BAPTIST UNION FOR MINISTERIAL EDUCATION, SENECA, NEW YORK Copyright (c) 1999 by Martha Perry Magill. ************************************************************************ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submittor has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ************************************************************************ SENECA COUNTY MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK BAPTIST UNION FOR MINISTERIAL EDUCATION 1854-1855 Source: Sixth Report of the Board of Trustees of the New York Baptist Union for Ministerial Education; with the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, Addresses, &c., &c. Held at Rochester, July 10, 1855; Together With a Statistical Report of Institutions of Learning. Rochester: Steam Press of A. Strong & Co., Democrat Office, Eagle Bank Block, 1856. The "New York Baptist Union For Ministerial Education" was a membership society whose objective was to: "...furnish means of instruction to such young men of the Baptist denomination, as shall give satisfactory evidence to the churches of which they are members, and to the Trustees of the Society, of their personal piety, and their call to the gospel ministry." Members paid dues of at least two dollars per year; life membership was $20.00. Fundraising in the Seneca County area was primarily done by Rev. Hezekiah West of Watkins, Schuyler County. Although there was already a thriving Baptist theological seminary in Hamilton, NY in 1854-55, the Union's goal was to create further opportunity for a thorough training in the ministry at a new seminary in the city of Rochester, Monroe County. By 1855 the Union had raised $40,000 towards the permanent endowment of professorships, a library of 7,000 volumes, and $28,000 in scholarship funds for a school with three full-time professors and 40 theological students. The 1855 president's address stressed that due to increasing immigration and population there was a need to enlarge their German Department to train ministers to become pastors of German-speaking congregations. Monies were being raised at a time of severe economic depression in the country overall. For fundraising purposes the state was divided into 3 geographic sections. Letters were sent to pastors of 636 Baptist churches in the state. Only 210 churches responded and insufficient monies proportionate to the seminary's needs were raised. The names of local residents below were culled from listings of all Union members across NY State. TREASURER'S REPORT From July 10, 1854 to July 2, 1855 The New York Baptist Union for Ministerial Education STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS From July 1854 to July 1st 1855 Name of ministers who secured the donations, Name of Member, Residence, Type of Fund, Amount Donated. end. = general endowment notes and subscriptions int. = interest on subscriptions, notes, &c. L.M. = Life Membership U.S. = not listed in table Per Rev. H. West - Rep. for August (1854) Ovid Church, Ovid, L.M. $11.50 Farmersville Church, Farmer, L.M. $12.50 H.O. Monday, Farmer, L.M. $5.00 Mrs. Betsey Budd, Lodi, L.M. $5.00 Matilda C. Faussitt, Lodi, L.M. $5.00 Lodi Church, Lodi, L.M. $6.00 J.G. Covert, Ovid, end., $ 18.75, int. $2.95 Jarvis Leonard, Farmersvile, end. $8.75, int. $3.73 Per Rev. H. West - Rep. for October (1854) Farmersville Church, Farmer, L.M. $13.00 Per Rev. J.B. Olcott - October (1854) Samuel L. Hart, Junius, end. $50.00, int. $4.60 Per Rev. H. West - November (1854) Anna Leonard, Farmersvile, end. $100.00, int. $ 23.33 Per Rev. H. West - December (1854) Farmersville Church, Farmer, U.S. $8.50 Ovid Church, Ovid, U.S., $9.62 Covert Church, Covert, U.S. $7.50 Per Rev. H. West - February (1855) J.H. Hunt, Romulus, end. $25.50, int. $24.50 Per Rev. H. West - March (1855) J.H. Hunt, Romulus, end. $74.50, int. .65 Per Rev. J.B. Olcott - June (1855) L.P. Russell, Tyre, end. $6.00, int. .60 LIFE MEMBERS By Payment of Twenty Dollars and Upwards Bloomer, Dea. Abram, Ovid, Seneca Covert, John G., Ovid, Seneca Fausett, George, Lodi, Seneca Folwell, N.W., Romulus, Seneca Folwell, Mrs. N.W., Romulus, Seneca Hart, Samuel L., Junius, Seneca Hunt, J.H., Romulus, Seneca Hunt, Mrs. J.H., Romulus, Seneca Russell, L.P., Tyre, Seneca Scott, Daniel, Ovid, Seneca Watson, Dr. E., Romulus, Seneca Wheaton, L.L., Farmersville, Seneca Wright, Monmouth, Farmersville, Seneca All spellings and locations are as in the original book. Contributed by Martha Perry Magill Copyright © 1999 Martha Perry Magill All Rights Reserved.