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MENNONITE GENERAL CONFERENCE, 1898-1971
I-1-1
Mennonite General Conference,
1898-1971
Constitutions, Minutes, Programs, etc., 1890-1971
7 Boxes (6 Gray, 1 Oversize)
Introduction
These materials
have been collected since the archives began in 1937. They were first
cataloged by the archivist, Melvin Gingerich, in 1953. The newspaper
report of the 1927 conference was deposited by Ivan Kauffman, Lombard,
Illinois, in 1981. The report of the 1970 Joint Conference on Church
Organization was deposited by Jack Stalter, Flanagan, Illinois, in
1986. And a copy of the 1963 incorporation of the Mennonite Church was
received from Scott Hartman, Elkhart, Indiana, in 1998.
Series and Box Listing
.1 Confession,
Church Polity, Constitutions..., 1930-1967 5 Files [Box 1 Gray]
.2 Minutes and Reports, 1890-1971 Boxes 1-2 (Gray), & Box 7
(Oversize)
.3 Conference Session Materials, 1919-1971 Boxes 3-5 (Gray)
.4 Statements, Other Conferences, Reports, 1915-1971 Box 6 (Gray)
Inventory
Box 1 (Gray)
.1 Confession, Church Polity,
Constitutions and Incorporation, 1930-1963
1/1 Confession of Faith, 1930, by
Historical Committee
1/2 Mennonite Church Polity, by S. F.
Coffman, ca. 1935-1941. Includes two titles "Church Polity" (15 pages) and "Mennonite Church Polity" (16 pages)
1/3 Book of Standards, 1940, by
General Problems Committee
1/4 Constitutions,
1949-1963
Constitution of the
Mennonite General Conference, 1949 (2 copies)
Constitution of the Mennonite General
Conference, Adopted 1949, Revisions to 1955. (2 copies)
Constitution of the Mennonite General
Conference, 1957. (2 copies)
Constitution of the Mennonite General
Conference, 1959. (2 copies)
Constitution of the Mennonite General
Conference, 1963 (2 copies)
Constitution Proposal
(undated, 5 page typescript)
1/5 Incorporation,
1963, Mennonite Church (8 pages)
.2 Minutes and Reports, 1890-1971
1/2 Minutes of
Conferences, 1896-1919 (Published pamphlets)
"The General Conference",
1896, Nov. 27, Prairie Street Mennonite Church, Elkhart, Indiana. J. N.
Durr, Pennsylvania, lead the discussion. (8 pages)
"Report of Preliminary General
Conference Meeting", 1897, Nov. 11, Pike Mennonite Church,
Elida, Ohio. Moderator: J. N. Durr, Woodside, Pennsylvania. (12 pages)
(Also a typewritten copy of this meeting, 8 1/2" x 11", 7 pages) (2
copies)
"[First] Minutes of General Conference",
1898, Nov. 2, Holdeman Mennonite Church, Wakarusa, Indiana. Moderator:
Daniel Kauffman, Versailles, Missouri. (20 pages) (2 copies)
"[First] Bericht der Allgemeinen
Konferenz" (published in German), 1898, Nov. 2, Holdeman
Mennonite Church, Wakarusa, Indiana. Moderator: Daniel Kauffman,
Versailles, Missouri. (23 pages)
"[Second] Proceedings of the Second
Mennonite General Conference", 1900, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at
Sterling, Illinois. Moderator: Daniel Kauffman, Versailles, Mo. (36
pages)
"[Third] Minutes of the Third General
Conference", 1902, November, at Pike Meeting House near Elida,
Ohio. Moderator: Daniel Kauffman, Versailles, Missouri. (36 pages) (3
copies)
"[Fourth] Report of the Fourth
Mennonite General Conference", 1905, November 16-18, at Berlin,
Ontario. Moderator: J.S. Shoemaker, Freeport, Illinois. (24 pages) (3
copies)
"[Fifth] Proceedings of the Fifth
Mennonite General Conference", 1907, Nov. 13-14, Meeting House
of the Howard and Miami Co. Congregation, Kokomo, Indiana. Moderator:
D. J. Johns. (16 pages)
"[Sixth]", 1909. No separate
printing available. See published 1921 compilation of minutes for these
minutes.
"[Seventh]", 1911. No separate
printing available. See published 1921 compilation of minutes for these
minutes.
"[Eighth] Report of the Eighth
Regular Meeting of the Mennonite General Conference", 1913,
October 29 and 30th, East Union Church, Kalona, Iowa. Moderator: D. D.
Miller. (24 pages) (3 copies)
"[Ninth] Report of the Ninth Regular
Meeting of the Mennonite General Conference", 1915, August
18-20, at Central A.M. Church, Archbold, Ohio. Moderator: D. H. Bender.
(30 pages)
"[Tenth]", 1909. No separate printing available. See published
1921 compilation of minutes for these minutes.
"[Eleventh] Report of the Eleventh
Mennonite General Conference", 1919, August 27-29, at Assembly
Park, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Moderator: S. G. Shetler. (22 pages)
1/3 Proceedings [1890-1919] of the Mennonite
General Conference, including Discussions leading to its Origination.
Includes reports from the First through the Eleventh
conferences held from 1898-1919. Also includes published articles and
editorials that appeared 1890-96; minutes of the three meetings of the
General Conference Committee, 1896-97; minutes of the preliminary
conference held in 1897; and published articles, 1899-1900, which
reflect discussion that took place after the first conference. Book was
compiled by a committee consisting of Aaron Loucks, S. F. Coffman and
J. S. Hartzler. [Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Mennonite Publishing House,
1921] (232 pages) (2 copies)
1/4 [Twelfth] Mennonite General Conference,
Minutes, 1921, August 24-26, at the Sycamore Grove Church, Garden City,
Missouri. Moderator: S. C. Yoder. (26 pages) (2 copies)
[Thirteenth] Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1923, August
29-31, held at the Waterloo church, Ontario, Canada. Moderator: J. A.
Ressler, Scottdale, PA. (30 pages) ( 2 copies)
1/5 [Fourteenth] Mennonite General Conference,
Minutes, 1925, Aug. 26-28, held near the Mennonite Home for the Aged,
Eureka, Ill. Moderator: Simon Gingerich, Wayland, Iowa. (63 pages)
[Fifteenth] Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1927, Aug.
24-26, Belleville, PA. Assistant Moderator: A. I. Yoder, West liberty
Ohio, who served in the absence of the Moderator, D. G. Lapp, Roseland,
Nebr.
1/6 [Sixteenth] Mennonite General
Conference, Minutes, 1929, August 28-30, near Goshen, Indiana.
Moderator: D. A. Yoder, Elkhart, Indiana. (84 pages)
[Seventeenth] Mennonite General Conference, 1931, August 26-28,
held near Archbold, Ohio. Moderator: S. E. Allgyer, West Liberty, Ohio.
(92 pages)
1/7 [Eighteenth] Mennonite General Conference,
Minutes, 1933, August 23, 24, held on the Campus of Hesston College and
Bible School, Hesston, Kansas. Moderator: S. F. Coffman, Vineland,
Ontario, Canada. (93 pages)
[Nineteenth]
Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1935, August 27-29, near
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Moderator: Daniel Kauffman, Scottdale, PA.
(121 pages) (2 copies, one photo copied)
1/8 [Twentieth] Mennonite General Conference,
Minutes, 1937, August 25-27, Turner, Oregon. Moderator: Simon
Gingerich, Wayland, Iowa.(126 pages)
[Twenty-first]
Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1939, August 23-25, held
at Allensville, Pennsylvania. Moderator: Abner G. Yoder, Parnell, Iowa.
(128 pages)
1/9 [Twenty-second] Mennonite General
Conference, Minutes, 1941, August 25-29, held in a large tent
near Wellman, Iowa. Moderator: H. A. Diener, Hutchinson, KS.
[Twenty-third] Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1943,
August 18-24, held at Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana. Moderator: Milo
Kauffman, Hesston, Kansas.
Report of the
Special Session of Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1944,
August 15-18, Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana. Moderator: Allen H. Erb,
La Junta, Colorado.
1/10 [Twenty-fourth] Mennonite General
Conference, Minutes, 1946, Aug. 21-23, held at Souderton, PA.
Moderator: Allen H. Erb, La Junta, Colorado. (Report consists only of a
4 page sheet entitled "Program and Proceedings")
[Twenty-fifth]
Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1947, August 26-29,
Wooster, Ohio. Moderator: Allen H. Erb, La Junta, Colorado.
[Twenty-sixth] Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1949,
August 23-26 at Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Moderator: John L. Stauffer, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
1/11 [Twenty-seventh] Mennonite General
Conference, Minutes, 1951, August 21-24, held at the Goshen
College Union Building, Goshen, Indiana. Moderator: Oscar Burkholder,
Breslau, Ontario, Canada.
[Twenty-eighth] Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1953,
August 26-30, held at the Municipal Auditorium at Kitchener, Ontario,
Canada.
Box 2
(Gray)
2/1 [Twenty-ninth] Mennonite General Conference,
Minutes, 1955, August 23-26 held at Hesston Kansas. Moderator: A. J.
Metzler, Scottdale, PA.
Reports Submitted to Mennonite General Conference at Hesston, Kansas,
August 23-26, 1955 (2 copies)
[Thirtieth] Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1957, August
25-27, held at Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Moderator: Truman H. Brunk, Denbigh, Virginia.
Reports Submitted to Mennonite General Conference at
Harrisonburg, Virginia, August, 26, 27, 1957.
2/2 [Thirty-first] Mennonite General Conference,
Minutes, 1959, August 25-27, held at Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana.
Moderator: John C. Wenger, Goshen, Indiana.
Reports Submitted to Mennonite General Conference at Goshen,
Indiana, August 26, 27, 1959.
[Thirty-second] Mennonite General Conference, Minutes, 1961,
August 22-25, held at Johnstown, PA. Moderator: Jesse B. Martin,
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Reports Submitted to Mennonite General Conference at Johnstown,
PA, August 22-25, 1961.
2/3 [Thirty-third] Mennonite General Conference,
Minutes, 1963, August 20-23, held at Iowa Mennonite School, Kalona,
Iowa. Moderator: John R. Mumaw, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Reports Submitted to Mennonite General Conference at Kalona,
Iowa, August 20-23, 1963.
2/4 [Thirty-fourth] Mennonite General
Conference, Minutes, 1965, August 24-27, held at Central
Christian High School, Kidron, Ohio. Moderator: Roy S. Koch, West
liberty, Ohio.
Reports Submitted to Mennonite General Conference, at Kidron,
Ohio, August 24-27, 1965.
2/5 [Thirty-fifth Biennial Meeting] Mennonite
General Conference, [Title page indicates 37th General
Conference, but 35th Biennial Meeting], Minutes, 1967, August 21-24,
held at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, Lansdale, PA.
Moderator: Harold E. Bauman, Goshen, Indiana.
Reports Submitted to Mennonite General Conference at Lansdale,
PA, August 21-24, 1967.
2/6 [Thirty-sixth Biennial Meeting]
Mennonite General Conference, [Title page indicates 38th General
Conference] Minutes, 1969, August 15-19, held at Aldersgate Park,
Turner, Oregon. Moderator: John R. Mumaw, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Reports Submitted to Mennonite General Conference at Turner,
Oregon, August 15-19, 1969.
2/7 [Thirty-seventh] Proceedings Mennonite
Church Kitchener 71, Minutes, 1971, August 16-19 held at Rockway
Mennonite School, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Moderator: Paul Mininger,
Goshen, Indiana. This includes: Minutes of Constitutional Assembly;
Minutes of Mennonite General Conference; Minutes of Mennonite General
Assembly; Minutes of Public Sessions.
Final Reports Submitted to Mennonite General Conference,
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, August 16019, 1971.
[First] Constitutional Assembly,
Mennonite General Assembly, Minutes, 1971, August 16-19,
Kitchener '71 at Rockway Mennonite School, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
Moderator: Paul Mininger, Goshen, Indiana. [See the section "I-5-1" for
the minutes and reports of Mennonite General Assembly, 1971-2001]
Box 3 (Gray)
.3 Conference Session Materials,
1919-1971
3/1 Conference
Programs, 1919, 1925, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1943,
1944, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1965,
1967, 1969, 1971.
3/2 1927 session,
including newspaper articles entitled "Reaffirm Belief in Old
Doctrines" and "Plain Church is Essential, Speaker Tells Delegates",
and "Plain Church in Existence for 400 Years or since 1525". [See also
Box 7, File 1 (Oversize) for the original copy of the September 1,
1927, The Lewistown Gazette, Pennsylvania, in which articles appeared]
3/3 1929 session,
notes and correspondence, including a list of those attending.
3/4 1931 session, notes and correspondence
3/5 1933 session, notes and correspondence
3/6 1935 session, notes and correspondence
3/7 1937 session, notes and correspondence
3/8 1939 session
3/9 1941 session
Box 4
(Gray)
4/1 1943 session
(File #1)
4/2 1943 session (File #2, as collected by M. C. Lehman)
4/3 1944 session (Special Conference)
4/4 1946 session
4/5 1947 session
4/6 1949 session
4/7 1951 session
4/8 1953 session
Box 5 (Gray)
5/1 1955 session
5/2 1957 session (No materials available)
5/3 1959 session
5/4 1961 session
5/5 1963 session
5/6 1965 session
5/7 1967 session
5/8 1969 session
5/9 1971 session (No materials available)
.4 Statements, Other
Conferences, and Reports, 1915-1971
Box 6
(Gray)
Statements, 1917-1971 (in chronological order)
6/1 Mennonites on
Military Service, 1917
6/2 Dress, A Brief Treatise, 1921
6/3 A Statement of Christian Fundamentals, 1921
6/4 A Statement of Christian Doctrine (34 articles, 4 pages, no date),
by Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pennsylvania
6/5 A Statement of
the Position of the Mennonite Church on Unionism, 1935
6/6 Mennonites and Industrial Organizations, 1937
6/7 Peace, War, and Military Service, 1937
6/8 Industrial Relations: A Statement of the Position of the Mennonite
and Brethren in Christ Churches, 1941
6/9 A Declaration of Christian Faith and Commitment with Respect to
Peace, War, and Nonresistance, 1951
6/10 Peace and the Christian Witness, 1951
6/11 Declaration of Commitment in Respect to Christian Separation and
Nonconformity to the World, 1955
6/12 The Nurture and Evangelism of Children, 1955
6/13 Statement of
Position on Insurance, 1955
6/14 The Way of Christian Love in Race Relations, 1955
6/15 Goals for 1955-1957
6/16 A Code of Ethics for Ministers, 1957
6/17 The Christian
View of Marriage, 1959
6/18 Letter to president John Kennedy, 1961
6/19 Resolution on Communism and Anti-Communism, 1961
6/20 Brief Statement of Mennonite Doctrine, 1963
Other
Conferences, 1927-1952
6/21 Fundamentals
Conferences, 1923, 1927
6/22 Fundamentals Conference, 1929
6/23 Fundamentals Conferences, 1932, 1933
6/24 Fundamentals Conference, 1935
6/25 Nonconformity Conference, 1935
6/26 Conference on Stewardship, 1949
6/27 Prophecy Conference, 1951
6/28 Mennonite Prophecy Conference, 1952
Reports, 1915-1971
6/29 Bible Study
Board, 1915
6/30 Music Conference (Objectives) (no date)
6/31 Industrial and Rural Life Council (no date)
6/32 General
Conference Committees, by Paul Erb, ca. 1950s
6/33 Biblical Discipleship and Fellowship Meeting (Stewardship), 1961
6/34 We Work Together Through Mennonite General Conference, by A. J.
Metzler, Executive Secretary [1962]
6/35 Help is
Available, ca. 1966-71 (Mennonite General Conference, Howard J. Zehr,
and Mennonite Board of Missions and Laurelville Mennonite Church Center)
6/36 [Minutes of] Joint Conference on Church Organization, October
20-22, 1970 (73 pages). Includes the Study Commission on Church
Organization's (SCCO) Report to the Meeting.
6/37 Principles and Guidelines for Interchurch Relations, August 1971.
Box 7
(Oversize, Mapcase 1, Drawer 5)
7/1 Report of 1927
Mennonite General Conference, as it appeared in The Lewistown Gazette,
Pennsylvania [See also Box 3, File 2 for additional 1927 conference
session materials]
March 13, 2003 / Inventory typed into computer by Nelda Nussbaum,
including listing individual minutes and reports in boxes 1-2. The
introduction, series headings, and some reorganization by Dennis Stoesz
December 29, 1975 / Collection organized and listed by Sharon
Klingelsmith
File: "I-1-1.doc"
Mennonite Church USA Archives-Goshen, 1700 S. Main St., Goshen, Indiana
46526
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