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The Commission's minutes, reports and study documents are in the collection. There are reports from the various boards and agencies, study documents concerning restructuring, minutes of the meetings of the Commission, Commission correspondence, responses from the boards and agencies to various drafts of the Commission's report and the final report of the Study Commission.

The collection is primarily made up of sermons and speeches. Most of the folders contain supporting documents directly related to the sermons and addresses in the forms of bulletins, correspondence and other ephemera. There are three additional folders at the end of the collection which focuses on prayers, annual conference meetings and manuscript fragments. Topics range far and wide within the standard theological spectrum. They reflect the many ministries in which Craig was involved during her career.

The Bishop Gilbert Haven papers currently consist of correspondence, various writings in the genres of addresses, essays, notes, poems, sermons, speeches along with printed matter and ephemera. There are approximately one thousand and five hundred plus letters between colleagues, friends, abolitionists, ministers, bishops, editors, business persons, strangers, etc. Haven's elevated status in the Methodist Episcopal Church and in New England abolitionist circles is evident from the considerable number of letters from major figures in both the denomination, American politics and intellectual movements during the mid-19th century. The correspondence includes letters from philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, abolitionist and editor William Lloyd Garrison, suffragists and abolitionists’ Lucy Stone and Frances Willard and Frederick Douglass, Bishop Matthew Simpson, Bishop Edward Raymond Ames, Bishop Willard Francis Mallalieu, Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner, New York Senator Roscoe Conkling, Massachusetts governors’ John Albion Andrew and William Claflin, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Vice President Schuyler Colfax, and Civil War general and President of the United States Ulysses Simpson Grant to name a few. Topics include slavery and the abolitionist movement, denominational issues regarding church polity, viewpoints on race, mission work, the church’s role during reconstruction in the southern states and the treatment of free and ex-slaves as equals in post Civil War America.

There are a few persons or topics Haven collected in correspondence form which needs to be highlighted. The Reverend John N. Mars was a freed slave who worked with a couple of protestant denominations who eventually became a clergy member of the New England Annual Conference. His letters reflect not only the state of race and the need for status change during the Civil War but also his subsequent work as a missionary to the fledgling African American Washington Annual Conference. John Brown makes a short appearance in the correspondence though he personally is not writing Haven but there is one glowing letter Haven wrote Brown just before his execution. There is another letter to a former follower of Brown. Correspondence with national figures such as Grant, Colfax and Emerson are few in number with the originals closed to the public. Letters to and from former classmates of Wilbraham Academy and Wesleyan University are not only worth noting because of their intellectual content of that period which, in turn, produced many abolitionists. Yet the correspondence also illustrates how the two schools produced many leaders in both the Methodist Episcopal Church and influential figures in the New England area and later beyond as these men spread across the United States.

Haven’s family correspondence is insightful for a number of reasons. One of the first observations the researcher will find is the close relationship Haven had with family members both biologically and by marriage, especially the women. He maintains a robust correspondence with his cousin, Bishop Erastus Haven. Mary Ingraham Haven’s correspondence is primarily incoming correspondence from family that Haven maintained close contact with after her premature death. The letters to William Ingraham, his son, one of two children that survived childbirth, reveals a doting father whose pathos and love are apparent in good times and bad. These same letters speak to Haven’s compassionate character which defined his ministry and political views. All the letters to his mother and sisters reveal a “journal” of his career as well as giving support and advice which became bilateral in direction.

The Writing series is composed of different genres that include a variety of mediums by which one can discover the orthodox Protestant viewpoint the Haven maintained despite his liberalism in the areas of racial equality and abolitionism. The largest genre would be the sermons but there are exceptions to this specific genre such as his student commencement speech at Wesleyan. It is often difficult to distinguish between sermons, speeches and addresses by length or Scriptural notation in the titles. The topics are diverse as witnessed in the container list. The documents illustrate a snapshot of higher education’s intellectual training and praxis in the mid-nineteenth century. Haven had a gift for writing poetry, especially the few examples which resonate the sadness over Mary’s death. The essays and musings are a light-hearted romp into Haven’s soul.

The Printed Matter contains published articles related to Haven’s 1862-1863 trip overseas and Mexico in the early 1870s when Haven helped William Butler establish mission work for Northern Methodism. There are also articles on pertinent topics related to the church such as camp meetings, discord over the hymnal, race and Methodist Itinerancy. Almost all of these clippings were published in the denominational newspaper, the Christian Advocate.

The Ephemera series contains photocopied documents with a few exceptions dealing with the history of Haven family’s finances, church activity, truncated genealogy, etc. These primarily deal with the Haven’s life in the Malden area starting in the late eighteenth century. The originals were donated to the Malden Historical Society.

Finally the Diaries series contains six folders ranging in date from 1841 to 1879. These items are not comprised of daily entries. One diary has copies of letter Haven wrote to various individuals. The 1861 diary records Haven's ninety day enlistment in the Union Army as chaplain to the 8th Massachusetts Militia Volunteers.

The researcher will notice photocopies of original documents in folders except the Ephemera series for the reason stated above. The originals either are too large to fit in the standard folder or closed to the public because of security issues. The oversize documents can be viewed by requesting permission from the attending archivist.

This series contains mostly financial files generated by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. There are also some files from the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Protestant Church. After merger in 1939 corporations created by the three former denominations were often kept by the Methodist Church rather than going through the legal requirements of re-definition. That is why there were financial files relating to the three denominations still in existence after 1940. These files deal primarily with issues of finance. Topics such as bank, property, insurance, litigation, foreign properties and annuities are covered in this series.

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.

The Sherertz Family Papers cover the time period from about 1870 to 1970. These documents were created by several generations of missionaries assigned to China and Africa.

The focus of the collection is divided between China and Africa. China constitutes the earlier period from about 1855 to 1945. The Sherertz' activity in Southern Rhodesia begins in 1953 and ends in their retirement in 1958. Of particular interest is the first Methodist deaconess from Southern Rhodesia, Mai Mhlanga (1007-2-7:04).

Because of D. L. Sherertz's propensity for documentation, the bulk of the collection directly reflects his life and career. Two highlights include his role in the national government of the Republic of China and his internment in Pootung by the Japanese. He also preserved family genealogies and memoirs.

The Park family is represented by William Hector Park's memoirs, several photographs, and a few letters by his wife, Nora Lambuth Park, which were written during the years after her husband's death.

The Lambuths' papers include one letter from Mary McClellan Lambuth in Chinese and English as well as a number of photographs from this early period.

Upon reviewing the entire collection, it becomes apparent that Margarita Park Sherertz played the central role in the family's development. Her papers are not as voluminous as those belonging to her husband, but it is clear that she was a charismatic and intelligent individual. Margarita's strength reveals itself when her husband was interned by the Japanese in China after Pearl Harbor. Her letters written during this period and those she wrote shortly before she left China illustrate her cognizance of political and social events which occurred locally and internationally.

Margarita's mother, Nora Lambuth Park, similarly remarks in a few of her letters about local political developments as they relate to the welfare and fate of the missionary community. Nora's experience as a seasoned missionary in China during several periods of social upheaval is demonstrated in her comments about the events in Soochow leading up to Pearl Harbor. Her work was indispensable to her husband's career as wife, mother, caretaker, nurse, teacher, cook and social secretary. She was equally revered by the Chinese community.

Nora's mother, Mary McClellan Lambuth was an extremely intelligent individual who mastered written and spoken Chinese during her tenure as a missionary (see 1005-6-1:18). She also provided the means for her children's education and was an active and vital force in the Chinese community according to her daughter and granddaughter.

Nora Lambuth Park and Mary McClellan Lambuth are two figures who deserve further illumination because of their pivotal role in family development and stabilization, community work and religious dedication.

Diaries and journals belonging to Mary Isabella McClellan Lambuth and Walter R. Lambuth can be found at the J.B. Cain Archives, Millsaps-Wilson Library, Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi.

The lives of William Hector Park and Dwight Lamar Sherertz illustrate the more public and well known series of events among missionaries in China. Their letters, memoirs, diaries and public statements give a broad view of events in China before and during World War II. As a whole, this collection provides a valuable glimpse of their private family life as well. Specifically, the lives of Margarita Park Sherertz, Nora Lambuth Park and Mary McClellan Lambuth come into focus as "the thread which binds" generation to generation.

The work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is documented through a variety of record types.

Minutes and reports reflect the official action of the agency when preparing for and dealing with various crises throughout the world. Through these documents we see the interconnectedness of UMCOR with the other general boards and agencies within the denomination in an attempt to fulfill the mandate to help others in the time of need. The series also shows UMCOR's humble beginnings and its subsequent maturity as a viable denominational entity.

Administrative records that document the general work of the agency can be found in the Office of the General Secretary series. Gaither Warfield, who was one of the primary forces of compassion ministries in the denomination during the mid-twentieth century, guided the agency from its nascent beginnings to an administrative powerhouse.

Warfield's records not only reflect his skill as an administrator, but also the heart of dedicated Christian whose compassion was translated into the basic philosophy that guided the decisions and direction that UMCOR became famous for in later years. Much of this guidance was based on his experience as both a missionary to Poland and subsequent imprisonment by both the Polish and Russian armies as a spy during World War II. The result of this experience produced a keen interest on Warfield's part, and the work of the staff, on the plight of refugees and their relief around the world. His correspondence, memos and other record types document ecumenical, denominational and personal involvement in the area of relief. Records of later general secretaries follow this same trend though the volume of material is much less than those records of Warfield's time. The Office of Refugee Resettlement Program series is the heart of the collection. It is in this area that the agency had its greatest impact.

This impact is reflected in the sheer size of materials in relation to the other series within the collection. Often this office had to work with ever-changing laws, programs and guidelines established by the United States Government and other governments around the world. A quick explanation of the laws that directly impact the work of the agency as documented in the collection would be helpful at this time. Record types that document the works of the office are card files, correspondence, application forms and photographs, reflect the value of their work.

Quota section - Immigration Act of May 26, 1924 limited the number of aliens of any nationality entering the United States to 3 percent of the foreign-born persons of that nationality who lived in the United States in 1910. Approximately 350,000 such aliens were permitted to enter each year as quota immigrants, mostly from Northern and Western Europe. This figure was changed in 1927 to 150,000 in relation to national origin as recorded in the 1920 census.

Immigration and Nationality Act of June 27, 1952 - A system of selected immigration by giving quota preferences to skilled aliens whose services were needed in the United States and were related to U.S. citizens or legal aliens.

Section 7 - relates to the citizenship of children of persons naturalized under certain laws.

Displacement Act (Displaced Persons Act) - President Truman introduced this act in 1948 to address the European refugee problem. Eventually 400,000 individuals immigrated to the United States under this act.

Refugee Relief Act - President Eisenhower pushed this act that allowed for 200,000 non quota visas for Europeans fleeing Hungary after the uprising. Later on the Refugee Escape Act in 1957 opened the door of any victims of communist controlled countries and their respective regimes. Primary nationalities that benefitted from this act were the Hungarians, Albanians, Koreans, Yugoslavs and Chinese.

Public Law 316 admitted aliens between the years of 1945 and 1954 which was amended in 1957 allowed entry of those individuals and their families who were fleeing persecution because of race, religion or politics but misrepresented their nationality, place of birth, identity, or residence because of fear due to persecution in their homelands.

The files of the Office of Refugee Resettlement Program is absent. A researcher may look at these files, but may not use any names, addresses, and other related information contained therein. The files can only be used for gathering statistical information. Please contact the General Commission on Archives and History for more information.

The Adoption Program files do not contain information on actual adoptions but illuminates both the roles and procedures that UMCOR used as a conduit in processing such requests from Methodist families to other church and governmental agencies. Information within these files includes the process on how to adopt an infant, monetary support of the work, general adoption information and program classifications for adoption. Records from the Office of the Treasurer are primarily reports and audits. Financial records historically tend to be secondary in documenting the history of an agency. That is not the case here. Over the course of time the agency spent less of a focus on actual physical work but financing the work of relief through other avenues. These records reflect this change and show what areas of relief were a priority depending on the need and specific time period. The Office of Public Relations records can be found exclusively in scrapbooks which contain pamphlets, clippings, brochures and other similar types of materials which illustrate how the agency publicized its needs and work to the denomination. The scrapbooks are oversized and some are in fragile condition.

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.

Currently the collection's MUPWJ documentation comes solely from Howard Hallman's office. Both paper and digital born records illustrate how MUPWJ started out as a small, volunteer group of United Methodist clergy and laity to give voice against nuclear weapons and support the idea of mutual destruction deterrence. The records show how Hallman's drive to make a larger coalition amongst other religious bodies and then like-minded nonprofit, non-governmental organizations that share MUPWJ core values in order to create a more unified strong voice for justice and peace in the world.

The records show how far reaching MUPWJ and its coalition organizations cajoled, lobbied and confronted from lowest to the highest levels of government in order to halt nuclear testing, end nuclear deterrence policies and chemical weapons development and their usage. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and Non-Proliferation Treaty ratifications make up a majority of the records going into and beyond the 21st century. There are also documents related to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons expansion in non-nuclear countries with India and Pakistan serving as case tests. Additionally, there are emails discussing the ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Further documents record how MUPWJ took an active role in trying to block any American military activity in Afghanistan and the Gulf region as it continued to escalate under various presidential administrations. Once war became inevitable, MUPWJ called for quick endings to all fighting with just resolutions. They augmented their antiwar stance in order to achieve a sustainable peace by lobbying the United States government and other first world powers through coalition building of like-minded groups by lobbying both in personal visits and writing government leaders.

By 2004, documents show there was a series of conferences, recommended publications, outreach programming to local church study groups and other venues to discuss the idea of a theologically just war concept in light of theological pacifism. As a result the subsequent discussions and advocation of peace were filtered through Albert Outler's intellectual Wesleyan Quadrilateral of four theological categories: Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience in order to create a deeper and more relevant theological construct to change or reject the idea of a just war. As typical of Hallman's leadership, the conversation ranged across a broad spectrum led by ideas from prominent scholars representing related disciplines and multi-denominational peace statements. Also documented is how in the late 1980s MUPWJ took up the cause to end the Reagan era Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative as part of its larger anti-nuclear proliferation goal.

Peace Leaf, along with the shorter Peace/Justice Alert are the official MUPWJ publications. Letter and later email campaigns to Methodist Church leaders, domestic and foreign political officials and staffs, various forms of news outlets, local church programs, special events and a robust website enabled MUPWJ to further its mission.

There are complete manuscripts and supporting documents of Hallman’s personal writings and subsequent submissions to various agents or publishers.

This series contains general administrative records of the division. Also included are committee records and records from various departments and special programs. This would include the programs on economic and racial issues, religion and race (which later became its own agency), church and government issues, and urban concerns. Also included are the records of the Law of the Sea Project (shared with Global Ministries), the Committee for Congressional Reform and records related to specific programs conducted by the Division in Washington, D. C.