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This collection includes the sermons, teachings, addresses, writings, notebooks, and accounting records of United Brethren Bishop Cyrus J. Kephart. The bulk of the collection are his sermons, that while undated, may have come from during the period when he served as pastor in Iowa and Ohio, 1878-1913.. His teachings and addresses, due to the subjects and audiences being addressed, appear to have been written while serving as Bishop of the United Brethren Church's Southwestern District from 1913 to 1925. Other writings include his studies and possible drafts of his publications.

This collection contains sermons, manuscripts, correspondence, and biographical material on Elmer Edwin Burtner. The largest part of this collection is sermons which document his ministerial career as a Congregationalist and a Church of the United Brethren in Christ pastor. There are approximately 375 sermons. Most are not dated. The sermons have been grouped by text reference, topic, title, and fragments. Topics that Burtner addressed in his sermons included the Bible, Christians in the world, church work and the nature and criticisms of, communion and Christmas, evangelism, missions, education, youth, interchurch relations, the ministry, pastoral subjects, temperance and prohibition, and World War I. The sermons on the Bible were preached at the College Church in Westerville, Ohio, during the fundamentalist controversy of 1921-1922. They attracted widespread attention in the church.

There are five manuscripts written by Burtner on religious topics. "The Immanence of God" is 112 handwritten pages. "The Problem of Evil" is seventy-one typed pages. Both papers may have been written by Burtner while he was attending school. He also took continuing education classes with N. E. Cornetet at Otterbein College. Burtner wrote three papers for these classes. The topics of these papers are Gideon, Nehemiah, and Hebrews.

The correspondence contains a single letter written in 1914 on prohibition. It is addressed to the "Congregationalist" and discusses the prohibition views of Dr. Washington Gladden. This letter is decidedly for prohibition and against liquor trafficking.

The biographical materials include a marriage certificate, a memorial tribute, and a family photograph. The marriage certificate is from his 1910 marriage to Maude Truxall. The memorial tribute entitled, "Memorial to a Man of God," is sixty pages and contains biographical information, testimonials to his life and work, and sermons by Burtner. It was prepared by a committee of the Wagoner Memorial Bible Class of the United Brethren Church in Westerville, Ohio. Finally, there is a black and white photograph of Burtner and his three brothers, Otto, Weldon, and Luther.

This collection contains items from a scrapbook that has been disassembled. Photographs from Sierre Leone and the Philippines are included. None of the photographs are dated, and few are identified. There is also a photo of Luther Burtner as well as his application to become a missionary. The collection also includes a Passport issued for Burtner to leave the Philippines.There are several news clippings that make reference to the death of Joseph Caulker, an African student brought to the United States by Burtner. All are undated. His wife, Jennie Light Burtner, wrote an extensive Diary (1904) describing in detail their trip to Shanghai ,Philippines, Egypt, Jerusalem, and England. There are also several notes which are inserted in the diary.