Yale Finding Aid Database : Guide to the Congregational Church Records (Record Group No. 56)

Overview

Repository:	Yale University Divinity School Library 409 Prospect Street New Haven, CT 06511 Email: divinity.library@yale.edu Phone: (203) 432-5301
Call Number:	Record Group No. 56
Title:	Congregational Church Records,
Dates:	1709-1983
Physical Description:	Total archival boxes 67; total linear footage 22.5''
Language(s):	Materials in English.
Summary:	The Congregational Church Records of Record Group 56 are an open collection of primarily printed material dating from approximately 1795-1983. Records of various official bodies are encompassed by the record group as it documents churches of Congregational polity individually and in cooperation on local, state, national and international levels.
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Finding Aid Link:	To cite or bookmark this finding aid, use the following address: http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/divinity.056
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Catalog Record:	A record for this collection, including location information, may be available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog.

Administrative Information

Information about Access

Open to qualified researchers.

Cite As

Congregational Church Records, Record Group No. 56, Special Collections, Yale Divinity School Library.

Historical Sketch

Congregationalism is defined as the form of church polity which rests on the independence and autonomy of each local church. This local autonomy has not prevented churches from forming county, state and national associations for mutual support and cooperative service. Historically, for Congregationalists, the term 'church' has been seen as applicable only to the local congregation and the wider associations have not had binding authority in matters related to doctrine and church discipline.

Over the years, Congregational churches in both Great Britain and the United States have followed a path toward union with like-minded bodies. In 1832, the county associations of Great Britain combined to form the Congregational Union of England and Wales. This Union merged with the Presbyterian Church of England in 1972 to form the United Reformed Church. In the United States, the National Council of the Congregational Churches and the General Convention of the Christian Churches formed a union in 1931, becoming The General Council of Congregational and Christian Churches. Under this union, local churches were free to continue as Congregational or as Christian Churches. A merger between the Congregational and Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church was begun in 1957 and completed in July of 1961, resulting in the formation of the United Church of Christ. This merger was the cause of considerable controversy, being opposed by those who feared it would cause a lessening of traditional Congregational autonomy.

Description of the Records

I. International Records
II. Congregational Churches in the U.S.: Publications Related to Doctrine, Polity and History
III. Congregational Churches in the U.S.: National Organizations and Meetings
IV. Congregational Churches in the U.S.: National Meetings
V. Congregational Churches in the U.S.: State and Local Records

Records of various official bodies are encompassed by the record group as it documents churches of Congregational polity individually and in cooperation on local, state, national and international levels.

The researcher should be aware that additional records similar to those appearing in this record group may appear in the Library's cataloged collections.

The majority of the records document Congregationalism in the United States (Series II through V), including material from most of the 50 states. While some of the publications may be of marginal interest, other portions of the material provide rich resources for historical research. The records of the Annual Meetings of the General Associations or Conferences of Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont are relatively complete. Local associations within Connecticut and Massachusetts are also well represented.

The publications in Series II date from 1811 to 1969 and are primarily organized by format. Of particular interest in Series II is the pamphlet and ephemeral material published from 1939 to 1961 which documents the controversy surrounding the merger of the Congregational and Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church. Similar material is available in the papers of Henry David Gray, Manuscript Group No. 52.

The National Organizations of Series III are primarily those related to educational, church building, church unity and ministerial support. These organizations are listed alphabetically. There are few records of national organizations devoted to home or foreign mission activity in this record group. Such documents are located elsewhere in the Library's collection.

The State and Local Records of Series V are primarily organized alphabetically by state and within each state according to the following categories:

A. Statewide organizations and meetings
B. Intrastate organizations and meetings
C. Individual church records

The records in Category A include the minutes, reports, proceedings and other publications of organizations and meetings which had delegates from throughout a state. The minutes and reports of annual meetings appear first in Category A, organized in chronological order under the official name of the gathering, the designation of which varied over time and from state to state. In some states, the pamphlet containing the minutes of the annual association, conference or convention meeting also included the annual report of the state missionary society.

The organizations and meetings represented in Category B of Series V are those with membership drawn from an area within a state, usually a county or municipality. The records of these groups are listed alphabetically by the name of the organization or gathering.

Records of individual churches are included in Series V only for states other than the New England states. Records of individual Congregational churches in the six New England states are located in Record Group 48, New England Church Records.