The governing documents, biennial and special meeting proceedings, and official statements issued by the governing body of the (old) Mennonite Church. Included also are accessory materials to the biennial conferences, including programs, session materials, newpaper clippings about various meetings of the general conference, transcriptions of sermons and talks given, and other miscellaneous materials.
Researchers should consult the proceedings for additional statements and resolutions issued by the Mennonite General Conference, as the collection of statements here are not complete.
A small set of correspondence created and collected by Roy Koch, Moderator of the Mennonite General Conference from 1963 to 1965. Includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence, as well as a small folder of miscellaneous materials.
Records of the executive staff member responsible to the Mennonite General Conference, the delegate body of the (old) Mennonite Church. Mennonite General Conference Executive Secretary position was created in 1954 (replacing a voluntary Secretary position) and was held by Paul Erb (1954-1961), A. J. Metzler (1961-1966), and Howard J. Zehr (1966-1971). These files are arranged into the following series:
Records of the Mennonite General Conference officer charged with managing the monies of the General Conference and its committees, including the Mennonite Commission for Christian Education, the Mennonite Historical Committee, the General Council, the Executive Committee, and the Peace Problems Committee. Materials include financial journals, treasurer's correspondence, and minutes of the budget and finance committee. Researchers should note that the treasurer's correspondence includes copies of correspondence from the moderator and other executive committee members that was not otherwise retained.
In 1964, the executive secretary's office began managing the money of the General Conference and its committees, and In 1967, Mennonite Mutual Aid (Everence) took over bookkeeping for the General Conference.
The Executive Committee consisted of a small subset of leaders in the General Conference, and later the General Assembly, of the (old) Mennonite Church that met several times a year to conduct business. Although the executive committee of the Mennonite General Conference extends at least as back as the 1910's, these records pick up with exectuive committee correspondence in 1924 and executive committee minutes in 1942. Other materials in this series include notes from the 1948 World Conference Planning Committee and an undated report of a committee appointed to draft a plan for the coordination of work among several boards and committees of the (old) Mennonite Church.
A small set of minutes documenting the work of the committee apparently charged with developing the programs and plans for meetings of the Mennonite General Conference of the (old) Mennonite Church.
Mennonite General Conference. Committee on Arrangements
Governing documents, minutes, correspondence, and sub-committee records of a committee dedicated to resolving polity issues and cooperation among the the following committees and boards of the (old) Mennonite Church: Mennonite Board of Missions, Mennonite Publication Board, Mennonite Board of Education, General Sunday School Committee, Young People's Topics Committee, Young People's Problems Committee, Mennonite Historical Committee, Music Committee, and the Peace Problems Committee.
Mennonite General Conference. Interboard Committee
Minutes, reports, correspondence, and questionnaires pertaining to the work of a committee charged with addressing lifestyle "problems" in the church, such as dress, divorce and remarriage, trade union membership, and the interpretation of "separation from the world." The goal of the committee appears to have been the development of uniform standards of conduct across the (old) Mennonite Church in accordance with doctrine.
Mennonite General Conference. Church Welfare Committee
Minutes and dockets, correspondence, committee records, and miscellaneous materials created by the Mennonite General Conference General Council. The General Council served as the interim representative body of the Mennonite General Conference, meeting and making decisions on behalf of the General Conference when it was not in session.
A small set of records created by the committee responsible for developing slates of candidates for leadership positions in the (old) Mennonite Church. Materials include minutes, reports, and correspondence.
Mennonite General Conference. Nominating Committee
This collection consists of the constitution, some correspondence and minutes of the Mennonite General Conference standing committee Mennonite Church Buildings, Inc.
Mennonite General Conference. Mennonite Church Buildings, Inc.
Teaching guides and topic outlines produced for Young People's Bible Meeting leaders and teachers. Young People's Bible Meetings functioned as Sunday schools in late 19th and early to mid- 20th century Mennonite and Amish Mennonite congregations. Usually taking place before Sunday evening church services, these meetings were eventually opened to young and old members of Midwestern Mennonite congregations. In Lancaster County, the meetings typically occured on Saturday evenings and attracted young people only.
Mennonite Church. Young People's Bible Meetings Topics Committee
Minutes, agendas and dockets,annual reports, and ad hoc reports created by the entity within the (old) Mennonite Church responsible for fostering interest Mennonite history and heritage.
These records document the work of the committee charged with oversight of Sunday school work in the (old) Mennonite Church. The committee kept records on congregational and conference Sunday school attendance, coordinated fundraising for Sunday school ministries of the (old) Mennonite Church, and exercised editorial control of denominational Sunday school publications.
