several sentences being identical. The object of the organization was “to afford means of instruction, to such persons of the Baptist Denomination, as shall furnish evidence to the churches of which they are members, and to the Executive Committee hereafter named, of their personal piety and call to the gospel ministry.” All persons who paid the yearly fee of $1.00 were eligible to membership. At the annual meetings a Board of Trustees was to be elected who, in turn, would choose both an Executive Committee of five and officers of the Society. To the Executive Committee fell the responsibility for direct supervision of the institution soon to be established by the Society, even to hiring instructors and determining the time students should devote to study.
The Address accompanying the Constitution emphasized that ministers, because of their prominence in society, should have a thorough knowledge of the language of the Scriptures so that they might correctly explain the words and doctrine of the bible. Rather than have them educated in existing schools and colleges, it was believed that a special school would be “better adapted to the little time many of them have to study, and the means of defraying their expenses, as well as, to the preservation of their morals and the promotion of their piety.” The institution was to provide both theological and literary instruction. Central New York Baptists were urged to emulate their brethren elsewhere in the northeast who were also advancing ministerial education.
With the Constitution and Address there was published a comprehensive and diplomatic Address of the Executive Committee, the specific object of which seemed to be to allay the old criticism of an educated clergy. The committee stated clearly that while they had “no idea of making ministers” they believed that learning greatly increased a minister’s usefulness. They pointed out that many young men were deterred from entering the ministry by the realization of their lack of training. Though the Baptists were as numerous as any other denomination in the state they had “not a single President, or Professor, in any of the Colleges.” The Committee concluded with an appeal for funds for their enterprise.*
*Baptist Education Society of the State of New York, Annual Report, 1818, and
Circular [c. 1818].