tour in June of Christian Education Additions in various Syracuse and Dewitt churches. The placement of rooms was discussed and areas for the crib room, the 2 year old room, bathrooms, choir and Boy Scouts were determined. Mrs. Dudley commented that we want Sunday School Classes out of the gymnasium, the coal room and the kitchen.
At a special Congregation Business Meeting on September 22, 1963, the church voted to accept the recommendation of the Building Committee and hire McKnight and Kirmmse as architects. Mr. Robert Lyon then invited Mr. Kirmmse to meet with the Building Committee in the Church office on September 30, 1963. Mr. Kirmmse agreed to have the first schematic drawings ready for the church by January 3. 1964. The architects’ fees were discussed as well as building costs. Mr. Kirmmse felt that with building costs ranging from $15.00-$17.00 a square foot and our estimates for an 8000 square foot building (4000 sq.ft/floor), the cost should be in the $150,000 to #180,000 range, tentative limit’s the Committee had already set. Mr. Kirmmse requested from the Committee information concerning the desired arrangements of classrooms and other rooms and a meeting for Mr. Kirmmse to meet with the Board of Education was arranged.
It appears that when Burden and Sweeney got their “we are sorry but” letter from the Building Committee, their answer was to send the church a bill for $1,429.65 for the work they had done. Burden and Sweeney had prepared a set of schematic drawings so that a fairly accurate estimate of costs could be presented to a congregation. The problem was that neither the church, the Building Committee nor the Long Range Planning Committee had asked for the drawings.
On October 7,m 1963, the problem was discussed at a special Trustees meeting. The Building Committee was concerned that without a release from Burden and Sweeney, a contract couldn’t be signed with McNight and Kirmmse. A meeting was held with Reverend Raker but no satisfactory explanation for what had happened was given.
The Trustees sought legal advice from Arthur Cordes who met with the Board and suggested that the church return the sketches to gether with a check for $44.65 and a letter from Mr. Cordes, and await the outcome. At the next Trustee’s meeting a letter was read from Reverend Raker notifying the Board that he had arranged for a settlement with Burden and Sweeney and asked that the matter be closed. Reverend Raker and his wife Elmina then withdrew their membership from the church.
Two of the Building Committee’s objectives had been taken care of: architect selection and approval and arranging for a gathering of thoughts and ideas of interested Boards and Committees. (The latter objective would be an ongoing process and would continue until plans were finalized.) The third objective, to arrange for a topographic map of the church property, was to be done personally by Robert Lyon with the help of Richard Waterman.
On December 3, 1963, the Building Committee met again. Mr. Kirmmse gave the group four sets of preliminary sketches to study, i.e., ABCD. Plans C & D were eliminated as they did not meet the Committee’s favor “at all.” Plan B was most like what the Committee had in mind and the architect was asked to develop Plan B further with a rough sketch to show what the exterior would look like.
The Year of 1963 was a remarkably busy one for the church in addition to all of the planning activities. The church had a choir for everyone to participate in. Mrs. Doreta Chapman was organist and Mrs. Rhoda Edwards led the Sanctuary and Chapel Choirs. Mrs. Jessie Mapstone led the High School Choir and Mrs. Shirley Mapstone the Cherub and Carol Choirs. (On rare occasions, the Men’s Choir would sing.)
On March 10, 1963, the church started holding two services on Sunday, one at 8:30 A.M., the second at 10:45 A.M., with Sunday School in between from 9:30-10:30. On march 17, 1963, a group of Cadets in their colorful uniforms from the Manlius Military School worshipped with the church. This happened frequently until the school was merged with the Pebble Hill Day School in 1971.
In the April 21, 1963, bulletin, the congregation was informed that Reverend Hammond was a surgical patient in the Syracuse Memorial Hospital (for arthritis) and hoped to be home by midweek. Reverend Russell Raker filled the pulpit for three Sundays, April 21, 28 and May 5, 1963. Reverend Hammond was to have serious problems with arthritis (of the knees) during his stay in Manlius.
The School of missions was held in March to keep the congregation informed on what was happening in the Mission Fields. In March, 1963, “Rim of East Asia” was the subject for study, Esther Lamoreaux was the leader, and “the excellence of the program was indicated by record attendance.” On April 7, 1963, Palm Sunday, the entire church service at the Rescue Mission was conducted by the Senior High BYF with the help of Raymond Heller who preached the sermon).
During the summer, we joined as usual with the Methodists for a 9:45 A.M. service, five Sundays in the Baptist Church and five in the Methodist Church. The Baptist Sunday School was in session again all summer from 8:45 to 9:30 A.M. In July, the Vacation Bible School was in session for two weeks. It was led by Mrs. Dorothy Whit “very successfully.”
In the summer of 1963, the church was given the opportunity to rent its chapel to Wilbur Newell, undertaker, to use for funeral services if he should need to have two services in one day. Because he also wanted to include calling hours the Trustees voted no.
The highlight of the summer (and the year) for the Senior High BYF was a trip to Green Lake, Wisconsin, for eight of the members to attend a Mission Conference there. Bill Burt, Doug Lamoreaux, jean O’Brien, Gail Bock, John and Ruth Huffaker, Ruth Davies and Kay Brown were privileged to go. Mrs. Charles (Dorothy) White and Mrs. Leslie (Reva) Burt were chaperones and counselors. The younger groups were attending church camps as well. Eighteen Guild Girls went to Keuka College, 11 of the Junior BYF went to pathfinder and 2 attended a BYF Training Conference.
Reverend William Keyes was here for seven weeks to take charge of the Summer Youth Program. Under his leadership, the Senior BYF continued meeting during the summer. He helped the group plan for the coming year’s programs and showed them ways to improve.
In the fall (September 22-27, 1963) the Deacons and the Evangelical Commi8ttee sponsored series of six nightly meetings with Reverend Paul Jackson, a Preacher and Biblical Impersonator. Reverend Jackson first preached on scriptural background for his portrayal and the message which was in it for each one present. Then with his wife helping with the sound and lighting effects, impersonated several characters from the Bible, including the Blind Beggar, Pontius Pilate, the Scribe, Herod Antipas, Thomas and a Tomb Guard. The Deacons prepared for the special presentation with an intensive calling program. Each member of the church received a personal call by another church member. This was followed by another series of calls on non-members and inactive members of the church.
The series of performances were also well advertised and readers of the Bulletin in September were treated to some original “poetry.”
Come September’s Autumn Hue
Rev. Jackson will be due.
Be patient, watch and pray,
And hold vigil until that day.Or
Opportunity is knocking, it has beckoned
And will arrive in September the twenty-second.
Impersonations such as few in the land,
Will bring alive the Bible word.
Be on Hand.
An invitation was given each night of the performances to the members of the audience to give their lives to Christ. Although there was no response to the invitations, the Deacons felt that the effects of the program would be “far-reaching and beneficial to the Spiritual Life of our church.”
Attendance was 304 the first night and averaged 162 for the five following performances. People from many other churches attended.
October 20, 1963, was Laymen’s Sunday, with Ray Heller preaching at the 8:30 service and Robert Johns at the 10:45 service. In October, an improved Reverend Hammond was in Philadelphia for the major part of a week to attend to his duties as part of the General Council of the American Baptist Churches. The Baptist Women’s Fellowship served their Annual Harvest Supper on November 6, 1963 (all you could eat for $1.50!). The Sunday School celebrated Christmas in a more traditional manner this year. There was a program by the youth choirs followed by a light sandwich supper, community carol singing, and Santa, after a few years absence, was invited back.
June 26, 1962
Dear Friends:
On Sunday, July 1, 1962, the Reverend George L. Hammond will be presented as a candidate, recommended by the Pulpit Committee, to be the Pastor of our church. At the morning Worship Service, he will preach the sermon. On Saturday night, a picnic will be held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Greene at 6:00 P. M. so that all members may be able to meet Rev. and Mrs. Hammond.
Rev. Hammond was born June 9, 1914 in Presque Isle, Maine. He was graduated in 1936 from Gordon College of Theology and was ordained in Haynesville, Maine. The membership in the Baptist churches he has served has grown from 18 in the Haynesville Baptist Church to 1400 in his present church, the First Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.
From 1935 t 1945, he served Baptist churches in Haynesville, Main, Mars Hill, Maine and Fairfield, Maine. He then became District Secretary of the united Baptist Convention in Maine. In 1947 he was made Director of Promotion for the Pennsylvania Baptist Convention. For eight years he served as Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, where the membership of 820 built a new church at a cost of $555,000. While minister at Lansdale, he was elected President of the Pennsylvania State Baptist Convention. Since 1959 he has been Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. During the past two years, he has helped that church reduce its indebtedness $100,000.
Rev. Hammond has held the following offices: Board Member of Philadelphia Association; Chairman of Evangelism from 1951-1956; Chairman of Stewardship and Missionary Promotion Board from 1957-1959; Vice-President of Pennsylvania Baptist Convention for two years and Board Member of the General Council of the American Baptist Convention. His community interests have included Rotary, Board Member of Community Nursing Service, and Boy Scout Director of God and Country Awards District.
The Pulpit Committee first heard Rev. Hammond speak to the Pennsylvania State Baptist Youth Convention at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on April 28. During the interview with him, he placed strong emphasis on pastoral calling. He feels that the total membership should be covered each year. Individual counseling is also of deep concern to him. His interest in youth is reflected by the fact that 35 young people from his previous pastorate in Lansdale attended the youth convention at Harrisburg.
Rev. Hammond feels that his service can be most effective in a church whose membership is similar in number to ours. After being shown the surrounding residential areas, schools, and villages, he forsees the possibility of our church doubling its membership in ten years. Your committee entertained Rev. and Mrs. Hammond May 27 and 28 at which time they were shown Manlius and the surrounding area and at that time met with the church boards and committee chairmen.
Mrs. Hammond is a graduate of Richer Classical Institute, one of our Baptist Schools in Maine. In addition to he family, she enjoys singing and shares in the work of the church.
The Hammonds have five children: Nancy, who graduated from college in May; Scott, who has attended college one year; Jeremy, who graduated this spring from high school; Stephen, 12 years old; and George, Jr., who is 6 years old.
The Moderator has called a special meeting to be held at the close of the Worship Service on July 1, 1962 for the purpose of voting on the candidate.
THE PULPIT COMMITTEE
Mr. Gamble Huffaker, chairman
Mr. Kenneth Greene
Mr. Ralph Grubel
Mrs. Carl Lamoreaux
Mrs. Burl FergusonP.S. For the picnic at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Greene, Fayetteville-Manlius Road, just north of the village limit, Saturday at 6:00. P.M., each family will be expected to bring cooked chicken for their own family, table service, rolls, children’s beverage and a dish to pass. In case of rain, the picnic will be held at the church.
