Our History

This history was written by Photographer Fred Powers and Historian Arch Merrill and published in the Democrat and Chronicle on February 16, 1964.

FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

With 13 pioneers as charter members, the Ogden Baptist Church was born on May 21, 1819, at a meeting in a schoolhouse.
For several years the little group was unable to support a pastor or have its own house of worship. Elder Ely Stone of Wheatland supplied services held in barns, a log schoolhouse and in homes until about 1824 when a church was built near Ogden Center. The first regular pastor was Elder Harvey Blood.

In 1832-33 the present white frame church of colonial design was built at what then was known as Colby Corners, now the corner of Colby and Washington Streets, Spencerport.

For nearly 27 years, from 1832 to 1856 and again from 1858 to 1860, the Rev. Zenas Case was pastor. His service was the longest in the annals of the church.

In the early years members were disciplined for dancing, using profanity, attending plays, working on the Sabbath, irregular attendance and other transgressions.

In the 1840s oil lamps replaced candles and in 1853 the interior was extensively remodeled.

Two organs were stolen from the church in two years. The first theft was in 1868 and the instrument never was recovered. It was replaced by a new organ which disappeared one night in 1870. The thief, a local youth, eventually was captured and sent to prison after revealing the hiding place of the stolen organ, which was returned to Ogden Baptist Church.

Most of the recent pastors have been students at the Rochester Theological Seminary and its successor, the Colgate Rochester Divinity School.

The present pastor(1964) is the Rev. J. A. Morrison, a graduate of Alderson-Broaddhus College in West virginia and of Colgate Rochester. He was student minister at Stone Church (Presbyterian) for three years before he was called to the Ogden Baptist pulpit in September, 1961.

He succeeded the Rev. Paul Light. another former pastor, the Rev. David Evans, is the director of youth work for the American Baptist Convention.

A longtime member, Edward Boughton, after many years on the board of deacons, has been made a deacon emeritus. The church's current membership is 150.

The picturesque edifice has seen many changes over the years. The large belfry and the old horse sheds are no more. A 1953 expansion program added a church parlor, a dining room and Sunday School rooms. A new $19,000 parsonage was built in 1959.

Once the church, in the western area of the Town of Ogden, was entirely surrounded by farms. In recent years the allure of suburban living has brought many new homes into the neighborhood.

Times have changed but the 131-year-old white church at "Colby Corners" is still reminiscent of old New England whence came so many of its early members.

We invite you to become a part of the church today and a piece of its history tomorrow.