The Voorleezer was a very important official in the Reformed Church and
combined the duties of several offices. 1st, as Voorleezer or clerk,
upon Sundays, before the minister entered the pulpit, the Voorleezer
took his place at the desk in front of the high pulpit or "preaching
chair," as it was called, and opened the services by announcing and
reading a verse from the Psalms. He then led the congregation in the
singing of it, which gave him the title of foresinger. After the
verse had been sung he first read the ten commandments or the creed,
and then a portion of the Scriptures. In the meantime the preacher
had ascended the pulpit, a verse was again sung and the Voorleezer
went to his seat in the pew set apart for the consistory. When the
sermon, which usually lasted an hour and a half, was half finished the
minister announced a Psalm verse, the foresinger returned to his desk
and led the singing, while the deacons went around with the "bell" to
gather in the collections. At the close of the services the Voorleezer
again led in singing and the minister dismissed the congregation with
the benediction. 2d, during the week days, the Voorleezer taught the
village school, and was at the same time catechiser, using in early
days of Bergen a question book written by Domine Johannis Megapolensis
of Nieu Amsterdam. If there was no minister the Voorleezer took the
place of a local pastor in all respects except baptizing children and
administering the Lord's Supper. Not being allowed to ascend the
pulpit he read sermons from his desk. (Among items charged in the
Deacons Accounts were several books of sermons.) On Sunday mornings he
held a service at Bergen and on alternate Sunday afternoons at some
farm-house in Ahasimus and Communipaw. An hour-glass stood on the
reader's desk and when the sand had run from the upper into the lower
hollow he was to suspend services and dismiss the congregation.
He officiated as bell-ringer, kept the church records, took care of
the Communion set, which his wife kept clean, the bier, and the pall,
acted as bookkeeper for the Deacons and also served as Aanspreker or
funeral director, in which capacity he kept the records of the dead.
For services as Voorleezer and schoolmaster the salary exceeded f600.,
and as bookkeeper and Aanspreker he charged for his services, and
probably received extra fees for baptismal and marriage records. The
first Voorleezer mentioned in the church records was Regnier Bastianse
Van Giesen who served in that capacity from 1665 to May 12, 1707, when
he died. He probably came from Utrecht in the Netherlands, lived awhile
at Midwout, L. I., then came to Bergen. He was an educated man who
wrote the language correctly and was evidently versed in the history
of his country. These Voorleezers were men of great influence in the
early days of Bergen, especially before there was a settled pastor. The
office continued until 1789 when Mr. John Collard received the title of
Clerk with the salary of £2, 15s. per annum.
After the receipts of the church began to exceed the expenditures the
Deacons invested the surplus funds in cows which were rented out to
responsible members of the congregation for 12 lbs. of butter per annum
or its value in money. In 1679 butter sold at 22 stivers per lb. and
the rent for one cow was 13 guilders, 4 stivers. After 1715 the Deacons
gave up the "butter rent" business and loaned the church funds at 6% on
the bond of the borrower and his securities, or upon personal property
to the value of the sum loaned given as collateral security. In the
early days for more than a century, accounts were reckoned in "guilders
seewan" and wampum often accumulated in quite large amounts in both
loose and braided. In 1691 f4,000 in wampum was taken to Stephen Van
Courtlandt to be exchanged for silver money. The Church Treasury has a
package of $1,214 in Continental bills and $700 in worthless State and
communal paper of still earlier date.