Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. Records, 1799-1996.
Records, 1799 - 1996
3 linear feet
RG 4383
No access restrictions.
Deposit of Framingham Conference Center of the UCC.
Processed July, 1999 by Virginia Hunt.
Copyright: requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the archivist or librarian.
Top of pageIntroduction
The Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ Records were placed on deposit in the Congregational Library in June of 1999. Contained within this collection are the following: the records of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1979 - 1996; the records of the Massachusetts Missionary Society, 1799 - ca 1803; and the records of the Franklin Association of the Massachusetts Conference of the UCC and its auxiliary organizations, 1843 - 1987. These records were placed on deposit with the Congregational Library in June of 1999 by Joan Van der Vliet, secretary of the Framingham Conference Center for the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. The records of all three agencies represented in this collection were originally placed with the Framingham Conference Center for safekeeping, prior their transfer to the Congregational Library. This transfer established the practice of the Congregational Library acting as the repository for the records of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, and is indicative of the Conference's intention to continue to transfer their records to the Library for future retention and preservation.
Top of pageHistorical Note
The Massachusetts Missionary Society and The Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ
The Massachusetts Missionary Society was organized on May 29, 1799 in Boston, Massachusetts. There were thirty - eight charter members, mainly followers of the theology of Samuel Hopkins (1721 - 1803), an American theologian who developed Hopkinsianism, and one of the first clergymen to denounce slavery. Hopkinsianism system sought to reconcile the occurrence of sin with the Calvinist dogma of predestination. The Massachusetts Missionary Society was created with the intention to spread "knowledge of the glorious Gospel of Christ among the poor Heathen and in those remote parts of our country in which the inhabitants had not enjoyed the benefits of a Christian ministry and Christian ordinances," i.e. outside Massachusetts. Nathaniel Emmons, a strong Calvinist and pastor at Franklin, Massachusetts, was the first President of the Society.
In 1827 the Massachusetts Missionary Society and the Domestic Missionary Society of Massachusetts Proper (founded in 1818), were united under the name of the Massachusetts Missionary Society, and their work was hence concentrated specifically in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Missionary Society became the Massachusetts "Home" Missionary Society in 1844. The organization's title was changed primarily to emphasize that the work of the Society had become exclusively for America, and specifically for Massachusetts.
The General Association of Massachusetts came into being in 1802. This ultimately became the Massachusetts Congregational Conference. The Conference then merged with the Massachusetts Home Missionary Society in 1927, to become the Massachusetts Congregational Conference and Missionary Society. This merger was the result of twenty - seven years' of agitation by various members, and accelerated by a recommendation of the National Council of Congregational Conferences in 1907. The charter of the Massachusetts Home Missionary Society was used as the basis for the union of the two organizations. In 1953 the name was changed to the Massachusetts Congregational Christian Conference, and in 1966 the name was changed again to the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, as it remains to the present.
The Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ now assumes responsibility for all Congregational missionary work done in Massachusetts. Its main functions are to give ministerial and executive leadership to a broad program of work designed to help churches, to develop fellowship of the ministers and churches, and to cultivate practical support for denominational and interdenominational projects and programs.
The Franklin Association of The Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ
The territory that is now referred to as Franklin County, Massachusetts, was incorporated as part of Hampshire County, Massachusetts in 1662. The first settlement made in this county, with the first church and minister, was in Deerfield. Franklin County was organized and incorporated on June 24, 1811.
Prior to the existence of Franklin County, the Orthodox Congregational Ministers in the several towns that now constitute Franklin County formerly belonged to the Hampshire Ministerial Association. On August 2, 1803, eight members of the Northern Association of Hampshire County set off to form a new body called the North Western Association of Hampshire County. These pastors represented the towns of Conway, Charlemont, Hawley, Shelburne, Ashfield, Rowe, Buckland, and Deerfield.
The first meeting of the North Western Association of Hampshire County was held in Rowe on September 20, 1803, and a constitution was adopted at Shelburne on April 10, 1805. In 1813, after the county of Franklin was organized and incorporated, the group changed its title to the Franklin Association.
At present, there are twenty - one incorporated towns represented by the Franklin Association (of the Massachusetts Conference of the Untied Church of Christ). They are as follows: Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hawley, Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Shelburne, Shelburne Falls, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, and Whately.
Information in this historical note is taken from:
Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ Yearbook, 1960.
Rev. Theophilus Packard, Jr. A History of the Churches and Ministers, and of Franklin Association, in Franklin County, Mass. and an Appendix Respecting the County. Boston: S.K. Whipple and Company, 1854.
Top of pageScope and Content Note
This collection contains various records created by the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, including one of its precursors, the Massachusetts Missionary Society, and one of its regional associations, the Franklin Association, and its auxiliary organizations. The collection is divided into three series, which are described below.
Series I. is comprised of administrative records of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1979 - 1996. Contained within this series are the minutes and reports from the Board of Directors' Meetings from the years 1979 - 1996, which are arranged chronologically. Also in this series are the minutes and reports of the following committees that worked in conjunction with the Board (all arranged chronologically): Executive Committee (1979 - 1986); Finance Committee (1980 - 1985); Property Committee (1980 - 1985); Personnel Committee (1979 - 1985); and the Evaluation Committee (1979 - 1983). Also contained in this series are the minutes of the Council for Mission Outreach and Social Responsibility, 1985 - 1986 and various legal documents that pertaining to the sale of a Massachusetts Conference - owned property in 1996.
Series II. contains the records of the Massachusetts Missionary Society. The Massachusetts Missionary Society was one of original organizations that later merged with General Association of Massachusetts and its descendent organizations to become what is now the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. The records of the Massachusetts Missionary Association range from 1799 to ca. 1803 and include the organization's constitution and other founding documents, financial records and reports, and materials pertaining to the creation and subscription of their publication, The Massachusetts Missionary Magazine. These materials are arranged as follows: founding documents in the beginning of the series; financial reports follow this series, and are arranged chronologically; publication - related materials are at the end of the series and arranged chronologically.
Series III. is comprised of the records of the Franklin Association of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. The Franklin Association is one of the regional associations that make up the Massachusetts Conference. Because this series includes the administrative records of the Franklin Association, as well as its auxiliary organizations, it is divided into several subseries. Subseries A. contains the administrative records of the Franklin Association and the records of the Committee on Ministerial Standing. The remainder of the subseries contains records of the individual auxiliary organizations of the Franklin Association. Records for the auxiliary associations include those of the Woman's Board of Missions (1920 - 1949), Massachusetts Fellowship of Congregational Christian Women (1964 - 1987), and Woman's Work of the Massachusetts Congregational Conference and Missionary Society (1949 - 1964). In addition, the last series contains an album of photographs depicting past ministers and members of the Franklin Conference (ca. 1870 - 1900). All records contained within this series are in volumes and grouped by organization, and then chronologically within these groupings.
Top of pageSeries Description
Series I. Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. Records, 1979 - 1996.
A. Board of Directors. Administrative records, 1979 - 1996.
B. Executive Committee. Records, 1979 - 1986.
C. Finance Committee. Records, 1980 - 1985.
D. Property Committee. Records, 1980 - 1985.
E. Personnel Committee. Records, 1979 - 1985.
F. Evaluation Committee. Records, 1979 - 1983.
G. Council for Mission Outreach and Social Responsibility. Minutes, 1985 - 1986.
H. Legal Documents, 1996.
Series II. Massachusetts Missionary Society. Records, 1799 - ca. 1803.
Series III. Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. Franklin Association. Records, 1843 - 1987.
A. Franklin County Conference of Churches. Administrative Records, 1843 - 1961.
1. Minutes and Reports, 1843 - 1961.
2. Committee on Ministerial Standing. Records, 1911 - 1941.
B. Franklin Association of Congregational Ministers. Records, 1874 - 1927.
C. Woman's Board of Missions. Records, 1920 - 1949.
D. Woman's Work of Massachusetts Congregational Conference and Missionary Society. Records, 1949 - 1964.
E. Massachusetts Fellowship of Congregational Christian Women. Records, 1964 - 1987.
F. Photograph Album, ca. 1870 - 1900.
Top of pageBox List
Box 1
Series I. Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. Records, 1979 - 1996.
Subseries A. Board of Directors. Administrative records, 1979 - 1996.
Folder 1 - 54 Minutes and Reports, 1979 - 1994
Folder 55 Introductory information from the Massachusetts Conference Director's Manual, ca. 1979 - 1980.
Folder 56 Commission on Corporate Responsibility in Investments. Report, 1973.
Subseries B. Executive Committee. Records, 1979 - 1986.
Folder 57 - 62 Minutes and reports, 1979 - 1988.
Subseries C. Finance Committee. Records, 1980 - 1985.
Folder 63 - 64 Minutes and reports, 1980 - 1985
Folder 65 Financial statements, 1984 - 1986.
Subseries D. Property Committee. Records, 1980 - 1983.
Folder 66 - 67 Minutes and reports, 1980 - 1985.
Subseries E. Personnel Committee. Records, 1979 - 1984.
Folder 68 Minutes and reports, 1979 - 1980.
Folder 69 Minutes and reports, 1981 - 1982.
Folder 70 Minutes and reports, 1983 - 1984.
Subseries F. Evaluation Committee. Records, 1979 - 1983.
Folder 71 Minutes and reports, 1979 - 1983.
Subseries G. Council for Mission Outreach and Social Responsibility. Minutes, 1985 - 1986.
Folder 72 Minutes, 1985 - 1986.
Subseries H. Legal Documents, 1996.
Folder 73 Legal Documents pertaining to the sale of property, 1996.
Box 2
Series II. Massachusetts Missionary Society. Records, 1799 - ca. 1803
Folder 1 Minutes, 1799 - ca. 1803.
Folder 2 Financial records, 1799 - 1800.
Folder 3 Materials pertaining to the publication and subscription of The Massachusetts Missionary Magazine, 1800 - 1803.
Folder 4 Publication: "To all those who are desirous of the spread of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Manuscript and printed work, 1799.