First Baptist Church
of Hamilton, New York

Founded in 1796, First Baptist is an American Baptist church with an ecumenical congregation. First is the "Mother Church" of Colgate University.

Report of the Trustees

Rob Gustafson, Chair

The trustees of First Baptist Church meet on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.  Members of the trustees attending:  Joe Glaze (pastor), Rob Gustafson (chair), Cindy Harper (recording secretary), Gladys Jaquay (invested funds), Phil Bisselle, Ephraim Woods, and attending Rob Schutt (financial).

The trustees, on the consensus of the 2006 annual meeting, continue to rent the parsonage for the amount of $1200.00 per month.  Our current tenants, both work for Colgate University.  The tenant is responsible for heating oil, electric, water and sewer, lawn care and snow removal.  The church is responsible for general maintenance and repairs.  Prior to our new tenant’s arrival, a crew of church members did minor repairs, painting and cleaning to prepare for the new lease.  At some point in the next year, some of the windows may be in need of replacement.  The vinyl siding will need to be power washed to clean off mold and stains.  The question still remains as to whether to sell the building or to keep it.  Other than the church building itself, the Parsonage still remains one of our greatest financial assets.

It was agreed upon in the latter part of 2006 to have the sanctuary ceiling repaired and painted.  Dave Raimey and his son, Joel, did this.  They did a fine job.  We also contracted to have the Raimeys paint the front portico and pillars.  This job was completed in the early fall.  Repairs were also made to the bases of the columns, which had deteriorated.  Some basic touch up and mortar point will be necessary this summer to keep the building in good repair.  Some, if not all, of this work could be done “in house” with volunteers from the church.

As to the stained glass windows:  we have basically put this on hold, until such time as we can retain a grant writer to aid us in raising money for the most immediate repairs.  According, the Duhr Company, who came down last year, we have some time before the windows are in any grave danger.  However, the operational windows in the sanctuary should be addressed first, as they do not close tightly, thus allowing heat loss.  The trustees will continue to look into these repairs in the near future.

Our boiler was in need of replacement due to a failure in the fill mechanism, causing the boiler to run hot and dry.  This resulted in the warping of the heat chambers.  The good news is we were able to replace the boiler for a total cost of $14,000 of which $13,000 was covered by insurance.  With proper care and maintenance, our new boiler should keep us warm for many years to come.

We have continually kept the prospect of Memorial Garden on our monthly agenda.  The trustees welcome all comments on this prospective matter.

We are currently looking into upgrading our smoke and fire alarm system.  According to our local fire chief, there are more efficient and less costly systems available.  We will also be installing a key box for fire department use, on the exterior of the building.  This box can only be accessed by fire officials and would save the church costly repairs of breaking of doors or windows for firemen entrance.

The trustees have been given a monetary gift for the renovation of Fellowship Hall.  The renovation will consist of new walls, ceiling, new lighting, electrical throughout the room, sanded and sealed floor rehab, storage for chairs and tables, a section for a small library to include bookcases and carpeting, support posts covered in wood to match wood wall panels, possible new heating runs to two zone our boiler.  Also included will be two gas-fired fireplaces similar to the Clark Room.  New padded chairs and lightweight tables are also part of the gift.  The project should begin by early February when estimates are completed.  Fellowship Hall will be out of use for a period of 8-10 weeks.  Our benefactors, Harvey and Debbie Kliman are giving this gift in the names of Debbie’s mother, Patricia Hawkins Sill and aunt, Prudence Appleton Hawkins, both long time members of First Baptist Church.  We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Klimans to bring this well used room into a more comfortable and functional area.

As always, the board of trustees welcomes and encourages the thoughts and suggestion of the congregation, in regard to the church building.

First Baptist Church
27 Broad Street
PO Box 73
Hamilton, New York 13346
315-824-2780