All of the churches in Schoharie Classis, as with most within Albany Synod, have a long, rich, and meaningful ministry within and for their community, some of them for more than 300 years and most for more than 200. So, when the time came, and the Fultonville Reformed Church made the decision to conclude their ministry of over 185 years, they chose to do so leaving behind ongoing support for some of the ministries through which they had blessed the Fultonville, Glen, and Fonda communities and school district over the years.
Rather than continue struggling to provide worship and outreach and spend down their reserves, they petitioned Schoharie Classis to disband them. Through that year-long process, they left a strong financial legacy for the ministries of the local food pantry, the Fonda-Fultonville School District’s Backpack program (which provides weekend and holiday meal support for economically challenged families), and the Haven of Hope ministry.
Schoharie Classis, following this meaningful witness, dedicated a portion of the sale of the church building, and all of the funds from a bequest the church received during the legal process of disbanding and sale, to these same ministries. Each of those three ministries received additional funds in honor of the decades of ministry initiated by the Fultonville Reformed Church members. And as we discuss the transition from classes and regional synods to middle assemblies, Schoharie Classis is asking how they can build from Fultonville’s example and use their classis assets to enhance local ministries.
Written by Rev. Bob Hoffman, Albany Synod Administrator
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