Collections & Finding Aids
Conference Administrative Records (click for a list)
The archives contain records of the conference, districts, and conference committees and commissions for the United Methodist Church and its predecessors.
Conference Journals and Other Publications (click for a list of journals)
The archives holds books and serials focusing on the United Methodist Church and its predecessors in Michigan and nationally. Key research sources include the journals/minutes/proceedings of annual conferences and yearbooks/newsletters/magazines (both Michigan and national). Resources include:
- Methodist Episcopal Church – Detroit and Michigan conferences journals, 1836-1938, along with some journals for ethnic conferences covering German, Swedish, Norwegian-Danish, and African-American churches.
- Methodist Protestant Church – Michigan and West Michigan conferences journals, 1864-1938, along with national publications such as the Methodist Recorder and the Methodist Protestant.
- Methodist Church – Detroit and West Michigan and Lexington (African-American) conferences journals, 1939-1968.
- Evangelical Association/Church – Michigan conference proceedings/journals, 1886-1950 (some in German), along with national publications such as the Evangelical Messenger and Der Christliche Botschafter.
- United Brethren in Christ – Michigan Conference, 1862-1950, Northern Michigan Conference, 1877-1896, and St. Joseph Conference, 1880-1899, journals.
- Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) Church – Michigan Conference journals, 1947-1969, along with the national publication Telescope-Messenger.
- United Methodist Church – Detroit and West Michigan conferences journals from 1969 to 2018.
- Michigan Christian Advocate magazine, 1873-2010
Other finding aids to publications include:
- Bibles
- Hymnals
- Methodist Missions to Michigan Native Americans
- Methodist Protestant Origins
Clergy Biographical Files (click for a list)
The archives maintains biographical files on Methodist pastors and bishops and those of predecessor churches. In addition, we have an index to obituaries and memoirs appearing in the published annual conference journals.
Personal and Organizational Papers (click for a list)
Included are diaries, photograph albums, vital records, and other documents donated by clergy and Methodist organizations. In addition, the archives contain research files and writings of church historians.
Local Church History Files (click for a list)
History files contain such items as reports, histories, photographs, and news clippings from both active and closed churches in eastern and northern Michigan. Many histories were prepared by members for church homecomings and anniversaries. The depth of information varies for each church.
Local Church History Records (click for a list)
Most collections of church records in the archives are from closed churches, but not all closed churches have transferred their records to the archives. Active churches occasionally transfer fragmentary collections, but most records of active churches are retained in the local church. In the list, small amounts of records are described in the Records Note field and larger collections have separate finding aids.