This collection is comprised of correspondence, sermons, clippings, articles, postcards, poems, and manuscripts. The manuscripts cover topics such as biographies, camp-meetings, history of the denomination, sermons and sermon notes, devotionals, and published texts.

This collection reflects the missionary work of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Church in India. On one level it documents general missionary work from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid- twentieth century. Another level documents the lives and ministries of individuals who were part of this missionary enterprise from its conception. However, the predominate level that is documented is the ministry of the Badley family. The Badleys gave two generations to Methodist missions in India by dedicating themselves to preaching the Gospel to a people they came to admire and respect.

Correspondence between the Badley family and other individuals within this collection can be found in their respective series and subseries with some overlapping. Not all of the correspondence and/or subsequent record types found in this collection are directly related to the Badley family.

Women's records are located throughout this collection. In most cases they received subseries identification with the exception of photographs.

Part of this collection is in fragile condition.

The collection contains sixteen volumes of Hill's philosophy of government during the mid-twentieth century.  The manuscripts reflect a populous view of government in light of the Bible and Christian theology. Also included are photocopies of his credentials and newspaper clippings celebrating his sixty-fifth and seventy-first wedding anniversaries.

Leontine Turpeau Current Kelly's personal papers include materials pertaining to her election as bishop to the California-Nevada Conference and her activities before and after her election. The collection includes a large number of correspondences related to speaking engagements, social concerns, and a variety of other topics including her election to be the first African American female bishop, personal correspondences, and awards. Also included in this collection are clippings, publications, awards, sermon materials and sheet music.

The Bishop William Burt Collection is an excellent documentary on the life and work of a pioneer minister within the Methodist Episcopal Church. In this collection we see the pathos and commitment Burt and his family brought to the work of the church, especially in Europe. These records illuminate his varying roles as clergyperson, presiding elder, bishop, and family member. Well liked by most, Burt was an influential person within the denomination throughout his career.

Records from his wife, Helen, and daughter Edith are located here, as well. The collection shows the historical and sociological involvement Burt had with the life, events, and politics of Europe, the United States, and the rest of the world. This involvement covered society from its lowest common denominator all the way through and including the very top of the social ladder. Burt was a world traveler and the collection sheds light on Methodist Episcopal work around the globe. This is especially true in the correspondence, diaries, and photograph series. Besides reflecting Burt's ministry in Europe, there are significant records concerning his work in the United States. Other notable personalities are also included

Early missionaries to Europe, especially to Russia, have primary documents located here as well. Many of Italy's leading Methodists such as the Taglialatela family have both published and handwritten materials within the collection. Records by other bishops such as Vincent and Bast are interspersed throughout the first section. Another area which is documented is Burt's commitment to the ongoing work of the Jerusalem Home which was started by Bishop J. P. Newman. There is a sizeable amount of records pertaining to the Crandon Institute in Rome, as well.

This collection contains the sermons of C. Willard Fetter. The original collection contained nearly one thousand sermons. However, the first two hundred folders were donated by Fetter to United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. The remaining collection of nearly seven hundred sermons is located at the United Methodist Church Archives.

Fetter's sermons document his ministerial career from 1941 and 1990. Fetter placed each sermon in a folder on which he noted the title and sermon number. On most of the sermons, he also noted the date and location where he preached the sermon. The majority were preached in Akron and Dayton, Ohio, from the late 1940s to the early 1970s.

Most of the sermons are typed. A few are handwritten. Many contain draft, revision, and alternate copies. Fetter kept news clippings and articles that supported or related to a sermon. These clippings and articles have been photocopied onto acid free paper and kept with the sermon. In addition, church bulletins from the service in which a sermon was preached are included in the folder.

The first folder of the collection contains a typed index to the sermons. This index is organized in numerical order. Fetter assigned a classification number to each sermon. His classification scheme allowed him to organize his sermons by topics.

Regular sermons are numbered one to five hundred. The first two hundred of these sermons are located at United Theological Seminary. Church-theme sermons are labeled in the five hundreds. Sermons on stewardship are found in the six hundreds. Sermons on communion themes are numbered in the seven hundreds. Advent sermons are found in the eight hundreds. The nine hundred series contains Christmas sermons. Lenten sermons begin at one thousand. The eleven hundred range contains Easter-theme sermons. Sermons on topics of the Christian home are found in the twelve hundreds. The thirteen hundreds contains mission-theme sermons. Holiday sermons are in the fourteen hundreds. Some of his holiday themes are on Armistice Day, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Election Day, and Labor Day. Sermons commemorating special days such as Reformation Day, Children's Day, Youth Sunday, Boy Scout Sunday, Pentecost, Anniversary Day, Thanksgiving are numbered in the fifteen hundreds. Finally, special sermons begin in the sixteen hundreds. These sermons include high school, college, and seminary graduation addresses, funeral sermons, and a memorial tribute to John F. Kennedy.

One folder contains fifteen pamphlet versions of Fetter's sermons. The pamphlets were published by the First Evangelical United Brethren Church in Dayton, Ohio. Some of the pamphlets correspond to typed sermons in the collection, and small tabs of paper inside the front cover indicate the stack location of that sermon. Other pamphlets do not correspond to any sermon in this collection.

The last box of the collection contains a card catalog Fetter used to organize his sermons. The cards contain the sermon title, scripture reference, and sermon number. All the cards have been arranged alphabetically.

This collection contains the papers of Charles A. Merrill. Included are five diaries dated 1856-1860. These contains short entries about daily life. There are also six pastor's record books dated 1861-1896. The years 1874- 1877 and 1881-1885 are missing. Scriptures used for sermons, financial notations, and membership information are listed in these books.

Additional information in this collection includes two letters. One is dated October 1895 and is from Henry C. Doughty, a nephew of Merrill's. The other letter is undated and impartial. There is a folder of biographical information on Merrill, mostly relating to his death. There are two church related items. One is a list of stewards in the Methodist Episcopal Church of Millville, Massachusetts. The other is a subscription list for the Rockport Church. Finally, a color map of Springfield, Massachusetts is included.

Sauer's correspondence, and the manuscript and supporting documents for his unpublished "Methodists in Korea," make up the bulk of the collection. These materials document Methodist Episcopal mission work during Sauer's tenure in Korea, including the evacuation of missionary personnel in 1940, and their return in 1945. This was a critical transition phase for the Korean Methodist Church (KMC) as they struggled for power and control during the heightened Japanese control over churches in Korea, and then rebuilt after the war. There is also considerable material covering state of missions and the KMC during the invasion of South Korea in 1950. Photographs and publications nicely supplement this part of the collection.

This collection contains sermons, lectures, a manuscript, correspondence, and biographical materials related to Charles B. Mitchell. The bulk of this collection is sermons. There are approximately four hundred sermons prepared by Mitchell between 1875 and 1941. All the sermons are handwritten. They were folded length- wise in envelopes which provide the date and location the sermon was given. Many of the sermons had news clippings accompanying them. His sermons were often published by The Inter Ocean newspaper, but a few clippings are from other papers. The clippings have been photocopied and are joined with the sermon and the envelope in an acid free mini folder. Additional clippings or short articles that supplemented the sermon or were used in its preparation have been kept with the sermon as well.

Mitchell's sermons are oriented to the Social Gospel, as he speaks of contemporary issues and challenges. He is particularly concerned with the spiritual and moral well being of young men and women. All the sermons have been arranged by text reference, except those that were given as part of a series. There are thirteen sets of sermons prepared as series. These series sermons contained several sermons on a particular topic such as temperance, gambling, the danger of cities, temptations, and the Christian life. One folder contains a sermon Mitchell gave on the death of Ulysses S. Grant. A news clipping of this sermon is from the Leavenworth Times. Another folder contains photocopies of four news clippings to sermons that had no handwritten copy. In addition, there is a folder of fragmented sermons.

Two folders contain prayer meeting materials prepared by Mitchell. There are forty-four prayer meeting talks in one folder. These are short notations on note cards or small pieces of paper. This material is dated 1897 to 1909, although not every piece is dated. These talks have been arranged by text reference. Talks with no text reference are separated from talks with text reference by an acid free sheet of paper. In addition, there are seven prayer meeting addresses which may have been part of a series. These addresses were given between 1901 and 1912. An envelope contains the date and location of each address.

Lectures and addresses given by Mitchell are the second major part of this collection. There are approximately ninety-five addresses given between 1882 and 1933. The lectures were also folded length-wise and placed in envelopes with the date and location of the presentation. Mitchell lectured to a variety of groups including the Y.M.C.A., college commencements, conferences, conventions, Mason meetings, women's clubs, community organizations and civic groups. Topics that Mitchell addressed in his lectures include peace, women's suffrage, missions, teachers, education, citizenship, Memorial Day, revivals, Abraham Lincoln, Sunday school, and youth. Mitchell also spoke at several universities including Hamline, Dakota Wesleyan, Allegheny College, and Nebraska Wesleyan. The lectures also include five travel accounts. The most extensive account is on the Bible lands. Other countries covered are Holland, Italy, Norway, and Russia.

A typed manuscript Mitchell prepared entitled "Questions to Modern Youth" is part of this collection. There are also three letters addressed to Mitchell. Biographical materials include a handwritten copy of a characterization of Mitchell by Reverend J. S. Daney; two short articles on Mitchell; an article on Mitchell's father, Revered Daniel Patrick Mitchell by S. J. Heaton; and an application for membership in the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. This application contains some ancestry information.

The papers consist of clippings, published transcripts, typed transcripts, reports, correspondence, memoranda, publications, and pamphlets pertaining to the merger of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church. Additional extensive material relates to Bishop Oxnam's hearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities, as well as the Committee on Inter-Jurisdictional Relations.

The first series is comprised of correspondence, the bulk of which relates to the Inter-Jurisdictional Commission of the Methodist Church. The work focused on the dissolution of the Central Jurisdiction and the merger of the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Churches. Some of this correspondence is of minor importance, but much of it reflects opinion and counter opinion and proposals growing out of the subjects under consideration.

The second series is the major part of the collection and includes all the substantive minutes, reports, and legislative proposals which emerged from the work of the Commission on Inter-Jurisdictional Relations. This material is international in scope.

The third series is a two volume collection of Parlin’s speeches and addresses given to churches, schools, universities and business groups. These volumes have been dissembled and organized in chronological order.

The fourth series is biographical in nature in so far as it includes articles, clippings, and statements reflecting Parlin's wide and varied projects and interests.

The fifth series is a Book of Remembrance from the Drew University Collection. These letters and statements of appreciation honor Parlin's achievements and contributions to the life of the church.

The sixth series is a substantial collection of articles, clippings and most importantly working documents regarding the hearings of Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam before the U.S. House Un-American Activities. Parlin served as Oxnam’s counsel and strategist at these hearings.