150th Anniversary, 2008
Scope and Contents
The Minnesota Baptist Conference collection spans ten boxes and covers the years from 1877 to 2012.
The Publications series contains various newsletters published by the Minnesota Baptist Conference. Contact was a publication started in 1963 as a monthly newsletter for pastors. Vision was a newsletter for updates on Minnesota missions. Some publications without separate folders include The Parish Paper from Yokefellow Institute, Issues and Opportunities for the 90's: Social Concerns and Ministries Commission, Team Minnesota, Pastors to Pastors, Conference Update, Youth Thoughts, and Minnesota Churches Today.
The Special Writings folder holds the 1980 Christian Education Annual Report, "That We Remember the Needs of Older Persons", "The Sunday Evening Service" by Emmett Johnson, "How to Treat Your Pastor", "This Ministry Also" by Social Ministries Committee, and "Evaluation of HF 1753 (Teaching Evolution and Special Creation)".
The Events folder and Pamphlets and Brochures folder contain fliers and brochures for events involving the Minnesota Baptist Conference. These include workshops, camp retreats, conferences for subjects of leadership, theology, marriage, and discipleship. The Pastors' Retreat folder dates primarily to 1969. The Area Town Meetings folder dates to 1982.
The Annual Meetings series contains documentation from the annual meetings held by the Minnesota Baptist Conference. The Exerpts relating to early annual meetings folders are photocopies from reports of the Board of Trustees from the convention, dating from 1866 to 1882. The Annual Meeting Programs folder holds programs from 1933, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1949, 1966, 2008, and 2012. The Annuals folder holds Annuals, Reports, and Statistics, from 1883, 1887, 1891-1900, 1976, and 1980. The folders for specific annual meetings contain reports, ballots, constitutions, travel and accomodation information, fliers, and budgetary information. The Executive Seretary's Annual Reports date from 1965-1974, with 1970-1972 missing.
The History folders hold a written history and English translation written about 1910 by an unknown author. The oversize folder contains a history of Doctrinal Conflict in the Minnesota Baptist Conference, historical church lists, the organization of the conference under the State of Minnesota in 1885, and a speech given at the conference of 1900. "A History of the Minnesota Baptist Conference Work Among Hispanics" by Delmar IntVeld and Chuck and Betty Selander dates to 2010.
The Centennial folders contain historic information, programs, agendas, correspondence, minutes of the Centenary Committee, and a skit by Clifford Anderson titled "Finding Christ in a New Land." Several manuscript drafts of "Pioneering with God's Promise" are included. The folders for the Centennial pageant by Virginia Bowers contain programs, stage notes, correspondences, and scripts of "One Hundred Years of Progress with the Promises of God." A corresponding photograph folder is located in the Photographs series.
The Youth series is made up mostly by documentation from the BYPU, Baptist Young People's Union, both statewide and the Twin Cities chapter. Most of the series is ledgers of meeting minutes.
The Conference Baptist Men of Minnesota Secretary's Minute Book dates to 1945 to 1950.
The Twin Cities Women's Society ledger dates to 1914 to 1926. The Women's Union folder holds an annual report from 1963, a history of the organization from 1955, prayer booklets, a Year Book from 1947, and a Houseparty program from 1949. The Leading Edge newsletter dates between 1997 and 2004, and was published for women.
The Audio Visual Catalog dates to 1980 and lists filmstrips and records on various subjects. This binder came from Bethel Baptist Church.
The Finances series dates between 1913 and 1963, and is mostly made up of financial ledgers recording general funds, church receipts, and other more specific funds.
The Minutes series dates between 1877 and 1967. Most of the series is made up of ledgers, particularly from the Ministers Association. One folder holds early minutes from 1858 to 1891 translated into English, and the other Swedish language minutes from 1921 to 1926.
The Long-Range Strategic Plan of the Minnesota Baptist Conference was published September 1991.
The Camping folder contains brochures for camping retreats put on my the MBC, the Annual Report of the Associate Minister of Camping Robert Kobielush from 1980, and a history of Trout Lake Camp. The Camping Helps! A Handbook for Camp Promotion Registratio, and Staff Recruiting was written by Robert Kobielush.
The District Personnel folder contains mostly pastoral information for the Standard publication.
The Church Profile folder holds financial contribution data from churches in Minnesota.
The Missionary Pastor's Report folder holds data about individual Minnesota churches visited by missionary pastors.
The Correspondence series holds letters to and from Reverend G.R. Anderson, pastor in Alexandria, and Reverend Eric Lindholm. The rest of the series includes correspondence with individual churches around the state.
The Photographs series holds prints and negatives of photographs. Most are of the annual meetings of the Minnesota Baptist Conference. Many of the general events and people are unidentified.
The Isanti County District series is primarily made up of ledgers of meeting minutes and finances. There are two folders of documents found folded inside the ledgers.
The West Central Pastors Fellowship folders hold meeting minutes dating between 1966 and 1981.
The Minnesota District Pastor's Fellowship ledger contains the meeting minutes dating between 1967 to 1969.
The 2023 Acquisition contains items and documents donated in November 2023. The Board of Trustees folders hold minutes from the Board dating from 1932 to 1949, with a few documents from 1976 to 1980. The Board of Missions and Board of Christian Education folder holds the minutes from these two boards between 1952 and 1953. The Annual Meetings subseries contains minutes from the meetings in 1947-1949 and 1953. The General Fund folder holds Treasurer's Reports regarding the General Fund from 1945 to 1949. The Finance folder holds other financial information from other funds and budgets, such as for the Board of Missions, Board of Christian Education, Building Revolving Fund, and Big Trout Lake Camp. The Organization Officers folder contains lists of names of members of various leadership organizations. The Camps folder holds minutes from the State Bible Camp Board and camp fund treasurer's reports. The Pastors folder contains resources for ministers, such as "Guidelines for Restoration of Ministers" from 1989, information from the Pastors' Council and the Pastors' Association, and the "Social Concerns and Ministries Commission" from 1989. The Making It Happen Through Camping, Christian Education, Church Extension, Clergy Support folder dates to 1984 and holds handouts for events and resources. The Brochures and Pamphlets folder contains handouts advertising the Minnesota Baptist Conference and associated ministries. The Historical Information folder contains "Pietism Rocks" by Truett Lawson and other writings about Conference history. The 150th Anniversary folder dates to 2008 and holds handouts and programs, as well as audio CDs from the program held December 14, 2008. The "Please, No More Food: A Quick Guide to Ukrainian Culture and Language for Short-Term Missions" was written by Ruslana Westerlund in 2007. The Building folders hold information regarding construction of the Minnesota Baptist Conference Headquarters in Arden Hills from 1970 and 1971. Also included is the architect's specifications book from Roger Johnson Associates. Blueprints from the building are external to the box. A box of rocks is included in this series taken from the foundation of the house near Village Creek Church at Lansing, Iowa, where the Swedish Baptist General Conference was organized in 1879.
Dates
- 2008
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for researcher use.
Extent
From the Collection: 13 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
From the Collection: Swedish
Repository Details
Part of the The History Center: Archives of Bethel University and Converge Repository