Historical Council of the United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ Historical Council was created in 1975 by the Tenth General Synod of the United Church of Christ. The Historical Council expresses concern for all archival collections related to the denomination and reminds the United Church of Christ of its traditions. It provides input to the General Minister and President regarding how our history can inform present issues faced by the denomination and the world. Projects of the Historical Council have included: what are our major theological principles based on our heritage, what have been our social justice stances in the past, and how can we best prepare for our big anniversary year celebrations.
The Historical Council is committed to lifting up previously lesser-known parts of our UCC heritage. Recent projects include support for the acknowledgment of the Afro-Christian tradition as a fifth stream of the UCC at the 2023 Synod.
The Historical Council currently advocates particularly on behalf of the following institutions that care for archival records of United Church of Christ history and heritage:
The Archives of the United Church of Christ
Located at Church House in Cleveland, the UCC Archives preserves the records of the church’s national setting since 1957. All questions concerning parish and family records, the work of General Synod, and the history of the national setting of the UCC should be directed to the UCC Archives.
The Afro-Christian Convention Archives of Franklinton Center at Bricks Inc.
Established in 2023, the Afro-Christian Convention Archives collects, preserves and makes available to researchers, documents and publications of the Afro-Christian Convention, the fifth historical stream of the United Church of Christ. Located in North Carolina and Virginia, the Afro-Christian Convention (1892-1950) was composed of 150 churches, 25,000 members, 185 ordained ministers and licentiates, and 150 Sunday schools. The Afro-Christian Convention supported the Franklinton Literary and Theological Institute, later called Franklinton Christian College (1871-1930). The archives also preserve the institutional history of the Franklinton Center at Bricks site, a former plantation that was transformed into the American Missionary Association sponsored Joseph Keasby Bricks School, North Carolina’s first accredited school for African Americans. Today the site serves as a social justice and retreat Center, providing a home to local national and global programs and organizations seeking liberation.
The Afro-Christian Convention Archives also preserves Anniversary Programs and histories of 66 Afro-Christian UCC churches, the papers of Afro-Christian ministers and church leaders, along with records of the Convention of the South (1950-1957), the Wilmington Ten Case, rural economic development projects, United Black Christians (UBC) and the Environmental Justice Movement.
The Amistad Research Center (ARC) is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization located at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Amistad Research Center holds the records for the American Missionary Association (AMA) and the United Church Board for Home Missions. The Center’s mission is to collect, preserve, and provide open access to original materials that reference the social and cultural importance of America’s ethnic and racial history, the African Diaspora, human relations, and civil rights.
Congregational Library & Archives
Established in 1853, the Congregational Library & Archives (CLA) fosters a deeper understanding of the spiritual, intellectual, cultural, and civic dimensions of the Congregational Christian story and its ongoing relevance to contemporary society by collecting, preserving, and sharing materials and by actively engaging with faith communities, students, scholars, and the general public. The CLA holds over 225,000 print and manuscript church records, personal papers, denominational records, sermons, books and other material from the Congregational and Christian faiths. CLA’s digital archive hosts New England’s Hidden Histories, a collection of more than 130,000 digitized church records from 1620 to 1850. Virtual programs and conferences, research fellowships, and reference services connect people across the United States and around world with this vibrant tradition.
The Church History Collection at Elon University can be found in the Archives & Special Collections Department of Carol Grotnes Belk Library. Archives & Special Collections serves as a repository for manuscript collections, printed materials, photographs, artifacts, and other memorabilia that relate to the history of Elon University. The Church History Collection contains records relating to the Southern Christian Convention of the Christian Church, which founded Elon College in 1889. The Christian Church merged with the Congregational Church in 1931; this denomination merged with the Evangelical & Reformed Church in 1957 to form the United Church of Christ. The Church History Collection also has documents related to the North Carolina Colored Christian Conference, organized in Raleigh in 1866, as well as the Afro-Christian Conference, a national conference organized in North Carolina in 1892.
Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society
Located at Lancaster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, the Society cultivates interest in the heritage of the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS), the Evangelical Synod of North America, and the denomination founded in 1934 as a result of the merger of these two bodies: the Evangelical and Reformed Church. Lancaster Seminary also maintains the Reformed Church archives, plus a collection of records from the Evangelical and Reformed Church. The archives for the Evangelical and Reformed Church Historical Society (Southern Chapter), formerly housed at the Catawba College Archives, is now housed at the Evangelical & Reformed Historical Society. Most of the information in the archives is about the churches in North Carolina that were former Reformed Church in the United States/Evangelical and Reformed Churches.
The Archives at Eden Theological Seminary collects, preserves and makes available the historical records and manuscripts related to Eden Theological Seminary and the Evangelical Synod of North America, a predecessor denomination of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the United Church of Christ. Also held at the Archives at Eden Theological Seminary are the Deaconess Archives, which cover the period from the Society’s founding in 1889 to the sale of Deaconess Hospital in 1997.The Archives has the records of many congregations with roots in the Evangelical Synod of North America, with emphasis on those in the St. Louis metropolitan area and other communities in Missouri and southern Illinois. Please click on the link above for more information.
Evangelical Synod Archives at Eden Theological Seminary
The Archives at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri collects, preserves, and makes available historical records and manuscripts related to the Evangelical Synod of North America and Eden Theological Seminary. The collection includes official denominational records of the Evangelical Synod, 1840–1934, and those of congregations and institutions originating in the denomination to present.