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3. Provenance 5. Inventory 6. Subjects |
Rhode Island Congregational Christian Conference Records
Records, 1803-1973. Bulk, 1839-1973. Size: 4 ft. Catalog number: MSS 140 Processed by: Rick Stattler, January 2004 ©Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts Division |
Scope and content:
This collection contains the complete minutes of the Rhode Island Association of Orthodox Congregational Ministers, 1839-1908. The group apparently dropped the "Orthodox" designation at some point after 1863, and by 1934 was known as the Rhode Island Congregational Christian Conference. In 1957, the Congregationalists merged nationally with other denominations to form the United Church of Christ, and the local group became the Rhode Island Conference of the United Church of Christ in 1970. It remains active under that name to this day, under the recent leadership of conference ministers Rev. Robert Bergfalk from 1972 to 1982, and Rev. H. Daehler Hayes from 1983 to 2002.
The bulk of the collection consists of the working files of Rev. R. Vernon Lawson (1906-1973), conference minister from approximately 1958 through 1972, including records from missionary, education and social action committees of the conference, and information from the national General Conference. Mixed in with Lawson's files are some earlier records dating back as early as 1913.
One particular file concerns the Sheldon Street Congregational Church in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence, which served a predominantly Cape Verdean population. The files relate to efforts to save the financially struggling church from 1954 to 1958.
This collection consists of the minutes of two related Congregationalist groups in Rhode Island: the Domestic Missionary Society of Rhode Island, 1803-1805 and 1821-1874 (which became the Rhode Island Home Missionary Society in 1837); and the Congregational Ministers Meeting of Rhode Island, 1885-1918.
Provenance:
The earliest records (Boxes 6 and 7) apparently arrived in 1923 from Gideon Burgess and in 1926 from the Conference. The material in boxes 1 through 5 consists mostly of office files extending through 1973. It presumably arrived in one gift at some point between 1973 and 1993, when it was inventoried.
Processing note:
The collection is largely unprocessed, although a box list was compiled by Cindy Bendroth in 1993.
Inventory:
Box 1
Consultation on Religious Education, 1971-1972
1969 List mailed 7/24 Congregationalists
Annual Reports, 1969-1971
Current Camp Materials 1970 and Correspondence
Mr. Lawson, 1964-1969
Mr. Lawson 1967-1968
Minutes of Education, social relations, Christian World Mission committees etc. 1952-1955
Mr. Campbell, misc. correspondence 1971
Camp and Conference, 1964-1965
Jamaica, 1969
Camp Conference, 1963-1970
Mrs. Semple's Folder, misc. 1951-1969
Committee on Voting on the UCC, 1960-1961
South Providence Tutorial, 1969
Legal Committee, UCC Constitution, 1961-1963
Research and Strategy RI State Council of Churches, 1958-1967
Higher Education Fund reports, 1960-1961
Chaplaincy Division, 1970-1971
Social Action Committee Welfare and legislative, 1964-1969
Urban work, 1969-1972
Camp and Conference Budget report, 1968-1969
Memos and press releases from National to RI Cong. 1961-1969
Social Action, 1969-1972
Trustees of ministerial fund correspondence
Trustees of ministerial fund reports of meetings
Printed minutes, 1966-1970
Christian World Mission Committee state 1971-1973
Mrs. Maclean's Christian World Mission Committee notes, 1972-1973
Our Christian World Mission, 1969-1971
Ecclesiastical Councils, 1966-1971
One Handbook, Jan. 1962
Box 2
RICC Pilgrim Fellowship - Secretary record, 1941-1947 (Exec board)
RICC Pilgrim sec. record, 1948-54
RICC Young People's Division secretary's record, 1930-1933
Box 3
Digest of Executive Committee actions, 1913-1947
Survey of Board of Home Missions committee of finances
Handbook on the Biennial Meeting
Esther Johnson's newsletter aug. 1947-June 1951
R. Vernon Lawson conf. minister(envelope)
Semi-monthly newsletter RICC
RICC Yearbook reports, 1971-72
RICC Young People's Division minutes, 1930-1937
Box 4
Annual reports from local churches, 1967-1969
Applications for Winter conference, 1967
Monthly reports to UCC 1967-1968
Changes in ministers for General Council, 1965-1966
Mis. minutes for work file, 1967
Workshops, 1966-1967
Work file of Mr. Campbell, Christian Education, 1966-1968
Youth Echo, 1965-1967
Mr. Caskey, 1964-1967
Wilcox work file, 1965-1966
National office, 1958-1962
Christian Higher Education brochures PHOTOS
Christian Higher Education documents, 1958-1960
Copies of annual reports to RICC (envelope)
1971 printed minutes
Printed minutes, 1969
Project Equality, 1964-1968
Rhode Island United Ministries higher education 1971
Workshops and conferences, 1967-1969
Youth ministry materials 1968-1969
RI state council of churches 1971
1969 church reports
1970 church reports
Box 5
Sermons
R. Lawson churches visited morning worship 1961-1964
Calendars of churches visited for morning worship, 1959-1961
Sheldon Street Congregational Church (Providence), 1954-1959
Conference Executives historical documents
Personnel Policies-salaries
Congregational Baptist Disc.
Metropolitan Mission-minutes-general
Minister of Urban strategy finances
Metropolitan Mission correspondence
Parochial School Aid
New England Consultation of Church Leaders
Vacation Schedules
Sabbatical leave policy
World council
Health insurance program, UCL
Family Protection Plan
Layworkers Protection plan
Medicare plan
Profiles
Conference study comm.
Executive Committee of the national General Council, 1945-1960 (5 folders, incomplete)
Box 6
Domestic Missionary Society of Rhode Island constitution and minutes, 1821-1874
With loose sheets 1803-1805 tipped in. Became the Rhode Island Home Missionary Society in 1837.
Rhode Island Association of Congregational Ministers:
Minutes and program, 1912-1914
Correspondence, 1913-1918 (6 folders or volumes)
Correspondence, miscellaneous
Box 7
Rhode Island Association of Orthodox Congregational Ministers minutes:
Jan. 1839-1849
Jan. 1849 - Oct. 1862
Jan. 1863 - Oct 1891. Includes signatures and birth dates of members, 1863-onward
Jan. 1892 - April 1908
Congregational Ministers Meeting of Rhode Island minutes:
1885-1897 ("Vol. III")
1902-1911 ("Vol. V")
1911 - Mar. 1918 ("Vol. VI")
Subjects:
Cape Verdean Americans - Rhode Island - Providence.
Congregational Ministers Meeting of Rhode Island.
Congregational Church - Rhode Island.
Lawson, R. Vernon, d.1973.
Missions - Rhode Island.
Religion - Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Association of Congregational Ministers.
Rhode Island Association of Orthodox Congregational Ministers.
Rhode Island Conference of the United Church of Christ.
Domestic Missionary Society of Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Home Missionary Society.
Sheldon Street Congregational Church (Providence, R.I.)
United Church of Christ - Rhode Island.
End of finding aid - return to top
RIHS1822