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Pitman Methodist Church records
Notifications
Held at: Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church [Contact Us]235 N. Fourth Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19106
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Methodism is a protestant Christian faith based in the teachings of John Wesley (1703-1791), who preached "practical divinity," emphasis on Christian living, and putting faith and love into action. The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1784 in Baltimore, Maryland with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as its first bishops and held its first general conference in 1792. In May of 1939, the Methodist Episcopal Church; the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; and the Methodist Protestant Church united to form the Methodist Church (U.S.). In 1946 the Church of the United Brethren in Christ (New constitution) and the Evangelical Church united to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church. In 1968 the Methodist Church (U.S.) and the Evangelical United Brethren Church united, forming the United Methodist Church (U.S.).
Pitman Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1856 at 23rd and Lombard Streets, in the heart of a vice district sometimes referred to as Philadelphia's "Five Points." The church was an outgrowth of a Sabbath School organized by the Bedford Street Mission in 1854. Later, Pitman Church moved to 28th and Dickson Streets. Pitman Methodist Church was discontinued in 1952.
Bibliography:
Hartley, Benjamin L. "Philadelphia's 'Five Points': Evangelism and Social Welfare at the Bedford Street Mission." Methodist History, 48:1 (October 2009). Accessed August 19, 2014. http://archives.gcah.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10516/200/Methodist-History-2009-10-Hartley.pdf
The collection consists of Trustee minutes, 1858-1931; Quarterly Conference minutes, 1902-1909; Board of Leaders and Stewards minutes, 1865-1925; members, 1855-1866, 1866-1879, 1909-1951; marriages, 1857-1866, 1866-1879, 1934-1943, 1937-1952; and baptisms, 1856-1866, 1866-1879, 1937-1951; and various other documents. A folder-level inventory for the collection is available.
Some church records at the Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, particularly membership and vital records, are available in digital form through Ancestry.com or on microfilm at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and/or the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania.
The Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church is the repository for records of member churches when they close.
Summary descriptive information on this collection was compiled in 2012-2014 as part of a project conducted by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania to make better known and more accessible the largely hidden collections of small, primarily volunteer run repositories in the Philadelphia area. The Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories (HCI-PSAR) was funded by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
This is a preliminary finding aid. No physical processing, rehousing, reorganizing, or folder listing was accomplished during the HCI-PSAR project.
In some cases, more detailed inventories or finding aids may be available on-site at the repository where this collection is held; please contact Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church directly for more information.
Organization
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories using data provided by the Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church
- Sponsor
- This preliminary finding aid was created as part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. The HCI-PSAR project was made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
- Access Restrictions
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Contact Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church for information about accessing this collection.
Collection Inventory
Request for Information; Quarterly Conference Report, 1942; 2 Photos (Interior of Church and exterior 1941); 1 Picture (Church); Missionary Sunday bulletin 1940; 1941 bulletin; World Wide Communion bulletin 1941; Patriotic Service bulletins 1940 and 1941; Easter bulletin 1941; Christmas bulletin 1940; 1911 directory; 3 Home Day Clippings 1940 (Sept. 1940); 75TH Anniversary Program 1933; 85th Anniversary Booklet 1939; 86th Anniversary Program 1940; 87th Anniversary Program 1941; 88th Anniversary Program 1942; 89th Anniversary Program 1943; 90th Anniversary Program 1944; 91st Anniversary Program 1945; 92nd Anniversary Program 1945; 95th Anniversary Program 1949; Student Day Program 1941; Handout for neighbors to attend church; Home Day at Pitman Program 1941; Rural Life Church Poster; Correspondence re: Appeal for Money 1941; Order of Service for Good Friday; Health Services near the Church; Poster for Father's Day Program; Program for Children's Day 1940; Financial Report (Home Day 1940); Invitation to Home Day 1940; Home Day Program 1941, Response to Invitation to Home Day (2x); Draft for 86th Anniversary Booklet 1940; Correspondence Re: Bill for Advertisers in 1941 Directory; Decline to Invitation to Love Feast 1941; Payment for Ad Refund 1941; Invitation to Home Day Response 1941; Draft for 87th Anniversary Booklet 1941; Western Union Telegram Re: Home Day, Decline to Invitation for Home Day, Invitation for Speaker at Home Day 1940 and Reply for same, Decline to Invitation 1940; Acceptance from Resident Bishop 1940; Letter from Pastor to members re: October as Loyalty Month 1941; Membership List 1941; Comedy Production Program 1940; Letter from Pastor re: Visitations 1940; Request for Baptism Certificates for Hoopes Family Members 1940; Parade and Rally Card 1940; Oyster Supper Ticket 1941; Announcement of "The Temple of King Solomon" Presentation; Program for Thanksgiving Service 1940; So. Phila. Protestant Church Parade and Rally 1939 and 1940; Program for Sept. 18, 1940; Attendance Report 1940-1942; 1942 Report to Conference; Quarterly Conference Roll and Record 1941 and 1945