Search

Back to top

Search Constraints

Start Over You searched for: Collection West Side United Methodist Church (Ann Arbor, Mich.) records, 1846-2000 (majority within 1950-1999) Remove constraint Collection: West Side United Methodist Church (Ann Arbor, Mich.) records, 1846-2000 (majority within 1950-1999) Date range Unknown Remove constraint Date range: Unknown
Number of results to display per page
View results as:

Search Results

Folder

Quarterly and Annual Reports

The Quarterly and Annual Reports series (1.5 feet) dates from the founding of the church in 1847 and is relatively complete with the exception of a gap from 1868-1882 and a few years during the 1920s. The early records are contained in bound volume. The person designated as secretary of the quarterly church conference recorded the minutes in these books in German, including reports on church and Sunday School activities and finances. The records began to be recorded in English during World War I, but the format also changed. Instead of recording minutes and reports in bound volumes, the officers began filling out pre-printed forms that could easily be submitted to various officials. In addition to minutes of the conference, separate reports from the minister, treasurer, trustees, Sunday School superintendent, Epworth League (later the Youth Fellowship) president, president of the Ladies' Aid Society (later the Women's Society for Christian Service), etc. Over the years, these reports became more and more detailed, especially for the Fourth Quarterly Conference. In 1969, the church shifted from quarterly conferences to a single annual conference. The files continue to contain minutes of the meetings plus detailed reports of various church officials to the Detroit Conference.

Folder

Boards and Commissions File

The Boards and Commissions File (5.6 feet) contains records of church bodies organized to help run various aspects of the work of the church. The structure of the church has evolved over time, becoming more and more complex. The earliest records in this series date from the late 19th and early 20th century and document the work of the Official Board, a predecessor of the Administrative Board (later known as the Administrative Council and now known as the Church Council). In general, however, this series contains little dating from the early history of the church, focusing instead on the past forty to fifty years. Included in the files are minutes, reports, and correspondence. Major boards and commissions documented, in addition to the Administrative Council, are the Board of Trustees (starting in 1957), Education (starting in 1943), Evangelism (starting in 1963), Every Member Commitment (starting in 1980), Finance (starting in 1953), Memorials (starting in 1971), Council on Ministries (1969-1982), Missions (1962-1982), Outreach (starting 1982), Staff-Parish Relations (starting 1976), United Methodist Women and its predecessors (starting 1926), and Worship (starting 1965). In addition the series contains information on temporary committees and task forces set up to study specific problems or engage in long-range planning.