Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Ann Arbor, Michigan, African American church. Files relating to church administration and activities; financial record books and reports; minutes of church officers; church anniversary booklets and other publications; and other subject files.

The records of the New Hope Baptist Church are arranged alphabetically by topic. Although limited in quantity, they are a source of much information on the life of the church.

The Church Anniversary Booklets and Pastoral Anniversaries publications contain histories and information on church activities, especially those of the many church auxiliaries. The incomplete run of the church newsletter Whispering Pines, is a source of information on church events and social gatherings, denominational news, and sometimes includes messages from the pastor and biographical sketches of individual members. The Building Dedication folder contains two programs from the 1974 dedication. The Correspondence file primarily consists of routine outgoing letters of greeting, letters of recommendation and invitations from Lightfoot. The Minutes files are from meetings of church officers and the male choir, and include minutes from the organizational meeting of the church on December 12, 1965. The minutes are useful for tracing the early efforts of members to raise funds for a permanent home for the church and to increase membership. Although incomplete, information from the Financial Reports files can be used to study changes over time in income and expenses of the church. The Membership Information file consists of orientation materials given to new members of the church. The materials are useful for understanding the theological and organizational underpinnings of New Hope. The Officers Profiles folder provides interesting demographic information on the educational and employment background of church leaders.