The Mount Pleasant Mission Organizational Records, 1892-1969, undated, documents the history of the Countryside United Methodist Church (CUMC) and mid-Michigan Evangelicals. The collection is organized by size and chronologically and alphabetically. Boxes 1 and 2 include annual reports of the Evangelical Sunday School Secretary’s Records, detailing how many people attended, the name of teachers, and weekly donation amounts during each meeting 1937-1950. There are two records of Ladies Aid congregations within the church, Bethel Ladies Aid 1938-1945, and Union Evangelical Church Ladies Aid, 1921-1924. Also included are records of the Mount Pleasant Mission Michigan Conference of the Evangelical Association and Evangelical Association Chippewa Trustees, 1893-1950. Lastly, there is a memorial booklet for the foundation of the organization Memorial Booklet, October 8, 1933.
Evangelical Association Chippewa Trustees, 1893-1950, contains records during the first meeting in the new church building, led by Reverend Warren Brown. The entries that continue the year 1903 in Mount Pleasant Mission Michigan Conference of the Evangelical Association, 1903-1921, are placed in the back of the book.
Material in Union Evangelical Secretary Report, 1926-1929 is very acidic. Otherwise, the collection is in good physical condition.
The oversized material contains the organization’s record book which details the church’s organizational history and changes made during each pastorate, previous members, and records of life events such as marriages, deaths, and baptisms. Also included in oversized material is a printed poster on paper of the 50th Anniversary Jubilee Session of the Michigan Conference Evangelical Association. Lastly, there is a photograph of the First Women’s Society Chippewa Evangelical Church, with members’ names listed on the back.
Organizational History:
The Mount Pleasant Mission was first organized in 1893 with 37 members and Warren Brown served as pastor for the mission’s first two years. Four churches were built, two of them under the pastorate of Warren Brown, one under A. Try and one under J.J. Marshall. In April 1921 the Bush Creek appointment in Midland County recognized a new church within the Mount Pleasant Mission.
The Mount Pleasant Circuit was officially formed in 1938 under pastor W. D. Hayes. The circuit included the active churches of Chippewa, Bethel, Bethany, Bush Creek, and one inactive church, Union. During this time period the Mount Pleasant Mission organization focused on creating a church in the area to serve the Evangelical people and Evangelical students at Central Michigan University. The First Evangelical Church of Mount Pleasant was formed following the 1939 conference. In 1940, the circuit was divided, and two full-time pastors were assigned. Reverend A. M. Bailey was appointed to the Mount Pleasant Mission, while the Chippewa, Bethany, and Bush Creek Circuit were assigned to W. D. Hayes.
This collection was approved for donation on October 7, 2020, by the Countryside United Methodist Church at its Administrative Board Meeting. Countryside United Methodist Church was the caretakers of the region’s Evangelical historical records.
