United Methodist Church records, 1784-1984, bulk 1800-1940

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Summary

Creator:

United Methodist Church (U.S.)

Abstract:

The United Methodist Church Records are comprised primarily of bound volumes of quarterly conference minutes that document the administrative life of church units (circuits, charges, and churches) in the N.C. Conference (1784-1974, bulk 1841-1919) and the Western N.C. Conference (1884-1962, bulk 1893-1932) of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS). Counties in N.C. represented in the collection include Alamance, Ashe, Bladen, Burke, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cleveland, Dare, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Gates, New Hanover, Iredell, Lincoln, Perquimans, Randolph, Rowan, Yadkin, and Wake. However, this collection does not include complete runs of any set of bound minutes, correspondence, or other documentation for any N.C. county or district. There are also bound volumes of N.C. Conference, MECS, district conference minutes (1866-1939); financial, administrative, and legal records for the Board of Missions and Church Extension of the Western N.C. Conference, MECS (1909-1952); bound journals of annual conference meetings of the N.C. Conference, MECS (1838-1913); as well as some district, conference, and national records for non-N.C. conferences and for the MECS and the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). National records include correspondence and financial records from the American Mission in North Africa, MEC (1909-1952). Although the entire collection dates from 1784-1984, the bulk of the material dates from 1800-1940.

Extent:

48.8 Linear Feet

Language:

Material in English

Collection ID:

RL.00891

Background

Scope and content:

The United Methodist Church Records are comprised primarily of bound volumes of quarterly conference minutes that document the administrative life of smaller church units (circuits, charges, and churches) within the N.C. Conference (1784-1974, bulk 1841-1919) and the Western N.C. Conference (1884-1962, bulk 1893-1932) of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS). Counties in N.C. represented in the collection include Alamance, Ashe, Bladen, Burke, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cleveland, Dare, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Gates (also Va.), New Hanover, Iredell, Lincoln, Perquimans (also Va.), Randolph, Rowan, Yadkin, and Wake. There are also bound volumes of N.C. Conference, MECS, district conference minutes (1866-1939); financial, administrative, and legal records for the Board of Missions and Church Extension of the Western N.C. Conference, MECS (1909-1952); bound journals of annual conference meetings of the N.C. Conference, MECS (1838-1913); as well as some district, conference, and national records for non-N.C. conferences and for the MECS and the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). The national records include correspondence--especially to and from J. H. Colpais Purdon--and financial records from the American Mission in North Africa, MEC (1909-1952); and correspondence, minutes, reports, and printed material documenting the planning for the reunification of the MEC and the MECS (1906-1916, 1932-1939), especially hymnal revision.

In addition to the quarterly conference and district conference minutes, the N.C. Conference and Non-N.C. Conference Series include membership, Sunday School, abstinence society, and susbscription and class lists (Buckhorn, Currituck, Forsyth, and Haw River Circuits); plans and maps of circuits (Currituck, Forsyth, and Holly Springs Circuits); notes, drawings, and inventories of church buildings and furniture (Iredell and Roanoke Circuits); and handwritten "responses" of the Eastern Shore of Virginia to the MEC split, some written by William Gwynn Coe. The Historical Sketches Series includes land deeds for churches and correspondence written by or pertaining to Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke; and some information about churches with mixed-race congregations. Although the entire collection dates from 1784-1984, the bulk of the material dates from 1800-1940.

This collection does not include complete runs of any set of bound minutes, correspondence, or other documentation for any N.C. county or district. Thus, it does not provide a full view of the activities of the Methodist Church in N.C. However, for both the N.C. and Western N.C. Conferences, some districts, circuits, and counties are well-represented. These include, in the N.C. Conference, MECS, the Durham District (1885-1927), Elizabeth City District (1911-1922), Raleigh District (1914-1915 and 1935-1939), and Wilmington District (1866-1898); and Bath Circuit (Beaufort Co., 1849-1894), Dare Circuit (Dare Co., 1859-1903), Fifth Street Charge/Church/Station (New Hanover Co., 1844-1905), Gates Circuit (Gates Co., 1784-1911), Iredell Circuit (Iredell Co., 1823-1873), Leasburg Circuit (Caswell Co., 1883-1930), North Gates Circuit (Gates Co., 1884-1937), Pasquotank Circuit (Pasquotank Co., 1852-1906), Pittsboro Circuit (Chatham Co., 1854-1943), and Yanceyville Circuit (Caswell Co., 1844-1902). In the Western N.C. Conference the Asheville District (1912-1916) and Winston-Salem District (1924-1935) are well-documented, along with Alamance Circuit (Alamance Co., 1893-1908), First Methodist Church/Station (Lincoln Co., 1902-1962), Jefferson Circuit (Ashe Co., 1893-1932), Morganton Circuit (Burke Co., 1889-1932), Polkville Circuit (Cleveland Co., 1911-1927), and Randolph Circuit/Charge (Randolph Co., 1893-1930).

Arranged in five series: National Records Series; Non-N.C. Conference Records Series; N.C. Conference Records Series; Western N.C. Conference Records Series; Historical Sketches Series.

The National Records Series comprises national-level records from the MEC (1820-1952) and the MECS (1857-1939), including correspondence and financial records from the American Mission in North Africa of the MEC (1909-1952), especially correspondence to and from Joseph Cooksey, Edwin Frease, and Joseph Purdon (1909-1925). The MECS national records comprise primarily correspondence, minutes, reports, and printed material documenting the planning for the reunification of the MEC and the MECS (1906-1916, 1932-1939), especially hymnal revision.

The Non-N.C. Conference Records Seriesconsists primarily of bound volumes of quarterly conference minutes for circuits, charges, and churches in the Baltimore, North Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and other Conferences, especially those in Lumpkin Co., Ga.; Marion Co., S.C.; and Gates and Loudoun Cos., Va. Circuit, charge, and church-level records include a classbook of the Pleasant Hill Society (1851-1879, Dallas Co., Ala.); a hand-drawn map from the 1800s of the Holly Springs Circuit (unknown Co., Miss.); and a history of the formation of the Methodist Protestant Church in Maryland, 1833. There are conference-level records only for the Virginia and Wisconsin Conferences and these include an 1815 list of ministers serving Virginia Conference districts and circuits, as well as a group of hand-written "responses" of the Eastern Shore of Virginia to the Methodist Episcopal Church split (1864-1866).

The N.C. Conference Records Seriescomprises primarily bound volumes of quarterly conference minutes that document the administrative life of circuits, charges, churches, missions, and stations of the N.C. Conference, MECS, in the eastern and central counties of North Carolina, particularly Bladen, Caswell, Chatham, Dare, Durham, Gates, New Hanover, Perquimans, and Wake, but also including other counties (1784-1974). In addition, the series includes bound journals of annual conference meetings for the N.C. Conference of the MECS (1838-1913), as well as bound volumes of district conference minutes and quarterly conference minutes for, among other districts, the Durham, Elizabeth City, Raleigh, and Wilmington Districts of the N.C. Conference of the MECS (1866-1939).

The Western N.C. Conference consists primarily of bound volumes of quarterly conference minutes and church registers that document the administrative life of MECS and Methodist Church (MC) circuits, charges, churches, missions, and stations in the western and west central counties of North Carolina (1893-1932). Counties include Alamance, Ashe, Burke, Catawba, Cleveland, Davidson, Forsyth, Iredell, Lincoln, Randolph, Rowan, and Yadkin, among others. The series also includes financial, administrative, and legal records for the Board of Missions and Church Extension of the Western N.C. Conference of the MECS (1909-1952), as well as quarterly conference and district conference minutes and trustees minutes for districts within the Western N.C. Conference including, among others, the Asheville and Winston-Salem districts (1912-1935).

The Historical Sketches Series comprises primarily historical and biographical information solicited from N.C. ministers about themselves, their churches, circuits, and counties in 1879 by H. T. Hudson and in 1895 by an unknown person. Also includes earlier and later sketches, especially typescript or handwritten articles, essays, or sermons on Methodism in N.C.

Biographical / historical:

Although this collection contains records primarily from the N.C. and Western N.C. Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS), and national records from both the MECS and the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC), this chronology is provided as an aid to understanding the context of the records contained in this collection.

Date	Event
1772	First Methodist preaching in North Carolina at Currituck Court House in northeastern N.C.
1774	Petersburg Circuit extends into N.C.
1776	Carolina Circuit forms and is located in the north central part of N.C.
1780	Yadkin Circuit forms out of the Pittsylvania Circuit in Va. and is located in the present area of the Western N.C. Conference
1783	Salisbury Circuit forms out of the Yadkin Circuit
1780s	Preachers from S.C. circuits extend their range into western N.C.
1785	"Christmas Conference" held in Baltimore, Md., establishing the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) in the United States
1785	Virginia Conference, MEC, forms; exists until 1837
1787	South Carolina Conference, MEC, forms; exists until 1844
1824	Holston Conference, MEC, forms out of the Western Conference, which includes the section of N.C. west of the Appalachian mountains; exists until 1844
1828	North Carolina Conference, MPC, forms, which overlaps geographically with the part of N.C. that was in the Va. Conference of the MEC; conference exists until 1939 Dissenters over Bishops' powers leave the Methodist Episcopal Church and form the Methodist Protestant Church (MPC); MPC exists until 1939
1836	North Carolina Conference of the MEC forms out of the Va. Conference, composed from the northern half of N.C. to the Appalachian mountains in the West; territory overlaps with the N.C. Conference of the MPC
1838	First session of the North Carolina Conference, MEC, is held in Greensboro
1844-1845	N.C. Conference and the Holston Conference also join the MECS Dissenters leave the MEC over slavery and form the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS); majority of N.C. churches join the MECS MECS exists until 1939
1845-1865	No official MEC conference in N.C.
1850	Sandhills region of southeastern N.C. moves from the S.C. Conference, MECS, into the N.C. Conference, MECS
1865	Holston Conference of the MEC forms again, which includes the section of N.C. west of the Appalachian mountains; exists until 1878
1867	Exists until 1869 Virginia-North Carolina Mission Conference of the MEC forms, which includes the northern half of N.C. to the Appalachian mountains in the West; comprises both African American and white members
1869	N.C. Conference of the MEC forms out of the Va.-NC. Mission Conference, which includes the entire state of N.C.; exists until 1878
1870	Southern and western piedmont counties move from the S.C. Conference, MECS, to the N.C. Conference, MECS; the N.C. Conference is now composed of all N.C. counties except territory to the west of the Appalachian mountains, which remain in the Holston Conference of the MECS
1870	A separate Methodist Church, the Colored Methodist Church in America (CMCA), forms out of the MECS for all African-American members; exists until 1956
1879	White members of the N.C. Conference of the MEC and the N.C. part of the Asheville District of the Holston Conference, MEC, form the Southern Central Conference, MEC; exists until 1880
1879	N.C. Black Conference of the MEC forms out of the Va.-NC. Mission Conference; exists until 1939
1881	Name of Southern Central Conference, MEC, changes to Blue Ridge Conference, MEC; name remains through 1912
1890	Western North Carolina Conference of the MECS forms out of the western part of the N.C. Conference of the MECS and the N.C. part of the Holston Conference, MECS; exists until 1939
1896	Blue Ridge Conference, MEC, divides into the Atlantic Mission Conference in the eastern half of the state and the Blue Ridge Conference in the western half; both conferences exist until 1912
1912	Blue Ridge and Atlantic Mission Conferences of the MEC merge to form the Blue Ridge-Atlantic Conference of the MEC, which is composed of all of N.C., seven counties in southeastern Va., and twelve counties in S.C.
1913	Boundaries of the Blue Ridge-Atlantic Conference of the MEC change to include only N.C.
1939	CMCA continues as a separate denomination MECS, MEC, and MPC merge into the Methodist Church (MC) Western N.C. Conference and N.C. Conference of the MC forms, composed of white ministers and congregations
1939	Central Jurisdiction of the MC forms, composed of African-American congregations and ministers; exists until 1964
1956	CMCA changes name to Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
1965	North Carolina-Virginia Conference Central Jurisdictions, MC, form from the Central Jurisdiction, MC; jurisdictions exist until 1968
1968	MC and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merge into the United Methodist Church (UMC) North Carolina-Virginia Central Jurisdictions merge into either the Western N.C. Conference or the N.C. Conference, UMC

Resources used to write this history include Methodism in the Upper Cape Fear Valley, "Chapter 1: The North Carolina Conference, 1838," by C. Franklin Grill (Nashville, Tenn.: The Parthenon Press, 1966) and "History of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference," by Joseph W. Lasley, Southeastern Jurisdiction Historical Society Proceedings June 30-July 3, 1989 (Lake Junaluska, N.C., [1989]). See the information folder for this collection in the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library for a copy of the latter resource.

Acquisition information:

The United Methodist Church Records were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 1948-1997.

Processing information:

The intellectual organization of this collection is designed to provide maximum geographic and personal and church name access to the records in the collection, while maintaining as much administrative Methodist Church structure as possible. The organization thus reflects several situations found in the records: Although the physical location of individual churches, charges, stations, and missions tends to remain stable over time, the administrative and geographical boundaries that surround them do not. In fact, Methodist districts sometimes changed boundaries every year, and thus circuits went in and out of different districts with astonishing regularity. Also, the unification, in 1939, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Methodist Episcopal Church into the United Methodist Church appears to have not had a strong impact on the local church level, especially in the Western N.C. Conference, where the conference continued to provide the same ministries, with the same names, and using the same forms. They simply crossed out the "Episcopal" and the "South" (see, especially, aid applications). Added to these two circumstances is the patron's need to locate material either by county or by church name.

In this collection, national-level records are organized by the type of church that created them (Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Methodist Church), while the conference-level records for the Non-N.C. Conferences, the N.C. Conference, and the Western N.C. Conference are each arranged into three further groupings of conference, district, and circuit records. When the records on the conference level were created by churches other than the MECS, an abbreviation in parentheses notes which church (MEC or ME).

Information regarding what counties and which circuits, charges, and churches in the collection can be found within each district has been retained, as has any administrative history relating which district(s) a particular circuit, charge, or church was a part of during what time period. In the 1800s in the Methodist Church in the United States, a "circuit" consisted of two or more local churches or societies that were served by one pastor or a group of pastors in regular succession. A "station" or a"charge" comprised one or more churches served by one preacher. These stations or charges also supported their pastor financially. A minister would be appointed to a circuit, station, or charge. (See the entries for "circuit" and"charge, pastoral" in the Encyclopedia of Methodism (1888) and Encyclopedia of World Methodism(1974))

Patrons should be able to search the Non-N.C. Conferences, the N.C. Conference, and the Western N.C. Conference for information by county. They may also use the Historical Sketches Series to locate minister, circuit, and church names in alphabetical order. This collection may contain records, or information about, other churches that are not listed in the Historical Sketches, but which formed a part of a particular circuit. In these cases, the best method for finding information would be to begin with a county name or several county names.

County locations are approximate, based primarily on circuit, charge, or station name, and current to 2004.

Abbreviations used in this finding aid: N.C. (North Carolina); MECS (Methodist Episcopal Church, South); MEC (Methodist Episcopal Church); ME (Methodist Church); MPC (Methodist Protestant Church); UMC (United Methodist Church); Dist. (District); Ct. (Circuit); Co. (County).

Processed by William Erwin, 1965

Re-processed by Syreena Bibbs, Ruth E. Bryan, Elizabeth Floyd, Anna Navroskaya, July 2005

Encoded by Ruth E. Bryan, Elizabeth Floyd, Anna Navroskaya, Jan. 2006

Updated by Paula Jeannet, one volume added, May 2013.

Accessions from 1948-1997 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related

Related material:

Kentucky Conference

1. Unknown Co., Lexington First Church, Minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1809-1841 (not entire volume) (Lexington District). Available on microfilm, #189-1-1.

Mississippi Conference

1. Unknown Co., White Sands, Westville, and Mt. Carmel Circuits, Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1835-1877 (Choctaw District). Available on microfilm, #190-1-1.

Conference Records

1. Journals, 1838-1923. Available on microfilm, #191-1-1 to 191-5-1/
2. N.C. Conference Historical Society, Letter on Society formation, 1874. Found in William Clark Doub Papers.

District Records

1. Rockingham District, Presiding Elder's Minutes, 1892. Found in Marquis L. Wood Records and Papers, (Duke University Archives), Box 3, Folder 15.
2. Rockingham District, Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1891-1893. Found in Marquis L. Wood Records and Papers.
3. Wilmington District, District Conference Records, beginning 1897. Found in the N.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church Media Center, Raleigh, N.C.

Circuit, Charge, and Church Records

1. Bladen Co., Elizabeth Circuit (Fayetteville, Rockingham, and Wilmington Districts), Church Registers Nos. 1-2, 1888-1930; Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1908-1949; and Papers, 1926 and 1942. Available on microfilm, #191-7-1.
2. Chatham, Moore and Carteret Cos., Deep River Circuit (Hillsboro District) and Trent Circuit (New Bern District), Class Book, 1871-1872. Found in William F. Clegg Papers.
3. Dare Co., Roanoke Island and Dare Mission/Circuit (Suffolk and other districts), Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1888-1891. Available on microfilm, #192-1-1 and #192-1-2
4. Forsyth Co., Forsyth Circuit (Salisbury District), Class Book, 1851. Found in William Clark Doub Papers.
5. Gates Co., Gates Circuit (Elizabeth City and Suffolk, Va. Districts), Church Register, 1784-1887. Available on microfilm, #192-2-1.
6. Gates Co., North Gates Circuit (Elizabeth City, Murfreesboro, Va., and Suffolk, Va. Districts), Church Register, 1884-1937. Available on microfilm, #192-2-1.
7. Halifax Co., Roanoke and Littleton Circuits (Warrenton District), Methodist Church Records, 1860-1905 and undated Found in Edward Alston Thorne Papers.
8. Randolph Co., Randolph Circuit (Greensboro and Trinity College Districts), Quarterly Conference Minutes (original copy), 1888-1892. Found in the Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church, Trinity, N.C.
9. Richmond Co., Rockingham Station (Fayetteville District), Pastor's Visiting and Memorandum Book, 1889-1890. Found in Marquis L. Wood Records and Papers (Duke University Archives), Box 3, Folder 15.
10. Mulitple Cos., deed abstracts of Methodist churches in 56 counties in the NC Conference. Joseph W. Watson, author. Available on microfilm, number M 6626
11. Unknown Co., Davidson Circuit (Greensboro District), Plan of Davidson Circuit and Preacher's Memorandum, 1860-1861. Found in John Wesley Lewis Papers.
12. Unknown Co., Duke's Chapel Methodist Church. Found in Rosa Belvin Papers.
13. Unknown Co., Franklin Circuit (Va.), Class Book, 1851-1852. Found in John Wesley Lewis Papers.
14. Unknown Co., Green Valley Mission (Va.), Notebook, 1870-1878. Found in Washington Varner Papers.
15. Unknown Co., Hardy Circuit (West Va.), Notebook, 1870-1878. Found in Washington Varner Papers.
16. Unknown Co., Pastor's Books, 1903-1934, for Grimesland and Vanceboro, Spring Hope and Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Pleasant, Richmond, Robeson, Chadbourn, Jonesboro, Creedmoor, Durham and Mt. Tirzah Circuits. Found in Benjamin E. Stanfield Papers.
17. Unknown Co., plan of Tar River Circuit. Found in John Wesley Lewis Papers.

Conference Records

1. Key to Map of the Western N.C. Conference. Found in John C. Kilgo Records and Papers (Duke University Archives), Lectures, Folder 96.
2. Western N.C. Conference (generally), Methodist Board of Education, and Women's Society of Christian Service (Mary Eskridge King). Found in Carl Howie King Papers.
3. [Note re: Lake Junaluska]

Methodism

1. Writings on the History of Methodism in N.C., 1876-1892. Found in Marquis L. Wood Records and Papers (Duke University Archives), Box 3, Folder 27

Subjects

Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.

Subjects:

Methodism -- History -- 20th century
Methodism -- History -- 18th century
Methodism -- History -- 19th century
Race relations -- Christianity -- Methodist Church
Church records and registers -- North Carolina
Church controversies -- Methodist Church
Methodism
Church architecture -- United States -- North Carolina

Format:

Minute books
Minutes

Names:

Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church. American Mission in North Africa
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Western North Carolina Conference
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Western North Carolina Conference. Board of Missions and Church Extension
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. North Carolina Conference
United Methodist Church (U.S.)
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Catawba County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Chatham County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Cleveland County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Dare County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Davidson County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Durham County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Forsyth County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Gates County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- History
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Lincoln County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- New Hanover County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Perquimans County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Randolph County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Rowan County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Wake County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Yadkin County
Methodist Church -- North Carolina -- History -- 18th century
Methodist Church -- Missions -- Africa
Methodist Church -- North Carolina -- History -- 20th century
Methodist Church -- North Carolina -- History -- 19th century
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Alamance County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- History
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Bladen County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Ashe County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Caswell County
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Burke County
Purdon, J. H. Colpais (Joseph H.)
Asbury, Francis, 1745-1816
Coke, Thomas, 1747-1814
Coe, William Gwynn

Places:

North Carolina -- Religious life and customs
Methodist Episcopal Church, South -- North Carolina -- Iredell County

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

• Info for Visitors
• How to Request
• Ordering Reproductions
• Citations, Permissions, & Copyright

---

Restrictions:

Access restricted. Original materials in the N.C. Conference series, Conference Records subseries have some restrictions. Patrons must use copies of journals and then consult originals only if necessary. Contact Research Services for more information.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Please consult our up-to-date information for visitors page, as our services and guidelines periodically change.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], United Methodist Church Records, Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University.

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