The Purpose

The purpose of this church shall be to glorify God through public worship and the preaching of His Word, to make disciples by evangelizing our community, to incorporate new believers into the fellowship of the church, to lead them toward growth in Christian maturity, to train and equip believers for Christian service, and to promote and support educational and missionary activity both at home and abroad.

The History

In 1805, Deacon John Boorom had moved from near Somerville, New Jersey with his family to Seneca County. He was ten years old at the time of the move, and his family settled at Hall’s Corner. Deacon Boorom was a hard working man, and dedicated himself to studying and reflective reading in the evenings.

In 1812, Deacon Boorom volunteered his service in the war where he contracted “consumption” now known as Tuberculosis and would later ultimately be the cause of his death in 1889, 94 years of age. At the age of fourteen years old, 1816, Deacon Boorom was baptized by Elder Thomas during the great revival.

Deacon Boorom  enjoyed willingly helping the public and was a devout Christian. He gave to the church, the mission and to the Rochester and Hamilton theological institutions. Of the gifts Deacon Boorom and his family gave, he had been named toward erecting the Farmer Village Baptist Church.

The church was organized and founded as the Baptist Church of Farmer Village on November 22, 1819 and incorporated April 3, 1824. Elder John Lewis was named the first pastor. The first elders were E. Winans, L. Johnston; Church Clerk, Jeremiah Rappylee. The following members were: J. Lewis, E. Winans, L. Johnston, A. Hand, J. Dennison, S. Snell, William Rappylee, S. Lewis, N. Rappylee, J. Fisher, S. Almy, B. Covert, J. Rappylee, J. Spaulding, J. Clark, P. Dennison, A. Trobridge, M. Smock, H. Johnstone, A. Hand, L. Hall, J. Churchward, C. Swick, M. Winans, P. Stout, A. Snell, A. Covert, J. Almy, L. Rappylee, L. Brown, P. Ferris, E. Hoagland, A. Spaulding, E. Delong, P. Johnston, S. Kennedy, C. Covert, J. Kennedy.

The first house of worship was erected in 1823. It was renamed the Union Baptist Church of Farmer Village in 1830, also known as the First Union Baptist Church of Christ at Farmerville. The present church edifice was erected in 1861. Later, the church was again renamed to the First Baptist Church of Farmer on August 11, 1892 and finally became The First Baptist Church of Interlaken after the village changed its name in March, 1905.

Derived from History of Seneca County, New York, with Illustrations 1786-1876, Author Anonymous.