Call Number:

52

Repository:

Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church

Extent:

1.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1873-1944 (inclusive)

Creator:

Twenty-Ninth Street Methodist Church (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Abstract:

The North Penn Mission (Colored), primarily catering to African American inhabitants of the neighborhood now known as the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia, was established around 1860. The congregation was renamed Twenty-Ninth Street Methodist Episcopal Church in 1875, with the construction of a new church building. Twenty-Ninth Street Methodist Church was discontinued in 1944. The Twenty-Ninth Street Methodist Church records, 1873-1944, consist of member lists, marriages, and baptisms, as well as a bound volume of Twenty-Ninth Street Methodist Episcopal Church newsletters, and a few other documents.

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.).

Before 1859 a Sunday School was organized in the village of North Penn, now the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1859 they asked for care by the Philadelphia Conference Tract Society. In 1860 a church was built on 29th and Dauphin, known as North Penn Mission (Colored) and primarily catering to African American inhabitants of the neighborhood. In 1875, a new building was constructed nearby at 29th and York Streets, and the congregation was renamed 29th Street Methodist Episcopal Church. Twenty-Ninth Street Methodist Church was discontinued in 1944.

This collection consists of member lists, 1884-1894, 1893-1900, 1901-1912, 1916-1942; marriages, 1884-1893, 1893-1900, 1900-1907, 1916-1944; and baptisms, 1884-1893, 1893-1899, 1899-1944, 1901-1907, 1916; as well as a bound volume of Twenty-Ninth Street Methodist Episcopal Church newsletters, The Advance,, 1892-1896; and a few other documents. A folder-level inventory for the collection is available.