History of the Town of Flatbush

The landed estate and general financial interests of the Church of Flatbush, from the time of its organization, were entrusted to the care and management of Church Masters, similar to the mode and usage practised by the Reformed churches in Holland. The Church Masters were three in number, elected by the "Gemeente," or assembled congregation, out of the Consistory, and held their offices for two years, corresponding with the official term of the Elders and Deacons. When the Church Masters were first chosen, they were divided into two classes, and the seat of the member of the first class became vacant at the expiration of the first year, and the seats of the two members of the second class, at the expiration of the second year, so that thereafter, one or the other members of each class might be annually chosen. They were required, to render an annual statement of their receipts and expenditures, and the correctness of the accounts of the retiring Church Master, or Church Masters, as the case might be, was always certified on the church books. The temporalities belonging to the church, and consisting of real and personal estate, appear to have been prudently and judiciously managed and preserved by the Church Masters thus chosen, down to the close of the year, 1784, a period of nearly one hundred and seventy years. The last Church Masters, were John Vanderbilt, Isaac Snediker and Johannes E. Lott, whose accounts were examined by the Trustees of the church, and by them found satisfactory: whereupon the following certificate was entered upon the church books. "John Vanderbilt, Isaac Snediker and Johannes E. Lott, Church Masters, having come together, and rendered an account of their receipts and expenditures to the Trustees who are chosen in their place, and the Church Masters have been found faithful in their trust, are thanked by us, the underwritten Trustees, for their services."

On the 6th day of April, in the year 1784, the Legislature of the State of New-York, passed an Act, entitled "An Act to enable all religious denominations in this State, to appoint Trustees, who should be a Body Corporate, for the purpose of taking care of the temporalities of their respective congregations, and for other purposes therein mentioned." As the revolutionary war was now just closed, and peace again restored, the inhabitants of the town of Flatbush, at once saw the advantages which their church might derive from this Act authorizing the incorporation of religious societies. Accordingly, on Sunday the 26th day of December, 1784, public notice was given by the Rev. Martinus Schoonmaker, the minister of the church, by a publication therein, immediately after divine service, and before the congregation was dismissed, notifying all male persons who statedly worshiped in the said church, to meet therein, on the 17th day of January, then next ensuing, at one o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, for the purpose of electing Trustees to take care of the temporalities of the said church, pursuant to the provisions of the above-mentioned Act. The same notification was again made, in the said church, by the same minister, on the 2d day of January, 1785, in manner aforesaid. In pursuance of which notifications, the male persons who statedly worshiped in the said church, accordingly met at the time and place appointed, and in the presence of Jeremias Van Der Bilt and Joris Martense, Elders and Judges of the election, did then, and there, by plurality of voices, elect Philip Nagel, Cornelius Wyckoff, Hendrick Suydam, Peter Lefferts and John R. Vanderbilt, Trustees to take care of the temporalities of the said