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This collection centers primarily on Seybert's journals. The original journals are written in German and are incomplete. Of the eighteen total volumes that Seybert compiled, only ten volumes have survived. They are volumes 2, 4, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18. In 1956 the Reverend J. G. Eller translated all volumes into English and this translation was microfilmed. The typescripts of chapters 16 and 17 are located at the end of the journals series.

Most of the journal entries are laconic with a few entries being the exception to the rule. What these journals do illustrate is the far reaching itinerancy that Seybert followed during his ministry. Other records would include a class book for the Canaan District (Pennsylvania) which was compiled by Seybert in 1825 and a constitution and subscription for the Manheim church which Seybert wrote in 1826. This is the very same church in which Seybert was originally converted.

Seybert's keen interest in church architecture can be found throughout the journals as well as in the holograph file. Photographs, flyers, a biography written by Andrew Gramley, and a letter dated April 23, 1853, that Seybert wrote to Daniel Bertolet are situated in the biographical file.

Seybert's traveling trunk (circa 1844), writing desk, and saddle bags round out the collection. The trunk is eighteen inches in length, eight and one- half inches in height, and nine and a half inches in width. The exterior covering is made from an animal skin with leather trim, a brass handle on the top of the lid, and hasp with locking mechanism. The interior of the trunk is lined with newsprint from 1844. On the interior top of the trunk lid is an identification card that states: BISHOP SEIBERT"S TRUNK. I Rebecca Ocker of Troxelville Snyder, Co., a grand-daughter of the sainted Rev. Philip Smith do present this little trunk to Albright College as a token of my interest in the same. When a little girl of a few summers I saw the sainted Bishop carry this trunk and heard him preach with wonderful power from the text, "TOD, WO IST DEIN STACHEL?" If this trunk had a mouth to talk, what wonderful things it could divulge! Rev. P. Smith resided about one mile west of Troxelville and his home was a stopping and preaching place for the Bishop. He traded this trunk on a saddle-bag, during one of his annual visits to my grandfather's house. Secured for Albright College Dec. 26, 1904. by Rev. A. D. Gramly (pastor). The trunk is in poor condition.

The writing desk measures eighteen and three-quarter inches in length, five and three-quarter inches high, and nine and three-eights inches wide. The outside is a cherry laminate with an ivory knob to open the desk. The interior contains compartments in the front which held various writing implements. There is a felt cover located behind the compartment section. When lifted reveals a storage space for paper. A label on the velvet cover reads as follows: First writing desk of Bishop Seybert who presented it to Rev. Solomon Neitz in appreciation of his great interest and success in the soul-winning for Christ's Kingdom.

Seybert's leather saddle bag is thirty eight inched long and fourteen and a half inches wide. It is in poor condition. A typed note pasted on the left saddle bag reads as follows: "This saddle bag and dress outfit of Bishop John Seybert, was left at the home of Mr. and Mrs. David Fisher, of Manheim, Pa, by Bishop Seybert, between the years 1855 and 60. He was usually entertained in the above home when he came to Manheim to preach. At the death of Mr. and Mrs. David Fisher, these mementoes were given to their Daughter, Susan, who married John Fisher. After their death, they were handed down to their daughter, Louise, who married William McCauley. After the death of Mrs. McCauley, these relics came into the possession of Mrs. McCauley's daughter Edith. Thro [sic] her pastor Rev. I. E. Johnson, of Manheim, Pa. they have been transferred to the ‘Historical Society' and she wishes them placed in their room at the Publishing House. A very brief history of these articles as they were associated with life and labors of the late Bishop John Seybert. Signed and dated I.E. Johnson May 24, 1920."

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.

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.

Bishop Roberts was a typical itinerant circuit rider for the Methodist Episcopal Church. The saddlebags were a common tool for such men. Methodist ministers literaly lived out of their saddlebags for large blocks of time. These bags reflect the wear and tear that accompanied their normal usage.

Also included in this collestion is Robert's pocket watch, Bible and rocking chair.

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 reflects the missionary work of the Reverend Carroll Summerfield Long and the Methodist Episcopal Church in Japan. The material ranges from 1863 to 1931, and includes multiple record types. The collection provides an insider’s point of view towards a missionary’s life in 19th century Japan.

Correspondence from the Reverend Long has been recorded in two copy letter books (1881-1885). They include copies of business and personal letters written by Reverend Carroll Summerfield Long, which documents his role as missionary and Presiding Elder in the Nagasaki Conference. Included are financial information describing salaries, grocery lists and other expenses kept by the Japan Mission. Also included is a documented account of the newly established Cobleigh Seminary (1881), as well as the joys and concerns of running a Christian seminary in a foreign land. Personal correspondence is between his friends and family. He keeps his loved ones updates on his life abroad, describing the benefits and challenges he and his family gain while in Japan. One issue which he speaks of often is that of ill health. He writes to his family doctor in one letter, “Our mission is almost broken up by sickness...the few missionaries who are left here...to carry on the work in absence of the sick members” (March 2, 1882). Nearly all the letters are written in English, with a handful written with Japanese characters. In addition, both copy letter books include an index, where the Rev. Long as organized and recorded his letters alphabetically in reference to the respondent.

The collection includes Long’s diary (1881-1883). In which he describes his responsibilities as a minister to the Methodist Episcopal Church, as well as his responsibilities as a father, husband and son to his family. He records his day to day experiences including visitations from various missionaries, his relationship to his students and teachers at Cobleigh Seminary, as well as his reaction and criticism towards his sermons and preaching abilities. He also writes of his personal inspirations to why he joined a religious life and how it has effects his daily routine as a missionary overseas. The collection also includes an excerpt from the diary of the Reverend Long’s daughter Flora Hortense Long Harrison (1908). She describes how her Japanese teacher, Mr. Chiga, became to be a Christian and a Methodist, and the role that her father played in his religious transformation.

The role which the Reverend Long played in the Methodist Episcopal Church can also be seen in the Presiding Elders Manual which he kept for both North Carolina (1886-1888) and Japan (1888). Both manuals give a detailed account of the different conferences he was involved with. The manuals include the names of pastors, number of church members, attendance for Sunday school, as well as the financial information regarding each organization. The role of Carroll Summerfield Long, as well as other missionaries, are depicted in the collection’s thirty-one photographs. These include portraits of Long, his family, members of the Nagasaki Conference. The photographs also include some buildings, including the Wistorua of Kwassui Joyakko and Kwassui Joen, Girls Home Omura.

The collection also includes a number of publications which showcase Long’s writing and descriptions of a life in Japan to his American audience. Included in the publications are pieces written by missionary Elizabeth Russell, the history of Evangelization of Japan, as well as some biographical writings, including an obituary for the Reverend Carroll Summerfield Long.

The papers of Catherine Ezell contain a variety of articles and materials on deaconesses. There are several annual reports from the Commission on Deaconess Work (1951-1970). A copy of the 1976 annual report from the National Division of the Board of Global Ministries is contained in these papers. Magazine articles and photographs concerning US-2s are included. This material dates from 1951 to 1989. Several articles about deaconesses and about rural work (1941- 1983) are part of this collection. Most of the articles in this collection pertain to what is now known as Church and Community Work which is part of the National Division of the General Board of Global Ministries. In addition, there are copies of the Deaconess Home Missionary News and View Newsletter from 1956-1980. Material from deaconesses' conferences and convocations from 1951-1976 have also been included in her papers.

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.