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The Bishop W. Ralph Ward Jr. Papers document Ward's ministry from his earliest appointment through his episcopal leadership and his years of retirement.

A major part of this collection consists of Ward's sermons, addresses, and writings. These materials reflect Ward's personal faith and his commitment to social concerns and the institutional life of the Methodist Church.

Ward's correspondence is fairly typical and not as revealing of larger issues as might be hoped. There are occasional letters to ecclesiastical and political leaders of note. There is one note to him from Harry Emerson Fosdick.

Ward's episcopal leadership is well documented in this collection. He was a dynamic and insightful leader. There is significant information about his skill in developing goals and programs in the Council and in his Areas.

Ward gave particular attention to the training of his District Superintendents.

While bishop of the New York Area Ward was involved in the racial crisis which engulfed the nation. There is not as much material on this period as might be desired, but it should not be overlooked in research. There is also significant material on the well publicized program by 60 Minutes on the role of the World and National Councils of Churches which inferred Communist sympathies on the part of those groups.

Ward was a prolific writer. Several of his published sermons are included in the collection as well as a number of unpublished manuscripts on Christian belief and practice. As an active and loyal member of the Masonic Order he spoke frequently at their assemblies. He was also an early advocate of the importance of visual aids in promoting Christian education.. The materials include early scripts he wrote as well as film strips dealing with educational themes. This interest in communication continued throughout his ministry.

There is considerable material documenting of TV and radio in the ministry of the larger Methodist Church.

Methodist history was one of Ward's special interests. The collection includes addresses he gave on this theme. The collection also documents Ward's continued ministry after retirement in 1980. There is a small but significant body of material on the Ward family. There are photos and genealogical materials. The latter material pertains to both the Bishop's roots but also those of his spouse, Arleen Burdick Ward. There are a few items from Arleen's childhood which are particularly attractive. She was a Christian educator in her own right, and some of the articles she authored are included in the collection. Family letters from the Ward children depicting their activities and marriages are also in the collection. For the interest of the researcher who may be working on Bishop Ward's life and ministry this family section has extensive materials written by the bishop in preparation of his autobiography. This autobiography was never published, but offers a sound base for understanding the man.

This collection primarily documents the work and ministry of the Evangelical Church's annual conferences and local churches from the middle nineteenth century to the middle twentieth century. To a lesser degree there are records that reflect the ministry of the general church as well. There are other records that pertain to filial denominations such as the Evangelical Association, United Evangelical Church, Church of the United Brethren in Christ (United Brethren Church), and the Evangelical United Brethren Churches are also found in this collection. Leedy was an avid collector of church related information so that the topical landscape of this collection is broad enough to cover information ranging from local church ministries and histories to denominational theological beliefs and social concerns. Most of the paper records center on church work in the Ohio region though not to the exclusion of other geographic areas within the continental United States and Germany. All in all this collection provides a nice overview of the diversified life within the Evangelical tradition and is an excellent resource for those who wish to understand more fully the Evangelical Church's historical influence within the ongoing traditions of United Methodism.

This collection is made up of records of the various agencies of the church. It also includes material regarding local churches and annual conferences. The collection is made up of eight series. The five largest series which make up the bulk of the collection are the Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society, Annual Conferences and Local Church, the Home and Foreign Missionary Society, the Board of Publication, and the War Service Commission. There is one unsigned letter from President Woodrow Wilson to Rev. E.O. Watson in the War Service Commission series.

This collection is made up of records of the various agencies of the church. It also includes material regarding local churches and annual conferences. The collection is made up of thirteen series. The three largest series which make up the bulk of the collection are the Missionary Society, the Woman's Missionary Society, and the Board of Christian Education.

This collection is made up of records of the various agencies of the church. It also includes material regarding local churches and annual conferences. The collection is made up of fourteen series. The four largest series which make up the bulk of the collection are the Woman's Missionary Society, Missionary Society, Annual Conferences, and Sunday School and Tract Union.

This collection is made up of material related to the division of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ in 1889 and the property disputes related to the division.

This collection is made up of records from the various educational institutions that were run or supported by the Board and administrative material from the Board of Christian Education and its predecessor organizations.

This collection is made up of material from the Annual Conferences and local churches of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. The material consists of minutes, histories, photographs, publications, and news clippings and does not contain church records such as baptismal, membership, marriage etc.

This collection contains John Kiracofe's notes about various ministers and church histories. A great deal of this material deals with genealogy. There are photographs and negatives depicting the Deardroff home, Anson Brazee, and Bertha E. Deardroff . There is a booklet by Bertha E. Deardorff about her own family genealogy. Pamphlets, bulletins and newspaper clippings about the EUB church are also included. The collection contains a short play written by Thelma Moyer Starner, event programs from the Pennsylvania Conference, a publication titled The Chatterbox and two certificates.

The collection comprises mostly Charles Warren Brewbaker's published works and other writings. The majority of the publications include articles from church-related periodicals. These articles discuss topics such as children’s Sunday School attendance, elderly participation in the church, preaching, and the church’s involvement in society. The unpublished works consist of book manuscripts, sermons, and Sunday School lessons. Given the ambiguous format of the sermons and Sunday School lessons, these often overlap in the collection. There are several miscellaneous items in the collection as well, including Brewbaker’s passport and several photographs.