First and Second Congregational Churches of Oberlin Records, 1834-2003, n.d.
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
The Oberlin Collegiate Institute and the colony of Oberlin were established by John J. Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart in 1833. Although essentially a religious community, they did not organize a church until September 13, 1834, when the First Church of Christ in Oberlin was founded.
Initially, the church was affiliated with the Cleveland Presbytery in accordance with a plan made early in the century whereby Congregationalists agreed to place themselves under the Presbyterian hierarchy during frontier settlement as a means of maintaining some level of control over religion on the frontier. The Oberlin church, however, soon parted company with the Presbytery because of the Oberlinians' desire for complete autonomy and the Presbyterians' unhappiness with revivalism, Asa Mahan's doctrine of "perfectionism," and the colonists' anti-slavery activism. By 1836, the break was complete. The church in Oberlin renamed itself the First Congregational Church and led the way in establishing the Association of Congregational Churches of the Western Reserve. The next year was also a notable landmark as well: the famous (1837) evangelist, Charles Grandison Finney, accepted the pastorate of the church in addition to his new teaching responsibilities in Oberlin College's Theological Seminary.
Internally, First Congregational Church was governed by a Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, and/or an Executive Council, with an elected Board of Deacons to oversee charitable work, but it did not have legal status that entitled it to buy or sell property. Those actions were thus carried out in the church's behalf by the Oberlin Society, an organization chartered by the state in 1834 and given authority "to hold and convey property and to attend to all public matters both secular and religious." The Society ceased serving as a civil body when the Village of Oberlin was chartered in 1846, but continued acting for the church until 1903, when the church's legal status changed. All property titles were then transferred to the church and the Oberlin Society dissolved itself in 1914.
From 1834 to 1842, the church had a variety of makeshift meeting places -- Peter Pindar Pease's log cabin (the first structure of the colony); the Oberlin Collegiate Institute's first building, Oberlin Hall; the dining room of Ladies Hall; the ground floor of Colonial Hall; and, weather permitting, Charles Grandison Finney's revival tent. It was at Finney's urging that the church decided to build a meeting house. On June 17, 1842, the cornerstone was laid for the church building that still stands. The plans were a modification of New York City's Broadway Tabernacle, which had been recently built for Finney's use. The cost of the Oberlin church has been estimated at about $12,000, but "like a mediaeval cathedral the Meeting House was built with the offerings of material and labor from the people of the community and their friends abroad."
By 1860, First Congregational Church had over 1500 members, plus students. Thus, a decision was made in that year to divide the congregation. One hundred and three people voluntarily withdrew and established the Second Congregational Church of Oberlin. The Sunday Schools of the two churches continued to meet together at the meeting house. Its building plans delayed by the Civil War, Second Congregational Church held services in the college chapel until 1870, when its meeting house was finally completed.
In 1882, missionaries of the two churches were accepted by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Prior to that time, the American Board had not generally accepted missionaries from the Oberlin churches or Oberlin College because of their outspoken opposition to slavery. Oberlin missionaries had gone out independently and under the auspices of the American Missionary Association in large numbers. Between 1882 and 1942, however, some estimate that the Oberlin churches sent more missionaries to the American Board than any other two churches in the country. The women of the church were very much involved with missions, both within the United States and abroad, and had numerous voluntary organizations over the years to educate others on mission work and raise financial support.
In 1920, the two congregations decided to reunite and took the name United Church (Congregational) of Oberlin. They met in Finney Chapel on the campus of Oberlin College until 1928. By that time, the college had ceased requiring students to attend church, so attendance dropped sufficiently to allow the church to resume meeting in its own, newly refurbished building. Soon thereafter, in 1929, a new name was adopted: First Church of Oberlin.
First Church was very much involved in national religious organizations. It had hosted the first meeting of the National Council of Congregational Churches in 1871, and when that body was replaced by the General Council of Congregational Churches in 1931, First Church quickly joined the new organization. In 1957, the Congregational Churches merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Church to form the General Synod of the United Church of Christ and First Church was one of the first to join the Synod.
Although never subsidized by Oberlin College, First (Congregational) Church was always an integral part of college and community life. It was very much involved with the progressive reform movements generally associated with Oberlin, including anti-slavery and temperance. From the turn of the century, the teaching of the church emphasized the social responsibility of Christians, continuing the progressive tradition of the nineteenth century, but without the evangelicalism that had previously characterized the church. Over the ensuing decades, church leaders and the congregation consistently emphasized such issues as pacifism, women's rights, and civil rights for blacks and other minorities.
Pastors of First Church
1834-1836 John J. Shipherd (b.1802-1844)
1837-1872 Charles Grandison Finney (b.1792-1875)
1873-1899 James Brand (b.1834-1899)
1900-1911 John W. Bradshaw
1912-1916 William H. Spence (b.1870-1945)
1917-1927 Nicholas Van der Pyl (b.1866-1943)
1928-1942 James A. Richards (b.1878- )
1942-1962 Joseph F. King (b.1906- )
1963-1973 Frederick Schumacher (b.1923- )
1974-1992 John Elder (b.1932- )
1992-1997 Douglas Long
1997-1998 Stephanie L. Haines (Interim Senior Minister)
1998- 2002 William Barney Kitchen
Jim Deitz (Interim Minister)
Gilmer D. Fauber, Jr. (Interim Minister)
2003 David Hill
Pastors of Second Congregational Church
1861-1864 Miner W. Fairfield
1877-1882 William Kincaid
1886-1888 R.G. Hutchins
1889-1909 Henry Martyn Tenney (Pastor Emeritus, 1910-27)
1910-1914 J. N. Pierce
1915-1919 C. H. Williams
Author: Lisa Pruitt Forms of Material (links to similar genres) Administrative InformationOberlin College Archives
Architectural Records, First Church (57)
Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the First and
Second Congregational Churches of Oberlin (31/6/12)
Lorain County Congregational Association (31/38)
Oberlin Bible Society (31/38)
Charles Grandison Finney Presidential Papers (2/2)
See also accession 1997/135.
Records of the First and Second Congregational Churches of Oberlin date from 1834 to 2002. They include minutes of the Oberlin Society, the original governing body of the colony and church. The bulk of the collection consists of minutes, annual reports, correspondence, financial records, sermons of various pastors, and records of several women's voluntary and social organizations. Topics covered include church doctrine, fundraising, Christian education, volunteerism, missions, and church government. The College Archives stopped acquiring the records of First Church in 1997, at the end of the ministry of Douglas Long. The division was advanced by archivist Roland M. Baumann and endorsed by the Archives Advisory Committee. The records are organized in the following subgroups and series:
Subgroup I: First Church
Series 1: Oberlin Society
Series 2: Minutes of the Board of Trustees, Executive
Committee, and Executive Council*
Series 3: Annual Reports
Series 4: Legal Documents
Series 5: General Correspondence
Series 6: Pastors and Other Personnel
Series 7: Boards and Committees
Series 8: Financial Records
Series 9: Building and Property Records
Series 10: District Meeting, 1867
Series 11: Membership and Stewardship
Series 12: Sunday School and Library
Series 13: Choir
Series 14: Voluntary and Social Organizations
Series 15: Printed Material
Series 16: Historical File
Series 17: Special Subjects
Series 18: Non-print Media
Series 19: Oral History Transcripts and Audiovisual
Recordings
Subgroup II: Second Congregational Church
Series 1: Minutes
Series 2: Annual Reports
Series 3: Legal documents
Series 4: Correspondence
Series 5: Financial Records
Series 6: Membership
Series 7: Elections
Series 8: Sunday School Library
Series 9: Choir
Series 10: Voluntary and Social Organizations
Series 11: Printed Materials
Series 12: Historical Files
* For Constitution, please see Series 11. Membership.
SUBGROUP AND SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Subgroup I: First Church, 1834-2002 (29.31 l.f.)
Records of First Church include records of the Oberlin Society, First Church of Christ in Oberlin, First Congregational Church, and United Church (Congregational). Among the materials in this subgroup are minutes, reports, correspondence, financial and legal documents, membership records, and records of women's voluntary and social organizations, the Sunday School, and the choir. Subgroup I is arranged in seventeen series: 1. Oberlin Society. 2. Minutes of the Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, and Executive Council. 3. Annual Reports. 4. Legal Documents. 5. General Correspondence. 6. Pastors and Other Personnel. 7. Boards and Committees. 8. Financial Records. 9. Building and Property Records. 10. District Meeting, 1867. 11. Membership. 12. Sunday School and Library. 13. Choir. 14. Voluntary and Social Organizations. 15. Printed Material. 16. Historical File. 17. Non-print media.
Series 1: Oberlin Society, 1834-1914 (.8 l.f.)
Constitution, articles of incorporation, and minutes of the Oberlin Presbyterian Society, known primarily as the Oberlin Society, the original governing body of the colony and church. Also includes contracts and other types of agreements entered into by the Society. Arranged chronologically.
Series 2: Minutes of the Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, and Executive Council, 1913-1998 (2.6 l.f.)
Minutes of the three principal governing bodies of the church. Board minutes cover primarily matters relating to the budget, church-owned properties, and church personnel. Also includes correspondence carried out in behalf of the Board. Executive Committee/Council minutes cover similar territory, but focus more on church education, programs, pulpit-supply, and social activities. (Please note: includes minutes of the Annual Congregational Meeting, plus Special Meetings.) Arranged chronologically within each section.
Series 3: Annual Reports, 1908--1997 (.4 l.f.)
Annual reports include statements of receipts and expenditures, reports of the Board of Trustees, the minister, the Board of Deacons, and various clubs and committees. Arranged chronologically.
Series 4: Legal Documents, 1920-30 (.2 l.f.)
Legal records regarding the union of the First and Second Congregational Churches to form the United Church (Congregational), including articles of agreement, minutes of the first United Church meeting and results of an election of officers, certificate of incorporation, and deeds of property. Arranged chronologically.
Series 5: General Correspondence, 1836-1930, 1947-1972, 1978, 1993-1994. (.6 l.f.)
Letters received by the church making charges against its members, letters transferring or requesting transfer of membership, letters from various groups (i.e., Oberlin Bible Society, Home Missionary Society, Women's League, Board of Deacons) discussing their ministries, letters of appointment, acceptance, and resignation from church officers, and correspondence with accompanying documentation regarding the merger of the Congregational Christian Churches with the Evangelical and Reformed Church to form the United Church of Christ. Arranged chronologically.
Series 6: Pastors and Other Personnel, 1850, 1871, 1876-1998, n.d.
(1.4 l.f.)
Sermons, writings, and correspondence of pastors of First Church, and lessons and sermons prepared by visiting speakers and interns. Arranged chronologically.
Series 7: Boards and Committees, 1871-1913, 1930, 1932, 1939-1998 (1.2 l.f.)
Minutes of the Board of Christian Work (1871-99) and the Board of Deacons and Leaders (1900-13), a list of all church officers and committee members (1946-88), and rosters, reports, minutes, and correspondence of several committees, including the Building Committee and the Religious Education Committee. Records of the Board of Christian Work and Board of Deacons are filed first, followed by the list of church officers and then lesser committees in alphabetical order.
Series 8: Financial Records, 1839-1995 (4.8 l.f.)
Annual financial reports, records maintained by the church treasurer, information on fundraising, especially the sale of stock and pew rentals, and ledgers and cash books showing income and expenditures. Annual financial reports and treasurer's records are filed first, followed by files on fundraising, oversized bound volumes, and receipts and invoices. Each section is arranged in chronological order.
Series 9: Building and Property Records, 1836-45, 1875-76, c. 1909-46, 1927-28, 1958-2000 (.6 l.f.)
Deeds, correspondence, reports, and drawings regarding property owned by First Church, including land, buildings, and church organs. Includes records regarding the James Brand House.
Series 10: District Meeting, 1867 (.2 l.f.)
Reports of prayer meetings held in individual "districts" of the community that the church had designated. Lists numbers and names of people present and absent and gives a general report. Arranged in no particular order.
Series 11: Membership, 1834-1994, n.d. (3.85 l.f.)
Confession of faith and covenant (n.d.), Constitution of First Church (1988), manuals for members (1865-1913), registers and directories of members (1839-1936, 1987), minutes of meetings of the church body (1834-39, 1965-67), and records of trials of members for violating the church covenant or to settle disputes between members (1837-64). Arranged chronologically within each document type. Includes baptisms (1921-1963) and the Every Member Canvass (1921-47; Stewardship, 1967-77).
Series 12: Sunday School and Library, 1871-1915, 1921-36, 1953-1956, 1970-71, n.d. (1.25 l.f.)
Rolls of members of Sunday School and Day School classes, record of the Women's Bible Class, and catalogs of books in the Sunday School Library. Arranged chronologically.
Series 13: Choir, 1838-67, 1879-1919 (.6 l.f.)
Constitution, lists of members, rolls of attendance, and concert programs. Chronological within each document type.
Series 14: Voluntary and Social Organizations, 1874-1997 (3.4 l.f.)
Constitution, minutes, programs, financial records, and reports of groups formed for purposes of Christian service and fellowship. Primarily women's organizations, but also includes records of Boy Scout troops. Notable are the records (1869-1931) of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of Oberlin and its successor bodies: minutes, treasurers' books, one library accession book, and printed programs of Society meetings. See historical sketch attached to preceding "Administrative History." Arranged alphabetically by name of organization.
Series 15: Printed Material, 1868-2002 (5.4 l.f.)
Newsletters, brochures, cookbooks, yearbooks, and orders of service (complete set from 1898 through February 1989). Arranged chronologically.
Series 16: Historical File, 1836-1987 (1.4 l.f.)
Historical sketches, scrapbooks, clippings, and a typescript transcription of "church papers, 1836-40" prepared by Robert S. Fletcher, probably in the late 1930s or early 1940s. These are arranged chronologically. The series also includes a book by James H. Fairchild, Oberlin: The Colony and the College (Oberlin, OH: E.J. Goodrich, 1883), inscribed by Lucy Stone to Miss Wright.
Series 17: Special Subjects, 1934-1990 (.4 l.f.)
Consists of materials related to various programs, groups, and other subjects of interest to the First Congregational Church community
Series 18: Non-print Media, 1844, c. 1908-14, n.d. (.2 l.f.)
Photographs, seating plans, and metal pew tags. No particular arrangement.
Series 19: Oral History Transcripts and Audiovisual Recordings, 1994, 2017 (.01 l.f.)
Contains an audiocassette tape of the memorial service for Margaret Schauffler, and a videorecording of the 175th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of the First Church Meeting House (DVD by Dale Preson), 10/8/2017.
Subgroup II: Second Congregational Church, 1860-1990 (5.25 l.f.)
Minutes, reports, correspondence, financial records, and documents regarding church membership comprise the bulk of this subgroup. Arranged in twelve series: 1. Minutes. 2. Annual Reports. 3. Legal Documents. 4. Correspondence. 5. Financial Records. 6. Membership. 7. Elections. 8. Sunday School. 9. Choir. 10. Voluntary and Social Organizations. 11. Printed Materials. 12. Historical file.
Series 1: Minutes, 1861-1916, 1919-20 (.2 l.f.)
Minutes of Trustee and Council meetings. Arranged chronologically.
Series 2: Annual reports, 1900-19 (.2 l.f.)
Statements of income and expenditures, reports of the pastor, trustees, deacons, and various committees on the year's activities and accomplishments. Arranged chronologically.
Series 3: Legal documents, 1865, 1908 (.2 l.f.)
Records regarding the organization of Second Congregational Church in 1860 and the sale of real estate in 1908. Arranged chronologically.
Series 4: Correspondence, 1865-1915 (.2 l.f.)
Miscellaneous correspondence carried out in behalf of the church. Arranged chronologically.
Series 5: Financial Records, 1888-1920 (.75 l.f.)
Consists of Treasurer’s reports, income and expenditure records, pew rentals, and offering envelopes (sample for 1909, 1917).
Series 6: Membership, 1860-1926 (.75 l.f.)
Applications, rosters of members and affiliated missionaries, manuals for members, and one large volume that records names of members and their dates of acceptance and dismissal, lists charter members, provides a statistical summary of membership, and records minutes of meetings of the church body. Arranged chronologically.
Series 7: Elections, 1901-20 (.2 l.f.)
Ballots for election of officers, 1901-20, and a record of a vote, 1913. Arranged chronologically.
Series 8: Sunday School Library, 1868-1904 (.5 l.f.)
Catalogs and register of use of the Sunday School Library. Arranged chronologically.
Series 9: Choir, 1860-1916 (.2 l.f.)
Constitution, minutes, list of members, roll book, year book, and biennial reports of activities. Arranged chronologically.
Series 10: Voluntary and Social Organizations, 1867-1920 (.4 l.t.)
Records of the Ladies' Society and the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor. Arranged chronologically within each group.
Series 11: Printed Materials, 1872-1920, n.d., incl. (1.25 l.f.)
Orders of service, year books, seating chart, and miscellaneous programs and pamphlets. Arranged chronologically.
Series 12: Historical File, 1860-1990, n.d. (.4 l.f.)
Clippings, scrapbook of the Women's Class, historical sketches, list of pastors, and information regarding organs. Arranged chronologically.