NORTH SYRACUSE — Plank Road Baptist Conference, North Syracuse Baptist Church, The Gathering Place.

Over the last 175 years, this place of worship has gone by many names, but a few things have stayed constant: “The ability to stay true to the foundational elements of the church, following the Lord, and following His work,” Lead Pastor Rob Burns said.

“We’ve always sought to be a church that proclaims the word of God,” Burns said.

The Gathering Place at NSBC has planned a series of events this month to celebrate its 175th anniversary. (See the sidebar for event info.) The celebration is centered around Hebrews 13:8, which reads, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Burns reflected on TGP’s history and legacy in the community. Read on:

Yesterday: Plank Road

The church was founded as Plank Road Baptist Church in 1847, decades before the village of North Syracuse was incorporated.

“To be able to be part of a 175th anniversary is incredible. To think how different the world was 175 years ago, how different the village of North Syracuse was,” Burns said.

TGP has its roots in six families who first gathered in Centerville in 1844 to worship. Three years later, the Onondaga Baptist Association recognized a group of 28 charter members as the Plank Road Baptist Conference. In 1897, the congregation became North Syracuse Baptist Church.

The church completed construction of its first house of worship in 1854. That building was home to the congregation until 1940. A new building was constructed in the late 1940s.

Throughout its history, TGP has used the technology of the day to reach its flock. Under Pastor Archie A. MacKinney, NSBC held summertime services at the North Drive-in Theater starting in 1952. Three years later, Pastor Ernest Laycock led a radio broadcast of sermons, songs and poems on the WNDR 1260 station. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, parishioners could call the church to hear recorded messages: “Dial-A-Prayer” and children’s stories.

Over the 20th century, NSBC funded missionaries, sponsored new churches like Eastern Hill Bible Church in Manlius, and started groups such as Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) and the Deaf Ministry.

By 1990, the church had outgrown its sanctuary and began building a vast worship hall that seats 1,500 people.

“My grandparents were at this church when I was young,” said Burns, who grew up in Liverpool and attended NSBC with his family. Burns spent 20 years as a preacher in Philadelphia before returning to his hometown church two years ago.

Today: The Gathering Place

In 2015, North Syracuse Baptist Church rebranded as The Gathering Place at NSBC to reflect its independence and mission to welcome people of all backgrounds.

“The church was never part of a denomination but followed [Baptist teachings],” Burns said. “In a lot of ways, that frees people up form preconceived notions of being part of a denomination. … We really want people to be welcomed in and feel like they’ve found a home here.”

Dial-a-Prayer and drive-in services have been replaced by social media and livestreaming, especially during COVID.

“We also have worked pretty extensively to engage with what I call timeless truths with timely methods. The word of God never changes, and that’s actually part of the theme for our 175th anniversary,” Burns said.

While technology has changed, Burns observed that the church’s mission has remained constant. At TGP’s monthly meet-and-greet luncheons, he compares the Plank Road Baptist Conference’s covenant with TGP’s current covenant for newcomers to see side-by-side.

“It’s amazing how similar they are,” he said.

The Gathering Place’s name also reflects the church’s expanded role in the community. TGP partners with the Village of North Syracuse Parks and Recreation Department for many of its programs and has completed service projects in the local parks.

“We’re also either the ‘too hot’ or the ‘rainy day’ location for the summer parks program,” Burns said.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the church lent its space and audiovisual equipment to the village board so trustees could livestream meetings and maintain social distancing until the North Syracuse Community Center could be reconfigured.

TGP also hosts Trunk or Treat around Halloween and recently held a backpack drive for Roxboro students in need.

“We really believe that’s what the church is meant to be. Our desire is to be part of the fabric of this community and the communities around us,” Burns said. “Not only does our church care about our village and the people that live here, but we also want to help the neighborhood around us and help the community improve.”

Forever: Future facilities

Looking ahead to TGP’s next 175 years, Burns said he hopes the church continues its steadfast tradition of serving the community and worshiping together.

“I would love for us to remain consistent and faithful,” he said.

Thanks to the church’s digital outreach, its flock is larger now than it was before the pandemic, but in-person attendance remains a challenge.

“The last year or so coming out of the COVID pandemic, one of our major challenges was getting people to re-engage. We believe it’s important for people to be together,” Burns said.

TGP has a safety team that makes sure health protocols are in place and plans for security threats such as shootings, which have occurred at schools and places of worship at an alarming rate over the past few years.

“We’ve really tried to create an environment that is safe,” Burns said.

The church hires an off-duty police officer to monitor Sunday services and has a team trained to respond to emergencies.

“It’s unfortunately that we have to, but it is the reality of the world that we live in today,” Burns said.

In addition to shoring up its safety and security precautions, the church is hoping to improve its facilities to continue serving its flock. TGP has set a fundraising goal of $175,000 to build an interactive missions wall and renovate the gym.

“This interactive wall would allow our church family to have access to our missionaries that we support both internationally and domestically. It would increase our ability to encourage regular interactions with those we support through informed prayer and also regular updates,” the church’s anniversary appeal explains. “The gym renovation will allow for increased space for our student ministries, multiple courts for our Upward ministry, and many other uses.”

Burns said visitors to the church often remark on the size of the church and the scope of its ministry.

“[They say,] ‘Wow, I never really knew this was back here and this was this big,’” he said. “I really would love people to come see what God’s done here. We have plenty of room and we’d love for people to join us.”