Baptist Church of Bern and Knox, in the Rensselaerville Association New York - 1856 to 1865

1857

  At an annual Church Meeting, held at the Baptist house of worship in Knox, on the 5th day of May 1857, Rev. S. G. Tower acted as Moderator, and D. H. Spencer was present as Church Clerk. The legal notices having been given, the meeting proceeded to ballott for a trustee in place of Ira Witter whose term of office had expired. Cornelius Seabury received a majority of all the votes cast and was declared duly elected Trustee for three years.
  Resolved that the meeting be adjourned to the first tuesday in May 1858. Cornelius Seabury Chairman Recorded May 5th, 1857 D. H. Spencer Ch. Clk.

  September 2nd 1857. At a regular church meeting held in the Baptist house of worship in Knox, Rev. S. G. Tower, Dea A. St. John, brethren James Gibbs and Isaac C. Seabury were chosen as delegates to the annual meeting of the Rensselaerville Assn, to be held at Rensselaerville on the third Wednesday and Thursday in the present month. D. H. Spencer was appointed to write the letter.

Letter to the Association 1857
The Baptist Church of Bern & Knox to the
Rensselaerville Assn. sendeth christian salutation:
Dear Brethren:

  We welcome with you the return of another anniversary. We are still permitted to exist as a church divided by distance but not in sentiment or feeling. As many of our brethren and sisters are so situated that they cannot meet with us in Township, those in the south part of the have enjoyed church ordinances

conducted by Rev. Thomas Fisher.
  We in Township and Gallupville have enjoyed the labors of Rev. S. G. Tower: have preaching even sabbath, sustain a Sabbath school and Bible class during the season.
  As a whole, we have nothing of special interest to communicate. We have reason to lament our unlikeness to Christ, and to mourn over our spiritual lethargy.
  We send as delegates, Rev. S. G. Tower, Dea. Avery St. John, Bro. James Gibbs, Bro.
Isaac C. Seabury.
Our statistics follow

  Received none

  Dismissed by letter 3

  Died 2

 The annual meeting of the church and society was held in the Baptist House of Worship in Township May 4, 1858.  Rev. S. G. Tower acted as moderator.  D. H. Spencer was present as church clerk.  The legal notices having been given, the meeting was adjourned (for want of quorum) to tuesday 11th inst., at 7 P.M.

D. H. Spencer, Church Clerk

 At an adjourned meeting of the church and society of the Baptist Church of Bern and Knox held in the Baptist House of Worship in Township, May 11th 1858, It was unanimously
 Resolved that D. H. Spencer be re-elected to the office of trustee of said church.
 Adjourned to the first tuesday in May 1859.

J. W. Crary Clerk pro tem S. G. Tower Chairman

 At a regular church meeting held Oct/57 it was resolved that D. H. Spencer be authorized to receive contributions, to reduce the debt incurred by Rev. S. G. Tower in building the present Baptist meeting house.

 At a regular church meeting held Aug 28/58 it was
 Resolved that two delegates be sent to the meeting of the Rensselaerville Association, to be convened at Flat Creek, 15th prox.  Rev. S. G. Tower, and bro. D. H. Spencer were chosen as delegates
 Voted, that D. H. Spencer write the church letter.

 At an annual meeting of the Baptist Church of Bern & Knox held in the Baptist House of Worship in Township, May 3rd 1859, it was unaninmously resolved that Edward P. Crary be elected trustee for the ensuing three years in the place of John Lendrum, whose term of office had expired on that day.
 Adjourned to the first Tuesday in May 1860.

D. H. Spencer Ch. Clerk. S. G. Tower, Chairman

 At a regular church meeting held at the Baptist house of Worship on the 3d day of September 1859 it was unanimously
 Resolved that the Rev. S. G. Tower David H. Spencer James Gibbs Cornelius Seabury Ira Witter Joseph W. Crary be Delegates to Rensselaerville Association to be held with the Baptist Church at Sloans Ville on the 21st September 1859.
 Voted that the Rev. S. G. Tower write the Church letter.

S. G. Tower Chairman D. H. Spencer Ch. Clerk.

Our Statistics are as follows For minutes $1.55 Missionary Union 15.00 Home Missionary 2.00 A. & F. Bible Society 2.00 Total $20.75

Baptized the past year 1 Died 2

 The whole number of communicants  69.

D. H. Spencer Church Clerk S. G. Tower Chairman.

 At a regular meeting of the Church held in the Baptist House of Worship March 3d 1860, the time for the covenant meeting was changed from the Saturday preceding the first Sabbath to the Saturday preceding the second Sabbath in each month.  It was then
 Resolved that brn Jas. Gibbs & Pennel Rogers be appointed a committee to investigate the difficulty said to exist between the Rev. S. G. Tower & the church or certain members of it — said committee to have power to choose a third at discretion.
 Adjourned to the Saturday preceding the second Sabbath in April.

D. H. Spencer Ch. Clerk.

 On Saturday the 7th of April 1860 the church met pursuant to adjournment.  Bro. Rogers being absent, Brn. J. W. Crary & Fred Rosekrans were added to the committee for investigation.
 Adjourned to meet on Tuesday May 1st/60 at 1 o'clock P.M.

D. H. Spencer Ch. Clk.

 At an annual meeting of the Baptist Church of Bern & Knox, held in the baptist House of Worship, May 1st 1860, bro. Cornelius Seabury was reelected to the office of trustee, his term of office having then expired.  It was unanimously
 Resolved that the annual meetings occur henceforth on the first Tuesday in April at 7 o'clock P.M., instead of the first Tuesday in May as formerly.  Adjourned.

D. H. Spencer Ch. Clk. S. G. Tower, Chairman.

 At a covenant meeting August 1860, it was unanimously
 Resolved that the time of the Covenant Meeting will hereafter be on the Saturday 

preceding the second Sabbath of each month. D. H. Spencer Ch. Clerk.

 At a covenant meeting held in the Baptist House of Worship, Saturday, September 8th 1860, Rev. S. G. Tower & brn. C. Seabury, & D. H. Spencer, were appointed delegates to attend the meeting of the Rensselaerville association at Greenville.

 At the annual meeting of the Baptist Church of Bern & Knox held in held in [sic] their house of worship May 7th 1861 Bro. David H. Spencer was reelected to the office of Trustee for the term of Three years from this date.
 No other business being brought before the church the meeting was adjourned to the first Tuesday in May 1862.

D. H. Spencer Ch. Clerk

 At a regular covenant meeting of the Bern & Knox Baptist church held at their meeting house July 13th 1861 the resignation of Bro. S. G. Tower as pastor of the church was presented & accepted.

D. H. Spencer Ch. Clerk

 At a regular covenant meeting held Aug. 10th 1861 at the Meeting house, on motion the following persons were appointed delegates to attend the ordination of     Apsey at the Baptist church at Preston Hollow.

Rev. E. W. Brownell C. Seabury D. H. Spencer

 The same persons were also appointed as delegates to the Rensselaerville Association to be held at Preston Hollow Church September 4th 1861

D. H. Spencer Ch. Clerk

 At the annual meeting of the Baptist Church of Bern & Knox held in their house of Worship pursuant to notice proclaimed from the desk on three successive Sabbaths previous to the Election at which time three trustees were elected, namely D. H. Spencer for the term of one year E. C. Dayton for two years and J. W. Crary for three years from this date.  It was
 Resolved that D. H. Spencer be Church Clerk Nathan H. Dayton was chosen Treasurer  It was also
 Resolved D. H. Spencer and E. C. Dayton were chosen to take up collections on on [sic] the Sabbaths  It was further
 Resolved that we levy a tax of Eighteen dollars and ninety two cents to be divided equally between the following members of said Church

Cor. Seabury and family 4 J. W. Crary 1 Wm. Dayton & Family 3 Mrs. Witter & Daughter 2 E. P. Crary & Daughter 2 J. Crary 1 D. H. Spencer & wife 2

Amounting in all to one dollar and twenty six cents for each person to pay, the above amount is for two stoves and pipe oil & can for the use of said Church It was unanimously

 Resolved that we adjourn this meeting to the first Tuesday in May 1865
 The above business was transacted on Tuesday the 3 day May 1864
 Resolved that we Sell the old stove and place the money in the treasury as the Church fund

D. H. Spencer, Ch. Clerk C. Seabury Chairman

 At a regular covenant meeting held at the Baptist house of Worship in Knox it was
 Voted that the letting of the House for Lectures &c be left discretionary with the Trustees Deacons     1864

D. H. Spencer Ch Clerk