About Us
Our People
As you can see on any Sunday morning,
our congregation is a mix of ages and backgrounds. Many of our people have
known each other for years and years with a goodly number of them having
been here 25 to 50 years or more. They have a rich appreciation for our area
and what it means to be a community together. Others, like our pastor and
his wife, moved to the area a few to several years ago, and have found the
people of the Lowville Baptist Church to be a warm, friendly and welcoming
people.
To our people, church is not something to attend, it is a family, a
community of faith. We come together because we believe in God and know
that, through Jesus Christ, we have received forgiveness, new life and a
hope for the future that is genuine. Therefore, we enjoy coming together to
worship, learn and serve the Living God. You will find a good mix of
fellowship activities to strengthen that bond we have.
Our Pastor
Our
pastor is the Rev. Everett Reed, formerly of Massachusetts. (That’s where
his accent comes from!) He grew up in a rural setting, accepting Christ as
Savior as a youth while attending a small country church. In 1968 he
received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies and Christian
Education from the former Barrington College in Barrington, RI, was ordained
and began his first pastorate in the Berkshires. Moving in 1973 to the
Boston area to continue his studies, in 1976 he received the Master of
Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Wenham, MA,
serving as a pastor of the First Baptist Church of Wilmington, MA. He
accepted the pastorate of the Lowville Baptist Church in January of 1990.
While at Barrington he met his wife Carol and they were married upon
graduation in 1968. Carol is an elementary teacher, having taught in several
schools in Massachusetts as well as in a Christian School founded while they
were in Massachusetts. Carol is currently a second grade teacher in the
local school system.
Our History
Founded in 1824, our history really goes back to 1819 with the founding of
the First Baptist Church of Lowville and Denmark. It was also known as the
"Line Church" because it was built on the boundary between those two towns
with the pulpit straddling the line. Back in those days, with long winters
and horse and sleighs for transportation, it soon became apparent that the
distance was too much and there was a need to divide with a church located
in the village of Lowville itself. Thus, the Lowville Baptist Church was
established in 1824 with a long and active history of biblical witness and
cooperative spirit.
The original wood-frame structure was replaced in 1890 with the current
brick main building. Over the years several modifications were made. In 1997
the downstairs dining hall was converted to Sunday School classrooms and the
fully handicap-accessible fellowship hall & office wing was added at the
rear. In 2004 the
organ was
replaced with a Rodgers Professional Grade Trillium 837 with 72 total
speaking stops.
We are an American Baptist Church, thus tracing our line through the
original bodies of Baptists in the United States. We hold to a reasonable
faith which avoids a stiff literalism that turns our faith into legalism, or
a liberalism that leaves us with no certainty to our faith. We seek to
understand and apply the Scriptures as they were originally intended,
believing that the God of Creation can work miraculously in human affairs.
We are a mission-minded church. Our written history shows that our support
of the worldwide mission of the Church goes back at least as far as 1829
when the church began its support of the work of the first Baptist
missionaries from America, Adoniram and Ann Judson. Their mission field was
Burma. Today we are a leader in both the North Country and the state in the
support of missions.
We are a cooperative church. We have always believed that we are part of the
larger work God is doing, not only in our denomination, but also among all
Christian denominations and churches. For this reason we continue to work
cooperatively with the other Christian churches of our area to support
outreach and ministry. Through the Lowville Council of Churches and Lewis
County Ministerium, we support the Lowville Food Pantry, Head-To-Toe Thrift
Shop, Welcome to Lowville, Christmass Charities, occasional ecumenical
services, services in area nursing and adult homes, as well as other
cooperative programs.
Our Faith
We
believe the Bible to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. It is
God’s revelation about Himself given to people of faith over many centuries.
In spite of this, it speaks with one voice and reveals God as one who is at
the same time righteous, just & holy, yet merciful, loving & kind.
We believe the Bible shows one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. Not three gods, but one, much as we as humans are one unit but with
body, soul and spirit. In this way we were created in the image of God.
We believe that sin (the determination to do things our way instead of
God’s) separates us from God. This separation leads to and is death.
We believe Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, come to earth to bear the guilt
and shame of our sin so that we might be forgiven and receive the gift of
God which is eternal life to all who believe. We receive this gift when we
believe in what He has done for us and invite Him into our lives as our
Savior and God.
We believe that every Christian at the moment of faith receives God’s Spirit
into their life. The role of the Holy Spirit is to confirm in our hearts
that we are Christians and to guide us into living a Christian life.
We believe this world is not permanent, nor is it our eternal dwelling
place. The Bible looks forward to a day when God will come again in Jesus
Christ. At that time this earth will pass away and a new heaven and earth
will come into existence. This will be our eternal dwelling. No one knows
when that day will be.
Until that day, it is the responsibility of every Christian and of the
Church collectively to be the visible body of Christ on earth, doing the
things He would do, sharing the Good News of God’s love and salvation and
demonstrating God’s love through acts of mercy and kindness.
While these truths are not the sum total of what we believe and teach, they
are the core from which all other teachings come.
Our Government
As
Baptists we adhere to a congregational form of government. By that we mean,
our church is completely autonomous and self-governing. We cooperate
denominationally for the support of the wider mission and receive counsel
and resources from the larger body to improve and strengthen our own local
ministries. But the Lowville Baptist Church is solely responsible for its
ministries, doctrine and discipline.
The basic authority is the body of Christians who make up the membership of
the Lowville Baptist Church. Membership is open to all who confess Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord, who have received believer’s baptism by immersion
in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, and who regularly attend the
services of the Lowville Baptist Church. Associate membership is available
to those who transfer from another church but who have not received
believer’s baptism by immersion.
Each January (usually the third Sunday), the Lowville Baptist Church holds
its Annual Meeting for the election of officers, adoption of a budget, and
to conduct any other business. Special meetings may be called throughout the
year as needed.
The oversight of the properties, programs and ministries of the Lowville
Baptist Church throughout the year are divided among three elected Boards.
The Board of Trustees oversees property and finances. The Board of Deacons
assist the Pastor in seeing to the spiritual needs of the congregation. The
Board of Christian Education works with the Pastor to oversee and strengthen
the educational ministries of the church. In addition, the Flower, Memorial,
Missions, and Music committees work with the pastor to see to their
respective areas of responsibility.
Baptism & Church Membership
As
Baptists, we practice believer’s baptism, which simply means that a person
comes to faith in Jesus Christ, acknowledging Him as their Savior and Lord
before baptism. Thus, while we have a service of dedication for infants and
young children, we do not baptize them. As Baptists we also practice baptism
by immersion (by placing under the water) as the New Testament mode of
baptism which best signifies the believer’s identification with Christ in
death, burial and resurrection.
Persons may be received into regular membership upon baptism by immersion,
or, having been previously immersed, by statement of Christian experience,
or by letter of transfer from another evangelical church without being
re-baptized by immersion.
Associate membership is available to those transferring from another
Christian church who have been baptized by some mode other than immersion
and who do not wish to be re-baptized. Associate members may vote, hold
office, and exercise the rights of regular members except in areas dealing
with Baptist doctrine and affiliation.
Those desiring baptism by immersion or membership in the Lowville Baptist
Church should contact the Pastor or one of the deacons. General guidelines
for baptism and church membership include:
- 12 years or older
- faith in Jesus Christ as Savior
- regular attendance at LBC for 6 months or longer.
OUR MINISTRIES
WORSHIP..... Worship is an important part of any church. It is how
we approach God. It says something about who we are and how we see God. Worship at Lowville Baptist is varied and user
friendly. Though we see God as Almighty, Righteous, Holy and Awesome, we
also see Him as Loving and Approachable through Jesus Christ. In Christ,
God has invited us to be part of His very large and extended family.
Thus, family fellowship is important to us. We do not ask that people
sit quietly before the service, but encourage people to mix, converse
and greet one another before worship begins. Often during worship we
will provide time for people to share prayer requests, thanksgivings and
celebrations. We praise God in congregational singing of
contemporary choruses and traditional hymns. Special music may include
solos, quartets, adult or children’s choirs, etc. The Bible message is
always an important part of our worship experience as we examine His
Word together and allow His Word to examine us! Most of the year the worship service starts at 11:00
AM on Sunday morning. During the Summer (from Father’s Day through Labor
Day weekend) worship starts at 10:00 AM. Each Sunday nursery care is
provided downstairs for infants and toddlers. Just before the Bible
message children pre-school through grade two may go to Children’s
Church for their own Bible lesson. An important part of worship is music. Our Music
Director is Mel Chalker. If you would like to join the choir, volunteer
for special music, have a favorite hymn you’d like sung, or any other
questions, he would be happy to hear from you. To assist us in worship
we replaced the original organ in August 2004 with a
digital
Rodgers Professional Grade Trillium 837 with 72 total speaking
stops. SUNDAY SCHOOL..... Sunday School features Bible classes for all ages,
children through adults. In addition, nursery care is available for
infants and toddlers so that Mom & Dad can participate in the adult
Bible class. The basic Sunday School curriculum follows David C.
Cook’s Bible-In-Life curriculum which makes learning the Bible practical
and fun with ample audio-visuals, activities and life application.
Special material or studies may be used from time to time. Children through grade five start Sunday School with
an opening assembly in the sanctuary at 9:45 AM. This includes singing
and special activities. All children’s classes are in classrooms in the
church basement. The adult class generally meets in the church
fellowship hall and is taught by Pastor Reed and Mrs. Diane Chalker. It
also uses the David C. Cook Bible-In-Life curriculum, though special
studies and multiple sessions may be offered from time to time. Sunday School classes run from 9:45 AM until 10:40
AM. The Sunday School year starts the Sunday after Labor Day and
continues to Children’s Day which is the second Sunday in June.
Children’s Day is celebrated with a special program by the children and
an all church picnic after the 11:00 AM worship service. AFTER SCHOOL CLUB..... After School Club is a special time for children in
grades 1-4 featuring a snack, story time, recreation and crafts. It is
offered on Wednesday afternoons for about twelve weeks from
mid-September to mid-December and again from March through May. Each
session starts at about 3:25 and concludes about 4:45 PM. Participating children in the Lowville School system
gather in room 1108 right after school. Adult guides meet them and walk
them to the church, leaving the school about 3:20 PM. This program is greatly enjoyed and well attended.
Children do not need to attend or be members of Lowville Baptist Church,
but enrollment is limited to between thirty and thirty-five children. It
is a great opportunity for children to invite their unchurched friends
to a fun and educational activity at their church! For more information or to enroll your child call the
church office at 376-2115. LUNCHEON CLUB..... On the first Wednesday noon of each month all who are
available are invited to gather for a shared lunch. Different people
sign up to bring main dishes, desserts, salads, etc. Following the meal
people are invited to stay for conversation, a simple craft, or to have
fun playing table games. To let us know you are coming, sign up the Sunday
before in church or call the office at 376-2115. Reservations are not
required, but appreciated. WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP..... Our Women’s Fellowship holds monthly meetings on the
second Tuesday of each month from September through May. Most meetings
start with a noon lunch and feature special speakers, special interests,
etc. Projects include support for world missions through
the Love Gift and White Cross programs, hosting one of the annual Lenten
Luncheons, as well as occasional other fellowship dinners at the church.
The ladies also maintain contact with our nursing home and shut-in
members. For information about meetings and upcoming events
contact president Betty Hoch at 376-6777. SPECIAL BIBLE STUDIES..... Throughout the year, the Pastor offers 8-12 week
special studies on Biblical or Christian life issues. Usually these will
be Wednesday mornings, but may also be at other times as interest and
time permits. Recent subjects have included: "The Jesus I Never
Knew", "Intercessory Prayer", "What’s So Amazing About Grace?", "The
Battle Is The Lord’s", and "Becoming a Contagious Christian". Many of
these courses are video based series. If a person can enroll six people
to take the study on a given night or day, the pastor will try to make
time available. If this is impossible and the couple or adult is
willing, they may share leadership of the study and the pastor will come
in once every few lessons to answer questions and add background. From time to time, lay-led or shared leadership small
groups may be held at the church or in private homes. The pastor will be
glad to work with couples or individuals on defining such a group and
finding resources available. HELPING HAND..... The Helping Hand ministry is one operated by the
Board of Deacons. It enlists volunteers to assist church families in
time of need such as hospitalization, convalescence or urgent
transportation. It may involve bringing in meals, providing a ride to
the doctor or hospital, sitting with a home-bound loved one for respite
care or to give the care-giver time to go shopping, etc. The coordinators for this ministry are Jane Clift
(348-6318) and Betty Nortz (376-2853). You may contact them to get more
information, volunteer your services, or ask for help. Emergency financial assistance from the Deacons Fund
is also available to church families. This is available for specific
needs through the Pastor or, in his absence, one of the deacons. OUR RADIO BROADCAST..... Every Sunday afternoon at one o’clock you can tune in
to our radio broadcast over radio stations WBRV-AM 900, WBRV-FM 101.3
and WLLG-FM 99.3. We feature 25-30 minutes of Christian music by an
assortment of recording artists followed by the Bible message from the
Lowville Baptist Church. OUR "SAFE CHURCH" POLICY..... While in recent years a lot has been heard about the
dangers of child molestation and the need to safeguard our children, the
Lowville Baptist Church has had a "safe church" policy for several
years. This policy follows common sense measures to make our programs as
safe and open as possible, assuring that both children and volunteers
are protected from abuse or false accusation. Some of the guidelines
followed include: All classrooms, offices and areas where
people gather must have unobstructed windows. All classes or groups of children and youth
have two or more adults working together. Following insurance and denominational
guidelines, no volunteer is used to work with children or youth
who has not been part of the congregation for at least six
months. All volunteers must fill out an application
with references. All references are checked. References for staff positions are carefully
reviewed. These policies are reviewed annually by the
Board of Christian Education and by those volunteering to work
with children and youth. Parents are asked to report any incidents to the
pastor immediately. All concerns will be acted upon and the parents will
be informed of that action. Any illegal activity will be reported to the
appropriate authorities. FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Click Here
to..... Set
up an appointment with the pastor or request a pastoral visit to
your home.
Request any of the following booklets: Lowville
Baptist Church History Lowville
Baptist Constitution & By-Laws "Spiritual
Journeys", the stories of some of our people Our
latest Annual Reports booklet "Our
Daily Bread" or "The Upper Room" daily devotional guides Or any
other information about our church and its ministries!
