On January 9, 1964, the Building Committee met with Mr. Kirmmse and Mr. Houseworth to look at a revised Plan “B” with a sketch of the exterior. Mr. Kirmmse estimated the cost at $154,000.00. Mr. Lyon was to show the exterior sketch to the Annual Meeting on January 23, 1964. There were four more informative meetings held before the Annual Meeting to inform Church boards, the Sunday School Superintendent and her teachers, and Helen Fardig with mothers and helpers.
At the Advisory Council Meeting of January 14, 1964, preceding the Annual Meeting, the Capital Funds Committee was officially recognized and was appointed to serve until the Building project was completed.
At the Annual Meeting of January 23, 1964, there were questions concerning the Union Services with the united Methodist Church during the summer. For information on how the congregation felt, a questionnaire was sent to the members. (While we are presently in 1999 meeting with our Methodist neighbors two times in the summer, in 1963 there were ten union services.) The members were asked, among other things, if they wanted to continue the Union Services. Those who were not on vacation said they enjoyed the Christian Fellowship and worship together. In the summer of 1964 there were 8 Union Services.
In February and March, Mrs. Dorothy White headed the annual School of Missions with India as the subject of discussion. The average attendance was 153 “which was an indication of the interest and enthusiasm with which the congregation responded to the subject and the presentation.”
The Board of Trustees members for 1964 were:
On March 10, 1064 a special meeting of the Board of Trustees was called by the Chairman, Elwin Richardson, to approve suggested plans for remodeling the Sunday School rooms on the second floor of the church. The Trustees voted to accept the plan, to proceed with the renovations, and to pay the amount over and above the $1,000.00 on hand to complete the project. (Herbert and Edna Lang had inherited money from her parents and wrote to the Trustees on January 12, 1964: “Realizing that the church is going through a period of growing pains…we would like to contribute the enclosed check for $1,000.00 in memory of my late parents, Mr. & Mrs. Henry G. and Marie K. Lang. We designate the money to be used to help in the renovation of the upstairs Sunday School Classrooms.”)
Remodeling the old Sunday School Rooms was the first phase of what was soon to be known as the Program for Progress. The project was strongly backed by the Board of Christian Education and the Building and Long Range Planning Committees. The renovation was to be done mainly by volunteer help. The rooms had been built in 1927 but the design recommended by Baptist architects in 1927 was now outmoded. The first task was to remove the unwanted walls. They were thick and the plaster was backed by a heavy steel mesh. Their removal was a back-breaking and dirty job. The Trustees hired the services of the Dempster Dumpster Company to haul away the debris. In the beginning the capacity of the Dumpster (weight-wise) was over-estimated and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Pastor George Hammond (despite his arthritis problems) could be seen inside the dumpster shoveling out the excess load.
With the unwanted walls and doors removed, the more skilled workers repaired the existing walls, ceilings and woodwork, and then the painters took over. The last two projects were the tiling of the entire floor and the installation of 54 new fluorescent light fixtures.
Trustee Tony Gaudio was in charge of the floor installation and Perry Burne, an electrician, was in charge of the electrical work. We were also fortunate in having two carpenters, Charles Stark (Trustee) and Archie Adsit (past and future Trustee) to do carpenter work and one gentleman who knew how to plaster.
The fluorescent light fixtures were paid for by donations from the congregation. A poster with 54 rectangles representing light fixtures was prepared and families were asked to adopt a light at $15.00 each. All were paid for in that manner.
The last call for workers to complete the project was given to the congregation on the June 28, 1964, Bulletin. Chairman Richardson asked for 30 men to help on June 29th and 20 for July 1st, 1964. The total cost of the project was $3,1129.00 with only $1,265.00 coming from the general fund of the church.
There were 35 scheduled work nights (and many more unscheduled). Ninety different people participated, eight of whom spent more than 20 nights each. Peter Seibel, custodian, not only ad extra work to do in cleaning up the mess but spent many extra hours, especially in helping to lay the new tile floor. Mr. Doris Dudley and a crew of women did a final cleanup of the rooms.
Reverend Hammond wrote enthusiastically about the project in his report for 1964 and called the renovation of the Sunday School facilities a major achievement and one which should go down in church history as the most important forward step of the year. “The fact that we completed the reconstruction of seven rooms and increased our useable space by such a large percentage, and paid for the project in the same year without a separate fund drive indicates the soundness of our finances and the wisdom of the Trustees.” The project did get many of the church people working together, and its successful completion played an important part in giving the congregation confidence and enthusiasm for tackling the bigger project to come.
On March 3, 1964, Reverend Hammond expressed to Charles and Addie Cathers our deep appreciation for their faithful service in our church (51 years for Addie, 48 for Charles). “They have not only contributed their talents and their tithes but have brought to us a spirit of devotion and of deep Christian commitment that has inspired and blessed the whole congregation.”
On March 15, 1964, the Superintendent of the Sunday School, Sarah Beams, reported that on Sunday, March 8, 1964, the Sunday School attendance was 221, the best ever on record. (The weather must have been better than usually expected for a day so early in March.) On March 29, 1964, Easter Sunday, the Men’s Fellowship served breakfast after the Sunrise Service (for $0.75).
On May 31, 1964, Reverend Harry Guckert was in town and preached the morning sermon. According to the June 28, 1964, Bulletin, the Vacation Bible School was having a good year with 290 registered children. The dates were June 22- July 2, 1964. Featured was Clementine, an amazing chicken (a product of the ingenuity of Mrs. Robert Lyon) that could lay 15 eggs at a time. (The Heifer Project for 1964 was to raise money for the children to send 40 chicks overseas.)
On August 20, 1964, the Capital Funds Committee and the Building Committee met with Mr. Richard Ice, the Home Missionary Society Director of Loans, one of seven divisions of the Church Extension and Loan Department of the American Baptist Convention in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, who explained various means of financing a building program.
Mr. Ice offered to double-check our preliminary plans free for us, as a full time architect was to be available in Valley Forge in the fall of 1964. During a discussion of finances, Mr. Ice told the group that the ABC felt a church should have at least 25% of the money required for a building on hand at the start of construction. He suggested that a Capital Fund pledging drive should be an intensive 2-4 weeks in duration with most other church functions suspended during this time.
He noted that a three year pledge with the average family pledging $400.00 was the national average. This church with 230 families could then expect to raise $92,000.00 such a campaign would stress “over and above” pledging and a strong follow up to make sure pledges were honored. For us he estimated the following financial requirements.
| $154,000.00 | New Building Cost |
| $7,500.00 | Reserve Fund |
| $1,000.00 | Loan cost, Search Fee. Etc. |
| $3,000.00 | Interest during construction |
| $16,000.00 | Furnishings |
| $181,500.00 |
After hearing Mr. Ice’s talk, the group felt that the church should secure outside help to conduct its campaign.
On Sunday, September 13, 1964, Reverend Hammond and Reverend Baker exchanged pulpits. Reverend Hammond preaching at the First Baptist Church in Rome and Reverend Baker in Manlius. On September 15, 1964, the Building Committee met and discussed the location of rooms and offices. Mr. Lyon felt that he could take the results to the architect so that he could start on detailed drawings.
While the attention of the congregation must have been focused on what was happening in the old Sunday School rooms and on the plans of the Building Committee, the church functioned normally in almost all respects which meant that money had to be raised to pay the bills in 1965. In 1964 the finance campaign was called a Tithing enlistment Program and was led by Ray Heller.
In December 1964, the Building Committee met to look at the latest architectural drawings by Mr. Kirmmse. The layout of the Sunday School rooms, the chapel, and the pastor’s study and church office had been completed and were sent to Valley Forge for perusal by the ABC consulting church architect, who approved them.
The Committee was worried about a current lag in Sunday School attendance and how it might affect the attitude of the congregation toward building. The Building and Finance Committees got together just after Christmas and decided to recommend to the congregation the Denominational Program for the Capital Fund Campaign, a six week program beginning after Easter of 1965.
While the Building Committee had been worried about lower Sunday School attendance, the combined groups were worried that the appearance of a half-filled church during the early church service could have a poor psychological effect on people asked to support a building campaign. The group asked Lloyd Slentz to talk to the Deacons about this problem. (The early service was dropped January 24, 1965, and was resumed at Easter time.)
Pastor Hammond reported that in November he and the congregation had a special reason to be thankful. For the first time in his ministry he had no hospital calls to make for a month.
Dr. and Mrs. David Mason and sons Jeffrey and William joined the church in December 1964. Dr. Mason was Executive Secretary for the Lauback Literacy Foundation and an excellent speaker. He would preach to the congregation on many occasions during the next few years.
On January 19, 1965, and February 2, 1965, the Building and Capital Funds Committees got together to work on details for the presentation of the building plan to the congregation for a vote. They decided on flip charts with information on the need for expansion and the latest plans, both building and financial. These could serve for presentations which were planned for area home meetings, meetings of established groups, and finally the Advisory Council and Congregational Meetings. A small pocket size version of the flip chart was prepared for each member.
The leadership was concerned with the wording of the motion to proceed with the building plans .Arthur Cordes was enlisted to make certain that the motion was legal. Leah Stark, as historian, was asked to look into the historical background of the Church in regard to previous fund drives for building projects.
The Moderator, Gamble Huffaker, stated that his interpretation of the Church Constitution was that the calling of a special Congregational Meeting should be initiated by the Advisory Council. The presentation was accordingly made to the Advisory Council on February 18, 1965. There are no minutes of the meeting but they obviously approved that the vote of the congregation proceed as planned.
On February 25, 1965, the presentation was made to the congregation at a Family Night Supper. The purpose of the meeting was explained by Moderator Gamble Huffaker,. A program of short supporting talks followed:
The vote was not to take place that night but during a four hour period in the Church Chapel on Friday, March 5, 1965 (4:00 P.M. -9:00 P.M.) The church was kept open all day for meditation and prayer. Members had to sign their names and use paper ballots to indicate their approval or disapproval of the plans. Poll officials took care of the voting and tellers came at 9:00 P.M. to count the ballots. Absentee ballots were available.
The vote was officially announced to the congregation in a letter written jointly by Robert Lyon and Robert Vermilya. One hundred twenty four (124) people voted and the result was 83 yes, 41 no. Although the vote was low for a 500+ member congregation, and the no vote weas substantial, the Committee Chairmen did what they had to do. They declared a victory and continued planning to build and pay for a Christian Education Wing for the Church.
While a majority no vote would have killed the project for the time being, a yes vote didn’t necessarily mean that the building would be constructed. There were several financial restrictions in the resolution that would give the Building Committee and the Capital Funds Committee problems in the future.
The next step was to raise money. Members of the Building Committee and the Capital Funds Committee met with Reverend Mould on March 15, 1965. Rev. Mould was a Capital Fund Raising Director for the Church Extension and Edifice Funds Division of the American Home Mission Societies.
Reverend Mould discussed some of the points the church would have to consider in a general fund campaign.
The cost for Reverend Robert Mould’s services would be $1,450.00 for a three week campaign and a follow-up period of up to three years if necessary. The whole procedure was familiar to the church members as the Sector Plan which had been used for several yeas by the Trustees to raise money to meet the Annual Budget.
Reverend Mould emphasized publicity, the need for a dignified and attractive brochure, posters, newspaper articles, church bulletin notes, and three minute speeches by respected church members. Reverend Mould left the room for a brief time. The committee members discussed Reverend Mould’s merits, and agreed that he seemed qualified to conduct the type of campaign that they wanted for the church. Reverend Mould was hired for the job.
It is interesting to compare Reverend Mould with our first fund raiser, Reverend Devine. Reverend Mould worked for the Denomination, Reverend Devine has his own Agency. Both knew exactly what they wanted done and insisted on their procedures being carried out. The outside fund raises have an advantage over local church leaders, in that they are highly experienced, paid professionals, and have a reputation to sustain, they have more authority over the campaign workers and the congregation and are better able to achieve the desired results. Reverend Mould was hired and was to arrive April 22, 1965, to direct the intensive phase of the campaign. In the meantime, a General Campaign Committee was established.
| General Chairman | Robert Vermilya |
| Advance Gifts Chairman | Raymond Heller |
| Committee |
|
| General Gifts Chairman | Elwin J. Richardson |
| Division Chairmen |
|
| Co-Chairmen Loyalty Dinner |
|
| Building Fund Treasurer | Herbert Long |
Campaign Director Robert Mould keep in touch with all of the Committee Chairmen by letters with written instructions until his arrival.
There was an amazing effort to assure good communication among the leaders, the workers, and ultimately the congregation. A church member who was not going to be part of the organization received as many as nine letters (from Reverend Hammond, from Sara Beams, Sunday School Superintendent, Robert Mapstone, Board of Deacons, etc.,) Other publicity included notices in the bulletins and the church newsletter and the local newspapers. The workers got at least seven more letters. There was an impressive brochure given to everyone, entitled, The First Baptist Church Building Fund and at the Loyalty Dinner guests were also given a special program for the dinner.
Reverend Mould could not be in Manlius until April 22, so when the leaders of various tasks were chosen he wrote each one a letter with specific tasks to accomplish. Reverend Hammond reported back to Reverend Mould on progress made. (One of the instructions to the Publicity Chairman was to keep a scrapbook for the Campaign which would contain letters, newspaper clippings, brochures, i.e., everything connected with the fund raising activities. The Committee did and the result has been very helpful in compiling the history of the Program for Progress Campaign.)
Reverend Mould arrived on April 22, 1965, and the activities went into high gear,. The Loyalty Dinner was scheduled for May 1, 1965. The dinner was prepared for the church by the Methodist women. To make certain that people attended the Loyalty Dinner, the Dinner Chairmen, Marjorie Lincoln and Elsie Bex, had recruited 17 Dinner Hostesses, whose printed instructions told exactly how to call church members ( be friendly and cordial, don’t discuss pros and cons, provide for transportation if necessary, tell about the arrangements, invite the people to sit at her table, etc.) On the night of the Loyalty Dinner, the hostess was to arrive early, to introduce her guests to each other if necessary, and to report the attendees to the Hostess Chairman. Each hostess was expected to provide a simple inexpensive centerpiece for her table.
A program followed the dinner. Ten minute speeches on various topics concerning the building plan and fund raising were given.
| Our History | Leah Stark |
| Our Need | Ray Heller |
| Our Plan of Campaign | Elwin Richardson |
| The Way to Victory | Reverend Mould |
| Program for Progress | Reverend Hammond |
In the mean time, Division Leaders of the calling campaign had chosen nine captains, and each captain had recruited five workers. As a result, a crew of 45 callers (already called upon for their contributions) were ready to call on the general congregation, after two training sessions and a dedication ceremony.
Many of the church organizations made pledges to the Building Fund. One pledge that was memorable was that made by the Junior High BYF. The young people voted to raise $150.00 (in addition to their own personal pledges) over three years. One third was already raised in 1965 by selling corn from Sid Mawson’s garden and peddling flyers for Ken Greene’s hardware store. The Senior High Group, not to be outdone, was cited in the October 1965 Baptist Crusader for their support. Reverend Mould was quoted as saying, “I have never seen a finer, more dedicated group of young people.” Twenty young people pledged $600.00 to their church’s building program (over and above $2,026 in personal pledges from 41 of the youth.)
It is interesting to note that more than fifty families were directly involved with the campaign and the Loyalty Dinner, and, of course, this would have been part of the plan, i.e. to get as many as possible of the congregation involved and interested in a successful outcome.
In addition to the listed adult callers, the High School Youth voted to enter a team of canvassers in the Program for Progress Campaign. They were briefed and trained along with the adult canvassing team. They were: Ruth Huffaker, Captain; Joyce Heller, Greg Bock, Doug Lamoreaux, Fred Goddard, Ken Phelps, Carol Heller, David Vermilya. Just as the contributions of Mrs. Yettie Harris and her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. Frank Broadfield, were crucial to the success of the 1925 campaign to raise money to build the Pleasant Street Church, so were the contributions of Dr. Laura Harris, daughter of Yettie Harris, a significant factor in building the Educational Annex.
The callers for pledges were asked to attend two training sessions with Reverend Mould. The first was a dessert meeting on April 23, 1965, for all campaign personnel, and the second, on Sunday, May 2, 1965, a final briefing session before the beginning of calling in the afternoon. On Sunday, April 25, during the Morning Service, the Canvassers were commissioned by Reverend Mould and Pastor Hammond.
On May 11, 1965, Reverend Hammond wrote a letter to the congregation reporting on hand $87,000.00 in cash and pledges. He saw Victory in sight and appealed to people who had not yet pledged to make an “act of faith” and change a “no” pledge to an act of positive commitment. To those who had already pledged he asked for increases to express a real sense of responsibility and a conviction that such an important venture had a rightful claim to more of their resources.
A Victory Report dinner was arranged for Thursday, May 13, 1965. This was to be a regular Family Night Supper sponsored by the Board of Christian Education, to be followed by the Quarterly Business Meeting. (Apparently at one time the law of averages broke down, and at a Family Night Supper there were too many salads and not enough main dishes, or vice versa. Families whose names began with A-K were asked to bring salads, L-Z main dishes.)
After dinner, Reverend Robert Mould spoke on “This is the victory.” It was a happy night. The goal of $100,000.00 was met with $105,000.00 reported in pledges. The challenge goal of $115,000.00 was not met but not all of the pledge cards had been returned.
The Bible tells us to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord” and that is what the congregation did that night. The highlight of the evening was the march to the balcony to ring the church bell to let the whole village know that the church had gone over the $100,000.00 victory goal.
A picture used to publicize the event shows Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cathers and Peter Seibel (church custodian) ringing the bell. It was said that they were present and ringing the same bell at a Victory Rally in the Seneca Street Church 41 years ago to celebrate the success of the fund drive to build the new Pleasant Street Church.
It was the same bell in a new setting. Although the police had been told about the bell ringing and gave not objection, one irate parent (a church member) came to complain that the noise woke up his children. According to another newspaper account, “the jubilant Baptists took turns to signify a startled community that the goal of $100,000.00 had been reached by ringing the church bell.”
Between the joint meeting of February 2, 1964, with the Capital Funds Group, there were no minutes of further Building Committee meetings until November 4, 1965.
Most of the Building Committee members were deeply involved with the Program for Progress drive for funds, and the architects were busy working on the blueprints for the new building.
The last meeting was with Mt. French, a new member of the newly named firm McNight, Kirmmse and French. The Committee studied the latest blueprints and was given the latest cost estimates. They had been revised upward to $214,506.00, a large increase which was explained by the architects as due to higher building costs. This was the beginning of a dilemma for the Committee. The church had voted for expenditures not to exceed $180,000. The only way to move forward would be for the church to vote to remove or revise upward restrictions.
Many other things of note happened in 1965 besides the financial campaign for the Program for Progress. The women were pleased that Mrs. Glenna Hammond was serving as the President of the Onondaga Council of American Baptist Women. The School of Mission was held on March 14, 21, 28 and April 4. The theme was Spanish Speaking Americans and “was very ably” carried out by Mildred Dopp.
The Trustees were coping with their usual problems with tenants in ythre two rented houses (the Pfohl house and now the Hall house). On April 24, 1965, they found it necessary to inform the occupants of one of the apartments (Pfohl house) that the insurance company would not honor their claim for damages incurred when they left food in the oven with the heat turned on and the outside door locked. The firemen, notified of the smoke, had to break a window to gain entry to the apartment. The Trustees denied responsibility and told the tenants they would be responsible for the cleanup and repair.
Children’s Day was celebrated in a different manner in 1965. Instead of a program put on by the children in the Sanctuary, the Sunday School held an “Open House” and parents visited their children in their classrooms to learn more about the teachers and their programs.
An exciting event for Reverend Hammond was a trip to Kenya with the Laubach Literary Foundation, whose headquarters were in Syracuse,. On July 12, 1965, Dr. Frank C. Laubach, Dr. David E. Mason, and 30 dedicated Christian Ministers and Laymen departed from new York City bound for Nairobi, Kenya, in East Africa, to spend their time “preaching, teaching, and witnessing the love of our Savior.” “Each one will teach one” to read in his own language with the understanding that the chain of teaching would never be broken. Reverend Hammond returned on July 29, 1965, with the knowledge of a peaceful Christian Mission “well done.” The cost was $1,400.00 and the Deacons invited the congregation to help defray the expenses. Reverend Hammond reported on his experiences as part of a Second School of Missions held in the Fall from October 17-November 7m 1965. The subject was “Emerging Nations.”
There was no Vacation Bible School in 1965. The Board of Christian Education blamed the late school closing date of the Elementary School, the early start of Summer School, competition from local recreation programs and plant vacation schedules that made it difficult to secure and train teachers for a really effective two week Vacation Bible school.
The church joined with the Methodists again in the Summer for 8 services. The Baptist Sunday School was open every Sunday from 10:00 to 10:45, Church Services were at 8:45 and 11:00 A.M.
Early Church Services were discontinued on November 7, 1965. At Christmas time the Sunday School celebrated Christmas with a sandwich supper followed by a “Hanging of the Greens” ceremony in the sanctuary with Margaret Vermilya in charge. The Baptist Youth Fellowship prepared a Nativity Tableau for Christmas Eve. Santa Claus (portrayed for years by Sid Mawson in his own Santa Claus suit) was not welcome at the Christmas Party. The Board of Christian Education wanted to emphasize giving instead of getting (but gave the children their usual Christmas tree ornament anyway).
On January 18,1966, the Building Committee met for the first time in the new year. The latest blue-prints were reviewed, floor by floor, to determine if any further changes or improvements were needed. One change was to add windows to the east side of the chapel “for a more pleasing look.” The architects had submitted their bill for $4,166.10 (60% of the total) and the Committee agreed it should be paid. The Committee then discussed what to say to the congregation about the increases in construction costs and the consequent rise in the estimate of the cost for our new addition.
On April 2, 1966, the Trustees, the Building Committee and the Continuation Committee (formerly the Capital Fund Commi8ttee) met to discuss several topics of joint interest:
Perry, Burne, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, informed the meeting that
Charles Stark was in the process of determining a cost for the restoration of the Pfohl house and would have the answer in three weeks. Reverend Hammond moved that the Trustees should make the decision on the Pfohl house when the estimate is received. The motion was seconded and carried.
Tony Gaudio reported that he and Perry Burne found that the Hall Property could be purchased for $19,000.00. The group voted for the Trustees to make a purchase offer but the actual purchase would require the approval of the congregation. Charles Stark, Chuck Marris, Lloyd Slentz and Tony Gaudio were to look into the purchase of the Robert Davison property, but Mr. Davison had not been interested before and had not changed his mind.
The Continuation Committee met briefly after the combined session to discuss the procedure to follow regarding calls to be made on delinquent pledges. It was estimated that $7,500.00 might be lost. Eleven callers were available and were to be trained before making the calls.
In their investigation of the possibility of restoring the Pfohl house, the Trustees found that the cost would be prohibitive and voted to demolish the house and make the area part of the parking lot, which would be a welcome increase of 25% more parking spaces. On July 5, 1966, the Trustees reported to the Advisory Council their decision on the Pfohl house and recommended to the Advisory Council and the Congregational Meeting that the Hall house be purchased. There were no notes of the meetings but the congregation must have approved since the Pfohl house was torn down and the Hall house was purchased.
In the first year of church ownership the church had the Hall house painted and sewers installed. (The house was rented in September 1966, and by November the tenant was already one month behind in paying the rent and had not paid his utility bills.) A mortgage had to be taken out but details were not mentioned. The Trustees depended on the rent to make the mortgage payments.
By September 28, 1966, the Building Committee was satisfied with the blueprints for the new Education Wing and asked for bids for the work. A fact sheet was prepared for an October 6, 1966, informative meeting for the congregation and included the following bids which were those preferred by the building Committee.
| General Contractor | Dygert Construction | $161,511.00 |
| Electrical Contractor | Jaquin Electric | $12,099.00 |
| Plumbing Contractor | Redmond and Harte | $12,990.00 |
| Heating & Ventilating Contractor | Raymond Heller | $11,399.00 |
| Demolition | $1,000.00 | |
| $199,099.00 |
This was almost $20,000.00 over the previously stipulated limit of $180,000.00. At the October 6, 1966, meeting, the congregation approved a resolution which was to be voted on by the church members on October 13, 1966. The resolution read:
“Resolved: The First Baptist Church of Manlius, New York, will proceed with the building of an educational addition as proposed by the Building Committee.”
The congregation was told that a vote in the affirmative would rescind the previous stipulation that the building cost be limited to $180,000.00 and that $45,000.00 in cash be received and deposited in the bank prior to initiating building. Members of the congregation were sent an explanatory letter and a fact sheet showing current bids for the construction. The balloting took place on October 13, 1966, between the hours of
4:00 P.M. and 9:00 P.M. in the Chapel and Absentee Ballots were available as before. The vote was 67 for, 35 against. Although the vote was small and the against vote was significant, the majority voted to move forward and now the process was irreversible.
The Building Fund Treasurer, Herbert Lang, who made the original motion with the restrictions, felt the church was acting irresponsibly, and he and his family left the church. In his letter of resignation, he brought up an interesting fact concerning our handling of money in the 1950-1960 period. The church in earlier years, as has been mentioned before, often ran out of money during the year and borrowed from the bank to pay the bills. Usually giving would pick up and the bank note could be paid by the end of the year. In the 50s and 60s, when Mission giving became more significant, it was the custom for the Treasurer to borrow from the Mission Fund to pay current expenses, if necessary. Of course, the money was paid back before the end of the year so that the Mission commitments could be met. This upset the Mission Board, however, and they insisted on monthly contributions to the ABC Missions Board so there would be little money on hand to be borrowed. The same thing was happening to the Building Fund money as it was being accumulated.
The bulletin for October 16, 1966, reported that the Building Committee, the Trustees and our attorney, Arthur Cordes, were busy finalizing contracts for immediate action. The first step in the construction was the removal of the old parsonage (educational annex). The Christian Education Board was busy evacuating the old building and finding room in the already crowded main building. The Church Office and the Pastor’s Study had to moved as well.
The Trustees reported accomplishing the demolition of the old parsonage and thanked those (Red Chapman) who loaned equipment and those who worked on the project. An unforgettable set of pictures published in the Eagle Bulletin showed the destruction and one Senior Citizen’s distress in seeing the old house destroyed.
On October 17, 1966, after reading the Lang letter of protest and resignation, the Trustees took their own secret ballot on “a vote for acceptance or refusal of entering into a mortgage agreement for the construction of an addition to the present church.” The Trustees voted by secret ballot “to authorize a mortgage on the above mentioned church property for the purpose of financing a new education win as proposed by the Building Committee. “ The vote was 6 yes, 3 no. One Trustee, Bruce Peterson, wanted his name on record as opposing the mortgage under present circumstances.
Late in the fall construction was about to begin and it was time for the ground-breaking ceremony. On November 20, 1966, after church, the congregation met on the lawn on the east side of the present church to do some ceremonial digging with two gold plated trowels purchased for the occasion. Mayor Morgan of Manlius was there to represent the Village. The architects and the builders were also represented and Clarence Pease came from the Marine Midland Bank. A number of representatives from the church family also took part in the ceremonial ground-breaking:
Reverend Hammond gave the benediction and the group sang “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.” The construction (excavation) began soon after, even as winter was approaching,.
If anyone from the congregation really wanted to get involved in the construction, a notice in the November 27, 1966, bulletin announced that “our builder, Mr. Dygert, will be employing help in the immediate future and has asked that any members of the congregation who would like to work to see the foreman.” On December 15, 1966, at a special meeting of the Advisory Council, Kenneth Phelps was appointed Treasurer of the Building Fund to replace Herb Lang.
As always, the church was busy on other fronts as well as working on the building program. On January 23, 1966,m the church congratulated two of its young men. Bill Burt, a student at Morrisville, who recently received a scholarship, and Doug Greene, who received an award for being “Soldier of the Month” in his company.
In February of 1966, Dorothy White started a series of monthly newsletters to young people from the church who were now in college or the armed forces. The first for February, 1966, contained a list of 28 young people. This was the time of the great blizzard and Mrs. White told about her experiences. She also included news of the church, of other young people, and like a good Sunday School teacher, a “lesson.” She wrote, “I hope you won’t mind if the Sunday School teacher in me overflows into our letters.” The church has a copy of the first letter, one for April 24, 1966 (written by JoAnn L,. Bock), and one for May 1966 (now called the “Christian Global Newsletter”) by Dorothy White. Circulation grew to as many as 80 copies. The papers were apparently discontinued after 1968.
On March, 1966, the Board of missions invited Reverend and Mrs. John Baker of Rome to bring the cast of their School of Missions play, “Between Yesterday and Today,” for presentation in our sanctuary.
In May the Trustees announced plans to paint the gymnasium. The Greene Sentry Hardware offered discontinued paint at $1.00/gallon. In the May 1, 1966, bulletin, Perry Burne, Chairman of thre Board of Trustees, asked for volunteers to paint during the week of May 9-14 when scaffolding would be available. Those who helped were thanked in the following bulletin. The gym was described as looking “so clean and fresh.” On May 29, 1966, Mr. Barbara Richardson was thanked for the bed of tulips at the end of the gymnasium. (Tulips and other flowers are still blooming there in 1998.)
According to the bulletin of June 5, 1966, “Your pastor is a patient at the New England Baptist Hospital where he is undergoing a series of tests.” These were for the Pastor’s arthritis. He was back in the pulpit on June, 19, 1966.
June 20, 1966, was Graduation Day in the Public Schools and 18 of our youth graduated from High school. On July 10, 1966, a Combined Summer Service with the Methodist Church started and continued for seven additional Sundays. In June and July of 1966, the Hammonds made a family project out of painting the parsonage. The Trustees furnished the paint and were very pleased and thankful for the effort.
The Vacation Church School was re-instated in 1967. The time was August 15- August 26, 1966, sponsored by the Protestant Churches of Manlius and Oran. There was more Methodist input this year as Mrs. E. Clayton Comstock, wife of the Methodist Pastor, was the leader. The opinion of the Christian Education Board was that the later time resulted in more interest and better attendance.
In the summer of 1966, the Trustees were confronted with the costs of a number of projects which were not provided for in the 1966 budget.
The Trustees felt that $5,000.00 extra money was required for these projects and on august 4m 1966, at 7:30 P.M., asked the Advisory Council to approve a three year $5,000.00 bank loan. Although there is no record, the congregation must have also approved the loan because all the projects were completed.
In the fall the church social action committee brought in a speaker to talk about the proposed Lottery for new York state. Dr. Robert Grim spoke on Sunday night, October 30, 1966, at 7:30 p.m. on “The Lottery and Your responsibility,” The speaker and the church were against the Lottery but apparently the general public was not. The BYF was busy raising money to pay its Building fund pledge and on October 30,m 1966, took (in Gordon Jackson’s truck) 7600 lbs of paper to the paper mill in Fayetteville.
At Christmas time, the Junior BYF (with sponsor help from Bob and Margaret Vermilya) came up with the special project of decorating the pine tree to the north of the sanctuary with 200 lights to be known as the Blessing Tree. Church members were asked to count their blessings and for each to contribute 25 cents to purchase a light for the tree. “May the Light of the Blessing Tree serve to remind us of the many blessings we enjoy this Christmastide.” This tradition was continued for several years. Christmas was observed by the Sunday School with another hanging of the Greens service, preceded by a sandwich supper and a Nativity Tableau.
In November, 1966, Glenna Hammond spent some time in the hospital. The bulletin of November 6, 1966, reported that she was in the Community General Hospital making good progress, and in the November 13, 1966, bulletin it was reported that “the men who reside at the parsonage are exceedingly grateful for the wonderful cooks and helpers of First Baptist and the neighborhood who have done so much during Mrs. Hammond’s hospitalization.”
Reverend Hammond, in his Annual Report for 1966, wrote that he had been handicapped with arthritis and said that “much of the church activity had been carried on by the officers and members in such an efficient manner that we were able to show both growth and, during January and November, a decided increase in church attendance.”
The major decisions had been made for the new building, the plans settled, the financial campaign over (for the time being) and the congregation could relax and observe the construction. In the words of Robert Lyon, Chairman of the Building Committee, “We watched our building advance from a hole in the ground to a nearly completed building.” The contractors had provided a Construction Schedule of events for the Bulletin Board and invited everyone to join the contingent of Sidewalk Superintendents who were keeping watch over the proceedings.
The Building Committee met regularly each month in 1967 (although there are no available meeting notes) along with the Chairman and the Treasurer of the Capital Funds Committee to review Contractors’ bills and make decisions regarding construction problems. A Color Coordinating Committee consisting of Peter Mudge, Helen Fardig and Alice Mapstone, cooperated with the architects on finish details. Most of the burden of the church involvement, However, fell on the shoulders of Bob Lyon. He was in constant contact with the contractors and the architects and had to make many “on the scene” visits to keep close watch on the construction.
Reverend George Hammond was serving his second term on the General Council of the American Baptist Church and attended a meeting of the group in January, 1967. He returned on February 2, 1967, with the firm belief that God speaks more clearly in the local church than he does in the Councils of the Denomination. In April, 1967, the pulpit was filled for four weeks by guest speakers (two times by Dr. Mason). Reverend Hammond was having trouble again with arthritis and it was difficult for him to stand during a sermon and to get in and out of his car.
On May 23, 1967, Niagara Mohawk turned the power off at the recently purchased Hall house and on June 27, 1967, our lawyer, Arthur Cordes, helped us to evict the tenant. The Trustees had reported that rent payments would carry the mortgage and decided to rent again. On August 25, 1967, the Merton Ladd family moved I and it appeared that this time the Trustees had found an ideal tenant.
On May 21, 1967, Reverend Wheaton visited Manlius and preached to the congregation on “Great Faith.” On June 4, 1967, Abe Lorente, the Cuban student the church had “adopted,” graduated from the Temple University Medical School. Reverend Hammond celebrated his 53rd birthday on June 9, 1967, and the 31st anniversary of his ordination and thanked the church for their kind remembrances.
The church met again with the Methodists for eight weeks in the summer. There were two services each Sunday. Reverend Hammond recruited Reverend Raker, Dr. Mason, Robert Vermilya and Ray Heller to preach four of the Baptist services. For the first time in many years there was no Baptist Summer Sunday School, not only had attendance been diminishing lately but there was a space problem because of the construction. Union Vacation Church School was conducted during the period of August 14-25, 1967, led by Mrs. Mary Squire of the Baptist Church, but had to be limited to the parlor because of the construction. Attendance was good, increasing daily to 153.
In the American Baptist Churches around the country, the newest nation-wide drive for funds was in progress. The latest was the World Mission Campaign, the funds to be used to enhance the Denomination’s missionary work around the globe. Because we were in the midst of raising money for the Building Fund, there was no formal drive to meet a quota in the Manlius church. A letter was sent to members explaining the need and an Advance Gifts Committee (Reverend George Hammond, Dr. David Mason and Mr. Lloyd Slentz) did some calling. As a result, the church members pledged $7,178.00 (of which $1,764 was already received in 1967.)
The church had a new organist in 1967. The Davenports moved away and Mrs. Linda Davenport was replaced by Mrs. Bertha Strauss.
During 1967, the Methodist, Episcopal and Baptist Churches conducted a census of the Manlius area and as a result found eight prospective new Baptist families (and hopefully for the other participants, new Episcopalians and Methodists as well).
The Sunday School fond 1967 an eventful year watching the new building grow and planning for its use and making adjustments as former classrooms disappeared or were made unusable by construction.
The pillars of the church had begun to deteriorate and the Trustees hired Gordon Noble to sand, point and paint them in 1967. The minutes said that he was the same fellow who painted the steeple in 1966.
Our original three year Program for Progress fund drive would be completed in 1968. It was part of the plan so it should have been no surprise to anyone that another campaign for three more years of payments would be necessary. The leaders of the church had liked the way Reverend Mould conducted the first campaign and decided to try to hire him for the second. Reverend Hammond wrote Dr. Mould requesting a meeting with him in January to discuss plans for a second campaign. Reverend Mould replied on December 11, 1967, that although it was unusual to work with the same church a second time “I feel honored to be asked to return to Manlius and will do everything possible to make this a meaningful experience.”
At the end of the second full year of collecting pledges, the Building Fund Treasurer reported on the financial status of the Program for Progress:
| Checking Account: | Amount deposited | $208,241.14 |
| |
Amount spent | $191,762.16 |
| Balance CA | $16,478.98 | |
| Savings Account | $608.86 | |
| Securities | $5,674.16 | |
| Balance | $22,76200 |
Our church was mortgaged (the closing was on December 15, 1967) for $150,000 at 5 ¾% interest and our payments each month were $1,246.00 or $14,952.00 per year.
From the pledging standpoint:
| Total pledged through December 1967 | $97,044.80 |
| Paid through December 1967 | $72,814.95 |
| % of payment | 75.3% |
The Youth of the church were disappointed to find that with all of the new space available, they were relegated to the old parlor as their headquarters. They rebelled and wrote a convincing letter to the Board of Christian Education on October 16, 1967. The letter was written for the BYF by Elaine Fardig, The Habitation Committee that made the decision on space assignments was headed by Mrs. Helen Fardig, mother of Elaine. The Habitation Committee and the Board of Christian Education responded favorably to the BYF request and unanimously voted that the room in question (now the King’s Kid’s office) be granted to the 11 & 12 grade Sunday School class and the BYF. The Senior High group volunteered to paint the walls and to lay tile to make the room functional.
The Christmas program for the Sunday School was “A Christmas Crib,” a tableau with music by the cherub and Carol Choirs. The Sunday School reported 258 people present, the highest number ever for a Christmas party.
Robert Vermilya, Chairman of the Continuation Committee, wrote a letter to the membership on January 10, 1968. He reported that the Reverend Mold had been approved by the American Baptist Convention o direct our campaign and had met with the Finance committee to establish preliminary plans for the first debt reduction campaign, June 6 to June 26, 1968, all subject to approval of the congregation.
In the Annual Meeting of January 25, 1968, the budget for 1968 was presented by Lloyd Slentz, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, for approval. There was a discussion regarding the omission of raises for the Pastor during the last few years. (Reverend Hammond had adamantly refused to let the Trustees raise his salary for 1996 and 1967. He felt that it was not proper for him to receive a raise when he hoped people would give sacrificially to the Building Program.) Helen Fardig moved that Reverend Hammond receive a $500.00 for 1968. Dorothy Griffin seconded the motion and the meeting voted in favor of the raise.
Also in the Annual Meeting, the question about what had been done about the next phase of funding for the new building was asked. Reverend Hammond moved that Reverend Mould be retained to lead the second debt-reduction campaign. Ray Heller seconded the motion and it was carried.
Mr. Vermilya also stated that “the building has become a reality through our love and sacrificial giving to further the Lord’s work in our church and community.” He asked people to check their building fund records and reminded them that “their commitment is made to the Lord.”
In late January or early February, 1968, a car crashed into the front of the church and damaged the first step, a railing and one of the columns. Ernst and Cooper, our insurance agents, were taking care of the problems incurred.
On Thursday, February 1, 1968, at 7:30 P.M., the church celebrated the end of the first phase of the Program for Progress which began in 1963. The new Educational wing was dedicated in a special service in the Sanctuary. Reverend Baker came from Rome, New York, to preach the sermon. Dr. David Mason assisted in the service of Dedication led by Reverend Harry Guckert (then pastor of the Tully Baptist Church.) After the dedication, there was a processional to the new addition led by Robert Lyon, Chairman of the Building Committee. A special eight page brochure was prepared. Although it was discussed, there was no cornerstone or special plaque prepared to commemorate the new building. (In 1986 a plaque was installed in the new entrance. It reads: “1986 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6.)
On Sunday, February 4, 1968, the celebration continued with a special morning service of personal re-dedication and communion served by another former pastor, Reverend Lawrence A. Wheaton. Reverend Raymond Beaver brought greetings from the American Baptist Convention. A special feature of the program was the presentation to Reverend Beaver of an original letter written by Adonirum Judson, a famous Baptist Missionary to Burma.
Adonirum Judson’s mother spent some time in Cazenovia visiting her sister when she received a letter from her son. In the letter he told her about arrangements with Luther Rice and the Baptists. Several years later the family discovered the letter and, recognizing its historic value, gave it to Mrs. Yettie Harris of Manlius, who was deeply interested in missionary work. Mrs. Yettie Harris, a member of the First Baptist Church of Manlius, decided the letter really belonged to the whole Baptist Church Family and presented it to the church with the understanding that it would be given to the Foreign Mission Society.”
(From the New York Baptist News Section of the Baptist Crusader of April 1968.)
Sometime, and somehow, in the next few years the framed letter made it way into the famous Baptist Basement Room known as the Glory Hole, where things not wanted were stored before eventual disposal, A Trustee noticed the letter, recognized the name, and brought it to the attention of Reverend Hammond, who arranged for its gift to the Foreign Missionary Society of the American Baptist Church.
On Sunday afternoon, the Sunday School held an open house in the new facilities from 3 to 5 P.M., with the Building Committee providing tours through the new wing. On Sunday Evening at 7:30 P.M. the Eastern Baptist College Choir presented a concert of excerpts from Handel’s Messiah.
On February 8, 1968, the church hosted an Evangelical Conference. Meals were to be served at the church but overnight accommodations (and breakfasts) had to be provided for 25 preachers. The church families evidently rose to the occasion and al of the visitor had a place to stay.
On February 18, 1968, the Unity Fellowship gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mapstone for a Soup and Slipper Party. (The name leaves out an important part of the evening which was a wide variety of home-made pies for dessert.) The cost was 50 cents/person. The outing was also called “February on the Farm.” this is another candidate for the “Things Never Change” Department as the party was still a favorite Unity Fellowship function in 1999.
The School of Missions was held on four Sundays in March for a study of Japan. The Carol Choir led by Mrs. Robert Mapstone sang for the group. A picture of the choir showing the children in their Japanese costumes was printed in the NYS Baptist magazine “The Crusader.”
Prayer meetings were sill being held on Thursday nights, but as noted in the mid-March 1968 newsletter, interest and attendance was lagging. To try to correct the problem, the format was changed with the leadership being transferred to different groups of the church (on March 14, 1968, the Achaean Class, March 21 the Unity Class, and on March 28 the BYF) in hopes that the group responsible would at least show up in full attendance.
On April 7, 1968, former Pastor Harry Guckert was installed as Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Tully, New York, after serving 6 ½ yeas as the Pastor of the Baptist Church of Paradise, California. Also in April, it was announced in the Church Bulletin that Dr. and Mrs. Abe Lorente would move to the area in July. Dr. Lorente would begin a four year residency in surgery at the Upstate Medical Center.
The Growth and Development Committee met to organize in April. One accomplishment was to recommend to Reverend Hammond that he take a week off. He took their recommendation and spent a week in Maine.
In the May 12, 1968, Bulletin, the church began to hear about the war in Vietnam. The Senior High Group was working for a county-wide project to contribute items needed by the soldiers (shaving equipment, insect repellent, writing materials, etc.)
By May, 1968,m the last payment on the Parsonage Mortgage had been paid and the Hammonds helped the church celebrate by holding an open house at the Parsonage on May 19, 1968, from 2:00 to 5:00 P.M. the mortgage was ceremonially burned, either at the morning church service or during the open house.
The Bulletins for Spring of 1968 instructed the congregation to “Enter in silence, Wait on Prayer, Worship in Reverence, and depart to Serve.” On June 1, 1968, the Board of Christian Education organized a Pie Day to show appreciation for the Sunday School Teachers. The members baked 37 pies for the teachers and their families. In June, 1968, twenty seniors from the church graduated from High School. (Pie Day is another tradition that has not outlived its usefulness.)
In the summer of 1968, we participated in 6 union services (as recommended by the Advisory Council) with the Methodist Church. There were two services each Sunday and this year there was a Sunday School for the Baptists. Mr. Leslie Strader, now pastor of the Methodist Church, was the summer Youth Pastor for the Methodists. A Vacation Bible School was held in 1968 in the Baptist Church starting on June 24th for two weeks, led by Mary Squire. The children’s offerings of $110.00 were used to send 11 hives of bees to India.
In August, Reverend Derwood Smith came east for a visit and stayed with Mr. Rose Dando. Reverend Wheaton also came and stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Murdock.
In August, Molly Cordes resigned as Secretary effectie august 23, 1968, after nearly 6 years of “successful and cheerful” service to join the staff of the Manlius School. Sara Beams was hired to take her place.
On Sunday October 13, 1968, Abe and Pam Lorente came forward to unite in fellowship with the First Baptist Church of Manlius. The newsletter of mid-October, 1968, commented that by hard work and great determination this young man has made great accomplishments, that Pam, a graduate nurse, shared with her husband great skills in the art of healing, and that a great part of both Pam and Abe’s skills stemmed from their warm Christian love of people.
At their October 15, 1968, meeting, the trustees discussed the possibility of selling the Hall house (minus its backyard). There was some thought of it use as a house for an Associate Pastor. No action was taken at the meeting. Reverend Hammond talked about his arthritis problem and the need to let up on some of his calling. He had written the Ministers and Missionaries Board concerning his condition but had not heard from them as yet. There was a discussion of having the Laymen doing more of the calling. It was also noted that Reverend A. Wayne Dexter, a member of our church who was on the staff of the ABC of New York State, had offered to help.
On October 29, 1968, the Trustees met with Mr. Calender from the Missionary and Ministers Board to discuss Reverend Hammond’s condition. He felt that the church might improve if Reverend Hammond taught the members to do the calling and take care of other responsibilities. Another alternative was to hire an Associate Pastor to work with the youth and do calling. Reverend Hammond would preach most of the time. The Trustees assured Mr. Calender that they wanted Reverend Hammond to continue as Pastor if he would slow down and take care of his health.
In 1968, the Baptist Women’s fellowship joined with the women’s organization of the United Church of Fayetteville to compile a Fayetteville-Manlius directory to be published in the spring of 1969. The Baptist women were to canvass each home served by the Manlius Post Office (approximately 2500 families) to obtain the information needed. Mrs. C. Winslow Skeele, President to the BWF, appointed Mrs. C. Comstock Lincoln chairman for the Manlius area, Mrs. Leonard Kuhnemann as chairman of the canvassers assisted by Mrs. John Ammann, Mrs. Melvin Benedict, Mrs. Robert Bullard, Mrs. L. Gordon Jackson, Mrs. Paul Watson and more than 50 members of the congregation. Advertising was solicited by members of the Fayetteville church.
The major event of 1968 was the Program of Progress: The Next Step. The financial campaign was run in about the same manner as was the First (except for fewer letters, less publicity and probably less anxiety since the congregation had already responded well to the first campaign, the building was built and in use, and everyone knew that it had to be paid for.)
Lou H. Billet, Jr. “(Bill, who had not been a member during the first campaign) was chosen as the Chairman for the second phase or the “Next Step” of the program of the Progress Campaign. In the May12, 1968, he announced his executive committee:
| Publicity Chairman | Mrs. Arthur Mapstone |
| Hostess Chairman | Mrs. Kenneth Bex |
| Building Fund Treasurer | Mr. Kenneth Phelps |
| Advance Gifts Chairman | Mr. Raymond Heller |
| Youth Chairman | Mr. Fred Goddard |
| Division Chairmen |
|
The first meeting of the Committee with Reverend Mould was on May 3, 1968, for an evaluation survey. Reverend Mould asked Mr. Billet to carefully select 12-15 people to assist in a survey of the ability of church members to pledge. The results would give Reverend Mould a basis to recommend a goal for the Campaign. His next meeting was to be with all the Campaign leaders to distribute manuals and information kits and to firm up dates for the events in the Campaign presentation and intensive phase. The important dates were set for the Campaign:
The goal for the Campaign was set at $75,000.00 for a victory goal and $90,000.00 as a challenge goal. Speakers were selected to make short presentations during the church services. Those chosen were Robert Vermilya, Raymond Heller, Paul Watson and Sara Beams.
Tuesday, June 11, 1968, the callers were to meet for a general briefing. The Loyalty dinner was scheduled for Wednesday, June 12, 1968, for a time of fellowship, information and inspiration. There was a new brochure entitled “Program of Progress- Our Next Step.” A victory service was held on Wednesday, June 26, 1968, in the Sanctuary. Reverend Robert B Mould gave the message and a report on the Campaign.
On September 19, 1968, Bill billet sent to members of the church a report on the Campaign. While the victory goal was $75,000.00, the pledges equaled $65,421.00. Mr. Billet was not terribly discouraged, because he felt more pledges would come in later. He described the goal as ambitious and above the minimum needed to meet our mandatory requirements, i.e., meet the mortgage payments.
The Building Committee made one last report for 1968. All final payments were made to the contractors. The original contracts totaled $199,734.00. The total payments to the contractors were $200,025.22, an increase of $291.22. Most of the extra costs were for changes in sewer construction when existing lines were not where they were expected. The report concluded with the statement: “May 24, 1969, will be the end of the guarantee period for construction on that date the duties of the Building Committee will end.”
In January of 1969, Reverend George Hammond went to the Robert Brigham Arthritic Clinic in Boston for more tests and treatments. His doctors were to change his medicine from pain killers to something that might improve his condition. The Trustees were considering hiring an Associate Pastor to help with the calling and the youth work. It was noted that Reverend Hammond had already had help in calling from the Deacons, Deaconesses and Mrs. Hammond. The treatment must have been helpful. In his Annual Report for 1969, Reverend Hammond wrote that January, 1969, was a turning point which brought improvements “for which I praise God and thank you who bore me p in prayer and helpfulness.”
February 9, 1969, was Youth Sunday, and the youth led the entire service. Some of the Youth Services were not so pleasant in the Vietnam War years with the adults in the congregation being blamed for all that was not well with the world. On March, 2, 1969, the School of Missions began with a four week study of Southeast Asia, appropriate because of our country’s involvement in the Vietnamese War. The church had young men involved in the fighting and the unrest among students and other groups in the country was having an effect on our church as well.
The Christian Carrier frequently requested that readers with favorite thoughts, laughs, sermons or challenges bring them to the church office for inclusion in the newsletter. Poetry by Lucille Foote and Lydia Doubleday often appeared. In the mid-April 1969 issue, the oldest member of the church, John Chappell, was mentioned as having been hospitalized and listed some of his work for the church (he was a carpenter and President of the Village of Manlius, 1914-1915, 1921-1922 and 1924-1925) and whether coincidental or not, there was a poem “Age” included in the newsletter which is worth repeating.
AGE
No one is ever too old!
Remember age is a quality of mind
If you have left your dreams behind
If hope is cold,
If you no longer look ahead,
If your ambitions’ fires are dead--
Then you are old.But if from life
You take the best
And in life you keep the jest,
If love you hold
No matter how the years go by,
No matter how the birthdays fly
You are not old!
(Taken from the Fairport Baptist Home News, April, 1969)
April 13, 1969, was another special day for the youth of the church. Reverend Robert Huff, a pastor-at-large in neighborhood Elmira, whom the youth had heard and admired at the youth Convention there, came to Manlius to preach at the morning service. He ate lunch with the youth of our church and surrounding churches, and spent the afternoon with them. There was a program of singing, worship and discussion.
In April, 1969, the Christian Carrier newsletter commented on the death of President Eisenhower. His claim to greatness was said to be in the quiet Christian applications of his faith. His death elicited “precious memories of trust and mutual care of the holiness of home and the sacredness of family. Just plain goodness seems to be the most fitting description of this man, President Dwight David Eisenhower, Ambassador of Goodness.”
There was “Music in the Air” at the Mother and Daughter Banquet on May 6, 1969. Mrs. R. Dean Schick talked about bells and displayed her private collection. The cost of the meal was $1.00 for adults, 50 cents for children. The women cooked the meal and the men of the church served.
In June 1969, the Christian Carrier editor commented on Sgt. Bruce F. Jamison, service man of the month, who went back to Thailand to marry a girl he met on his first tour of duty in that country. The editor went on to say that in spite of our current thoughtlessness, we are at war, our own boys are dying, suffering and fighting. It is high time we made a Christian’s recognition of such matters. Too long we have tried to ignore the facts and forget the frightful cost. Let us pray for these young men. They need our prayers, cards and letters.
On June 17, 1969, Mrs. Shirley Mapstone talked to the Trustees about Mrs. Rugh’s need for one large classroom for her morning nursery school (pre-schoolers). She had been renting space at Christ church but had run into problems and might need different quarters. Questions that the Trustees asked Mrs. Mapstone were for particulars about the current problem . They wondered if the church was willing to rent out space for outside use, and if this would over-burden the custodian, Pete Seibel. (By August 26, 1969, the word got back to the Trustees that Mrs. Rugh and the Episcopal Church had worked out their problems and that the school would not need a new home.) On August 26, 1969, the Trustees announced that the $5,000,00 bank loan borrowed in 1966 for the purpose of paying for several urgent repair projects was repaid.
Union services were again held in the summer with the Methodists, this time for eight weeks. Sunday School was held in our church as well as the Vacation Bible School. (The Bible School was for one week only in 1969.) There was only one service each Sunday. Ray Heller substituted for Reverend Hammond for one Sunday. The Bulletin noted that Ray had been away from church for the last few months supplying the pulpit in the Georgetown Baptist Church.
The Baptist Women’s Fellowship was continuing its work on the Fayetteville-Manlius Directory. The project would be completed in 1970. The BWF had also been guiding the re-decoration of the Harris Memorial Chapel. Shelves had been installed by Archie Adsit, the ceiling had been repaired, furniture and carpeting were put in, and “a lovely room for receptions and meetings resulted.”
On August 25, 1969, the church was taken by surprise when Dorothy White, a staunch member of the church, deeply involved in Christian Education, truly a “Pillar of the Church,” wrote a letter of resignation to the Board of Christian Education. She wrote, in part, that she “had been searching for eternal truths, had a deep longing for more light, read avidly, prayed searchingly and found what she wanted in the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints.” She felt that “the Mormon Church offered more than a religious faith… but a daily way of life that leads back to God’s presence, which I feel, I can follow more knowledgeably, more challengingly and more joyously.” Charles, Dorothy, son Greg and daughter Caroline left the church.
In 1969, parking was becoming a problem. The Trustees were upset with neighborhood people using the church parking lot but not coming to church services or moving their cars on Sunday morning. Warnings were printed and attached to the cars. (This is an item for the Things Never Change Department as this is still a problem in 1999.)
In late November, 1969, Robert Vermilya promoted a “Clean Plate Club” for the Manlius Church. In December, those people who had paid their pledges in full for 19659 would have their names printed on large clean paper plates which would be displayed in the Narthex For people who were considering how much to pledge to the church for the new year, a recent newsletter had some good advice. “Give according to your income lest your income be according to your giving.”
On December 24, 1969, Bulletin listed 15 of our young men who were serving in the armed forces, some of them in Vietnam. (All returned safely.)
In his report to the congregation Reverend Hammond wrote, “This (the year 1969) was a time of crisis for every family in our congregation. Not one of them is untouched by the shifting morals of our day.” He wrote of the problems of student revolt in schools and colleges and youth rebellion. He found war’s ominous clouds overshadowing everything we do and the very foundations of our society shaken. He felt that nothing short of a world awakening to real Spiritual Values could save man from self destruction.
In 1970 the health of Reverend Hammond improved measurably. In his report for the year, he said he was able to expand his personal effort in reaching out to the community. “I am so grateful for the measure of health and strength God has given to me.” He reported that at present (December 1970) he was making 25 calls a week and planned to increase the number when the weather got warmer. He reported being able to sit through a whole meeting and being comfortable to go home after it was over.
On January 25, 1970, the church welcomed Reverend and Mrs. John Baker back into the fellowship. Reverend Baker retired from full time ministry after serving the First Baptist Church in East Aurora, New York, for ten years and came back to live in Dewitt.
In the Trustees meeting of January 20, 1070, Reverend Hammond made a request that the Trustees consider new carpeting for the sanctuary and the choir loft (only the aisles were then carpeted) and new hymnals for the church services. The Trustees also considered carpeting for the Pastor’s office, the Secretary’s office, the Narthex, the old Chapel (soon to balled the Library) and the Youth Room.
Bill Billet was put in charge of a carpet committee. The Music Committee (appointed by the Advisory Council) was looking into new hymn books. They wanted a better liturgy, tune selection and Bible readings. A new Baptist Hymnal was to be out on March 1, 1970. They considered the Methodist Hymnal but to leave the Methodist name off the cover would cast $1.00 extra per book.
Since there wasn’t enough money in the Treasury for the carpets, the Trustees adapted the “buy a light” campaign (used to buy new lights for the remodeled Sunday School Rooms) to the carpet. Jerry Hammond made a poster for the rug campaign. The Trustees were asking for $2,000.00 (200 square yards at $10.00 a yard.)
On February 165, 1970, Youth Sunday was once again observed with the youth preparing the whole service. Lois Vermilya preached the sermon. Beginning February 22, 1070, and continuing through March 15, 12970, the Mission Board led the School of Missions. The topic was the very timely subject of ‘Reconciliation in a Broken world.” Part of the program for the first evening was a ministers panel with Reverend George Hammond, Reverend Jack Buskey, Reverend Morgan Silbauh, with Reverend Peter Winnewisser leading the discussion. On March 25, 1970, the Chancel Players of the Drama department of Easter College presented “The Terrible Meek,” a production of an imaginary conversation at the foot of the cross.
On April 5, 1970, there was an ecumenical service in the Baptist Church (with no explanation) and with all local ministers (priests) taking part.
Part of the Prayer for a Universal Church given by Reverend Silbauh stated that “in God’s earthly family there is neither Jew nor Greek, male or female, bond nor free, but only children standing in equal need and equally sharing thy fatherly care.”
The first Lay Witness Mission (sometimes called Macedonian Ministries) for the Manlius Baptist Church was planned for May 1-3, 1970. The forty members of the Mission included Methodists and Baptists, with both youth and adults participating. A covered dish supper was planned for Friday, May 1, 1970, for the congregation to meet the visitors. Later the young people would get together for their own introductory meeting.
On Saturday, May 2 at 10:00, there were coffee hours at individual homes with visiting witnesses as guests. At 12:30 there was a luncheon at Stonecrest, at 2:00 a Pizza Party for the Senior High, at 7:30 P.M. an evening service for all at the Methodist Church. On Sunday, May 3, witnesses visited the Sunday School Classes and participated in the morning service. In the evening, there was an evaluation and discussion of the Lay Witness Mission. Several people from our church were deeply involved in the Lay Mission Program and were part of teams that went to several churches in central New York State. Ray Heller, Robert Vermilya and Millie Skinner were some of the early participants.
The Prayer Meeting n May 7, 1970, was visited by Ann Lamoreaux, one of the younger members of the church. She made a plea for us to write our government officials, expressing our feelings with regard to the Vietnam situation, so that they be certain of the feeling of their constituencies.
Another one of the concerns of the church in the 1970s was the opening of stores on Sunday. The Christian Carrier for may 1970 carried a condensed version of a speech given to a Lord’s Day Alliance meeting by a Mr. James J. Bliss, president of the National Retail Merchant’s Association, who urged the members of the religious community to express their dismay and disapproval of the spread of commercialism on Sunday.
In the June 21, 1970, Bulletin, it was reported that Mrs. Hammond suffered broken ribs from a bad fall and was a patient at the Community Hospital. She was home in a few days and “doing well.”
In June, 1970, the Trustees voted to order carpet for the Library, office rooms and the Narthex. The cost was $1,224.00. The Trustees were also concerned with meeting the mortgage payments for the new building. The second three year pledging period would be up in June 1971. In 1968 it was thought that a third intense pledging campaign might be held. This was not now seriously considered. The consensus of the Trustees in 1970 was that pledging for the new building mortgage should be included with the Every Member Canvass for 1972.
The church continued its summer services with the Methodists in 1970. There was one 10:00 service with 5 services held at the Methodist Church and 5 services at the Baptist Church. Vacation Bible School was held for 8 days in 1970. This year it was truly ecumenical as the children from St. Ann’s Church joined the group. As a result, there was a record enrollment of 312 children. (176 came from St. Ann’s.*)
A Manlius Protestant Christian Education Committee made up of representatives of the Baptist, Episcopal and Methodist Churches, was set up to make decisions regarding such ecumenical undertakings as the Daily Vacation Church School, Baccalaureate Services and Graduates’ Luncheons. The purpose was to promote Christian Fellowship and cooperation among the Protestant Churches as well as to promote Christian Education. Shirley Mapstone was chairman of the group for 1968-69 and Paul Watson, Dorothy White, and Reverend Hammond also represented our church. In 1970 the group invited St. Ann’s Church to join. They accepted and the name was changed to The Christian Education Organization of Manlius and Vicinity. The Catholics agreed to join the Protestant Churches in sponsoring the 1970 Vacation Church School.
On June 21, 1970, one of the highlights of the church service was the dedication of four babies: Trent Addison Dwelly (son of Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Dwelly, Nancy Jean Ferris (daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Erman Ferris, Amy Christine Lorente (daughter of Dr. & Mrs. Abdiel Lorente, born Thursday, May 21, 1970), and Derrick Duane Marris (son of Mr. & Mrs. Claude Marris.)
On July 3, 1970, the Lorentes were driving home after eating supper with the Mapstones and were involved in a serious automobile accident. According to Ramona B. Bowden, a resident of Fayetteville who wrote religious news for the local newspaper, the two young people, Abe and Pam, lay torn and mangled in the road and their thirty-three day old baby was dead.
Although Dr. Lorente tried very hard to get his parents, the Reverend doctor and Mrs. Pascal Lorene (a retired Baptist Preacher) and his sister, Hulda, out of Cuba, the Cuban officials refused permission. Later, after the Lorentes experience their tragic accident, the attending physician telephoned the Cubans to explain the urgency of the situation. Dr. and Mrs. Pascal Lorente and their daughter, Hulda, were allowed to come to the United States, but they had to leave all of their belongings behind. Reverend Hammond was in contact with the Ministers and Missionaries Board to try to get help for the Reverend Lorente and his family. An apartment was found for them in Syracuse, and the Manlius Baptist Church members were asked to help furnish the rooms.
There were approximately 2,000 Spanish speaking people in Syracuse at the time. Although the large majority were Catholic, there were enough Protestants for Reverend Lorente to start services for them in Spanish. The First Baptist Church opened its doors to them for a series of services from October 4, 1970, to December 27, 1970. Bulletins were printed in Spanish, and advertisements for the services were placed in the Syracuse newspapers. A total of 45 people attended the first service.
The Trustees chose to repeat the PGP (Percentage Giving Participation Campaign) used in 1969 again. The Committee was:
On August 9, 1970, Mrs. Gordon Henderson, daughter of Charles and Addie Cathers, announced that there would be a reception for her parents on August 20th, 1970, at the church to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. On October 9, 1970, Charles Cathers died. A memorial service was held on October 31, 1970, in the church. In the Sunday Bulletin for November 1, 1970, it was mentioned that Mr. Cathers had held every office in the church and had endeared himself to the whole community. Reverend Baker said in 1998 in commenting on people he remembered in the church: “I would like to mention Charles, Cathers, who could qualify as ‘Mr. Baptist.’ He never missed anything going on in the church. Even when it was occasionally necessary to have two Sunday morning services, Charles would attend both. No visitor in church would ever escape Charles’ warm welcome. His hobby was raising beautiful roses. From late spring until well past Thanksgiving , Charles would appear each Sunday morning at the parsonage with a gorgeous rosebud for the pastor’s lapel.”
The recovery of the Lorentes was slow. Pam recovered first from her injuries. It was not until November 8, 1970, that Abe was able to join Pam and his family for a weekend at home away from the hospital.
Reverend Lorente continued his Spanish Mission in the Manlius church until February 1971, and then moved its activities closer to its people in the Delaware Street Baptist Church, which “received us lovingly and with open arms.” He was appreciative of the help of Reverend Hammond, Robert Vermilya of the Board of Deacons, and Ellen Mapstone, who played the organ.
In their February 3, 1971, meeting, the Trustees discussed the use of our new Education Facilities for a play school. Mrs. Rugh, who had been using the Episcopal Church for her Hillside School, was about to sell. Mrs. Shirley Mapstone and Mrs. Doris Dudley were among those interested in buying the school for the church. The Trustees Board voted its approval and asked some of the interested women to investigate further and bring a report back to the Trustees. The Board of Christian Education also discussed School. They hoped the school would be a service to the community. Mrs. Irene Whittington was appointed their representative for the project. On February 9, 1971, Mrs. Shirley Mapstone and Mrs. Doris Dudley presented their plan to the Trustees, and the Board was “in agreement.” Ray Heller was asked to contact Arthur Cordes for legal advice and to investigate any added insurance costs.
A major event was planned for the church for the weekend of February 19-21, 1971. It was to be a trial of the new Discipline and Discovery Program, patterned after the Lay Witness Program but to “reach a much deeper depth.” Erman Ferris was the over-all chairman, assisted by Ray Heller and Bob Vermilya. Unlike the Lay Witness Program all of the leadership came from our own church.
The Program included training for team members, a 24 hour prayer vigil, a Friday Night all-church dinner, a Saturday morning mini-breakfast and coffee hour, a women’s luncheon, a Saturday evening meeting, a Sunday service, and a Sunday evening evaluation session. The Program was intended to help each of our members grow spiritually by the development of a deeper awareness of God through a new dimension of Christian Commitment.
From March 7 to 18, 1971, the Board of Missions presented another School of Missions. The title was “The Americans: How Many Worlds.” On March 14, 1971, Dr. Abdiel Lorente and his sister, Hulda, spoke to the church about “Cuba, The Revolution and What the Revolution has Meant to the People.” Abe Lorente must have taken leave from the hospital for his talk. (The April 25, 1971, Church Bulletin reported that he was now home from the hospital, and getting more active each day.)
A special meeting of the First Baptist membership was called for March 18, 1971. The first item of business was to discuss the purchase of Mrs. Rugh’s Nursery School for $850.00 (to be paid out of tuition fees when the school becomes operative). The church voted to purchase the school.
The church also voted to accept the recommendations of the Trustees to handle the next phase of debt reduction without professional help. They also voted that the building fund pledges should be continued for the remainder of 1971, and that a way should be found to incorporate the payments into the annual budget for 1972.
The Advisory Council and the Quarterly Business Meeting also endorsed the plan of the New York Baptists to raise money to refurbish and expand the Pathfinder and Vick Summer Camps. It was called the Camps, Conference Center and Church Extension Campaign. Their challenge goal was $400,000.00. Our share of the challenge goal was $8,580.00. Robert Lyon and Ellen Mapstone were selected as Co-chairmen to raise money from the Manlius congregation. It as a low key campaign because of the large Building Fund debt but the church did raise $2,122.00 for the cause.
During the last weekend of March (26, 27, 28), 1971, a group of nine members of our church journeyed to the Baptist Church in Pleasant Valley, Connecticut, for a Lay Witness Mission. Robert and Margaret Vermilya, Glenna Hammond, Erman Ferris, Ellen Mapstone, Margo Marris, Mitch Marris, Gordon Adams and Barbara Foringer were the participants. Later, on April 25, 1971, several of the witnesses spoke in the morning service of their experiences.
On May 23 and 24, 1971, Reverend Hammond wrote letters to the congregation telling them that he was submitting his resignation to become effective on June 27, 1971. He was to begin a new ministry with “Help Line,” a New York City Telephone Ministry. The Constitution requires an acceptance by the church of the resignation; therefore, Reverend Hammond called a congregational meeting on June 6th after the church service for that purpose. Reverend Hammond first preached on the theme:; “God takes care of His people and His plans for our church will be carried out.” The people in his previous churches had been well led after his work with them and he was confident that we would be also. After the service a “most thoughtful” congregation met to regretfully accept Reverend Hammond’s resignation. On June 20, 1971, Reverend Hammond preached his last sermon as Pastor. On June 1245, 1971, Reverend and Mrs. Hammond were given a farewell reception at the church.
In the mid-June Christian Carrier, Reverend Hammond wrote a farewell message to the congregation.
“We wish to express our great appreciation to this Church and its officers. These have been nine years filled with many experiences; the memories of which we shall cherish. We fully expect God to direct you to the kind of leadership and singleness of purpose which shall make Manlius first Baptist the most outstanding church in New York. Thank you for your loyalty. May God bless you and prosper you in all things spiritual.”
George L. Hammond.
Mrs. Hammond was presented with a beautiful oil painting of the church, painted by Alice Mapstone, as a going away gift from the Women’s Fellowship. Later she wrote to Dorothy Ammann:
“Will you say many, many thanks to the girls of Women’s Fellowship for this beautiful painting by Alice? It is truly wonderful and we shall treasure it all of our lives. Thanks, too, for the nine years I have been a part of the fellowship with each of them. I know I will miss the life of the church but feel confident I will find a place somewhere to serve. God grant you the joy and peace you so generously give to others.
Sincerely, Glenna.
After leaving the First Baptist Church of Manlius, Reverend Hammond served as a Counselor for the Marble Collegiate Dutch Reformed Church in New York City and was Supervisor of their Help Line Telephone Ministry, which involved the scheduling of
telephone conversationalists, personal direct contact with persons heading up the Service Agencies, and the follow-up on individuals seeking help. Over 90% of the people asking for help were unchurched. A real effort to help these people identify with a church was indicated. It was an entirely new ministry with need of the development of new skills,and offered a wide range of additional opportunities.
The letter for Reverend Hammond was transferred to the Marble Collegiate Church. He later became pastor of the United Baptist Church of Ellsworth, Maine, and retired from the ministry as their Pastor Emeritus. Reverend and Mrs. Hammond moved to Lansdale, Pennsylvania, where they again became members of the Lansdale Baptist Church.
Reverend and Mrs. Hammond celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary on October 6, 1998. Reverend Hammond died on November 2, 1998. He was survived by Mrs. Glenna Hammond, daughter Nancy, sons Scott and Stephen, and nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Unfortunately, Reverend Hammond died before the history of his pastorate was written. It would have been illuminating to have been able to share his memories of his years in Manlius, but that was not to be.
Mrs. Glenna Hammond wrote that the new educational building was probably the high point of their pastorate. “The good that the building has and will accomplish toward the Christian training and fellowship of the church members will last for years.” A member of the Building Committee agrees and remembers that no one worked harder for the dream of an Educational Building to come true than Reverend George Hammond. Glenna also wrote about George’s illness (arthritis) and remembered “how good the people were to us, helping me especially to care for him.”
Reverend Kenneth E. Phelps, in a letter written on the occasion of the Homecoming Celebration of 1993, was asked to share some thoughts about the influences that the Manlius Church had on his life. Part of his memories were of the ministry of Reverend Hammond during his “formative years.”
“I remember will his vivid illustrations involving people and situations here in Maine. While sitting in the last seat of the Balcony, ‘the Phelps’ seats, I heard many stories of people from Mars Hill, Maine. The place took on an almost mythical quality as George made the people and the place come alive. Little did I know that some day I would be the Chaplain of the Hospital/Nursing home in Mars Hill, Maine.”