This collection is comprised mostly of correspondence. The first series consists of Josiah L. Parrish's correspondence, documents, and records. These records and letters cover several topics, including biographical and family information, information regarding business affairs and history. The biographical information deals with Josiah L. Parrish's family. There is limited information regarding his children from his first wife, Elizabeth Winn Parrish, his second wife Jennie Litchenthaler Parrish, and their daughters (Josie and Grace), and his third wife Mattie A. Pierce and her son LaRonda Pierce.

Parrish, being important in the history of Oregon, has a great deal of historical information in his collection. Also included in the history section is a copy of the general instructions to missionaries. Included in the business affairs materials are correspondences and records related to prospecting, agriculture, and real estate, as well as personal business records. Parrish's papers also include three oversized documents - one making him a member of the New York State Militia, one making him an Indian Agent, and one signed by President Andrew Johnson granting him land in Oregon.

The second series contains Mattie A. Parrish's papers, mostly letters. The biographical and family information contains correspondence between Mattie and her relatives - including her husband and his children, as well as her own child LaRonda.

The business affairs material is divided into financial records, legal records, and solicitations. The financial records cover banking, loans, notes, groceries, dry goods, livestock, clothiers, hardware, insurance, furniture, appliances and lumber.

The legal documents consist of letters from lawyers, court cases, and deeds. The collection also contains several clippings. These clippings cover multiple women's rights, socialism, the history of Oregon and its first Methodist pioneers, articles on Oregon and its politics, obituaries of relatives and neighbors, birthday announcements, Arbor Day, editorials, Helen Keller and the blind, and labor disputes.

The material in this series comes from the General Welfare Division of the General Board of Church and Society. The series contains administrative records, newsletters and scrapbooks from the Geneal Board of Temperance, the predecessor to the General Welfare Division. There are also records pertaining to the Department of of Alcohol Problems and Drug Abuse, the Depart of Population Problems, and the Department of Law, Justice and Community Relations. Each of these departments had wide-ranging portfolios and were active in a variety of issues. Some of the issues relate to United Methodism's historic stance on drug and alcohol abuse, as well as issues surrounding population and hunger in the 1970s and the division's involvement in Kent State slayings legal defense, Wounded Knee and other societal issues of the 1960s and 1970s.

This series contains the records of the Commission on World Peace, predecessor agency to this division. The material contains general administrative and correspondence files; records of conferences and workshops conducted by the staff; special projects of the Division and conscientious objector files. Also included are the relating to the various seminars conducted by the Division and the Board of Church and Society at the United Nations.

This series holds the minutes of the various boards and divisions. Included are the minutes of the board meetings along with committee reports and also the various levels of staff minutes of the agency. The second major section deals with the administrative functions of the board and primarially deals with the various general secretaries's files.

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.

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.

This collection contains the records of the various departments in the reorganized structure of the Board of Church and Society. Departments in this new division focus on human issues and the church's response to those issues. This includes many of the previous departments spread between the former divisions. This includes such programs as the drug initiative, social and economic justice; human rights; and peace and world order.