Search

Congregational church established in Wyoming Township, a suburb of Grand Rapids, in 1924. The church, subsequently renamed Burlingame Congregational United Church of Christ, disbanded in 2009. Church records document the history and activities of the church, and include registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials; also publications, scrapbooks, and records of women’s clubs.

The records of Burlingame Congregational United Church of Christ have been arranged into the following series: Church registers; Annual Reports; Church Newsletter; Church Bulletins; Scrapbooks; Miscellaneous; Women's Organizations; and Men's Organizations. Members of the church were careful in maintaining the history of Burlingame. The scrapbooks, in particular, contain a complete record of activities from 1924 to 1981. Included in these volumes are photographs, clippings, and programs from church activities, as well as historical notes about the church and biographical material on church pastors and various members. Also of value are the church registers which are both the minutes of the annual church meetings and the record of church functions and membership, notably baptisms, marriages, and burials.

Interdenominational church women's organization. Histories, programs, office files, scrapbooks, and photographs of activities.

The records of Church Women United in Michigan (CWUMI) reflect only a part of the organization's history. No primary materials exist prior to 1948, and the existing material created between 1948 and 1954 is very sketchy. Documentation is richest starting the 1960s. Material from this era includes minutes of CWUMI executive and annual meetings, material relating to committees and committee reports, bylaws, correspondence of CWUMI presidents, periodical publications, files relating to projects and activities, material related to CWUMI local groups, and lists of member organizations.

Governing body of the Episcopal church in western Michigan, established in 1874; records include bishops' files, diocesan organization and committee files, photographs, scrapbooks, diocesan historian files.

The records of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan are a rich resource of material, not only for the programs and activities of the Episcopal Church in western Michigan, but also for their documentation of the role of the church in the life of the various communities served by the diocese.

Records from the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan first came to the Bentley Historical Library in 1972. Since then, the diocese has made several significant additions to their records. In 1999 the record group was reprocessed with the aim of drawing together like materials. The record group now consists of twenty-two separate series. These are: Bishop's Files, Chancellor, Treasurer, Diocesan Historiographer, Standing Committee Files, Miscellaneous Files, Diocesan Record Books, Publicity Files, Defunct Parish and Mission Churches Files, Diocesan Committee Files, Diocesan Organization Files, Diocesan Financial Records, Visual Materials, Sound Recordings, Scrapbooks, Western Michigan University (WMU) Ministry Files, Women's Organizations, Miscellaneous office and staff files Bulletins of Church Services, Church of Christ the King, Miscellaneous parish materials, and Miscellaneous diocesan materials.