1863-1941 General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 127, Madison, NJ 07940 2017-09-25
1863-1941 2.36 cubic feet gcah.ms.gcah594594 The purpose of this finding aid is to help you understand the nature of this collection and to assist you in the retrieval of material from this collection. The following pages contain a brief biographical history of the person, or persons, who created or collected these papers, followed by a general description of the collection in the scope and content note. If more detailed information is warranted then series descriptions also appear. The container listing appears last and is the listing of material in each box, or container, of this collection. To request material you need to turn to the container listing section. It is essentially a listing of file folders, or artifact items, in the collection. Each folder, or item, has a call number associated with it. Each folder also lists the inclusive dates of the material in the folder. On the material request form list both the call number and the folder, or item, title. Use a different line for each folder, or item, requested. When your request sheet is complete, or full, bring it to the archivist and the material will be retrieved. Biographical Note Charles Bayard Mitchell (1857-1942) was a Methodist Episcopal Church bishop. He graduated from Mt. Union College (1877) and received a B. A. (1879), a M.A. (1882), a Ph.D. (1892), and a D.D. (1893) from Allegheny College. In July 1882 he married Anna Aull. Mitchell entered the South Kansas Conference in 1880 and was a charter member of the 1881 Southwest Kansas Conference. He transferred to the Kansas Conference in 1884 and served as its financial secretary for two years. Mitchell served in the following locations: Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh (1886); Plainfield, New Jersey (1888); Grand Avenue, Kansas City (1892); Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis (1897); Cleveland (1901); and St. James, Chicago (1908) Mitchell was a delegate to the General Conferences of 1904, 1908, and 1916, and was an alternate for the 1912 General Conference. He also attended the Ecumenical Conferences of 1901 and 1911. In 1916 the General Conference elected him to the episcopacy and assigned to the St. Paul, Minnesota area, where he served for eight years. While he was in Minnesota he was instrumental in raising substantial monies for several Methodist educational institutions in the region including Lawrence College, Hamline University, Parker College, Dakota Wesleyan, and the Wesley Foundation at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Mitchell was appointed to the Philippine Islands in 1924. He remained there until 1928 when he retired. Mitchell was a thirty-second degree Mason and a member of several professional honor societies. He wrote three books: A Little Bundle of Letters from Three Continents (1895), The Nobelest Quest: and Other Sermons Preached in the First Methodist Episcopal Church, Cleveland, Ohio (1905), and The Way of a Man (1912). Mitchell died on February 23, 1942 and is buried Forest Lawn, Glendale, California. Scope and Content Note This collection contains sermons, lectures, a manuscript, correspondence, and biographical materials related to Charles B. Mitchell. The bulk of this collection is sermons. There are approximately four hundred sermons prepared by Mitchell between 1875 and 1941. All the sermons are handwritten. They were folded length- wise in envelopes which provide the date and location the sermon was given. Many of the sermons had news clippings accompanying them. His sermons were often published by The Inter Ocean newspaper, but a few clippings are from other papers. The clippings have been photocopied and are joined with the sermon and the envelope in an acid free mini folder. Additional clippings or short articles that supplemented the sermon or were used in its preparation have been kept with the sermon as well. Page 1
Mitchell's sermons are oriented to the Social Gospel, as he speaks of contemporary issues and challenges. He is particularly concerned with the spiritual and moral well being of young men and women. All the sermons have been arranged by text reference, except those that were given as part of a series. There are thirteen sets of sermons prepared as series. These series sermons contained several sermons on a particular topic such as temperance, gambling, the danger of cities, temptations, and the Christian life. One folder contains a sermon Mitchell gave on the death of Ulysses S. Grant. A news clipping of this sermon is from the Leavenworth Times. Another folder contains photocopies of four news clippings to sermons that had no handwritten copy. In addition, there is a folder of fragmented sermons. Two folders contain prayer meeting materials prepared by Mitchell. There are forty-four prayer meeting talks in one folder. These are short notations on note cards or small pieces of paper. This material is dated 1897 to 1909, although not every piece is dated. These talks have been arranged by text reference. Talks with no text reference are separated from talks with text reference by an acid free sheet of paper. In addition, there are seven prayer meeting addresses which may have been part of a series. These addresses were given between 1901 and 1912. An envelope contains the date and location of each address. Lectures and addresses given by Mitchell are the second major part of this collection. There are approximately ninety-five addresses given between 1882 and 1933. The lectures were also folded length-wise and placed in envelopes with the date and location of the presentation. Mitchell lectured to a variety of groups including the Y.M.C.A., college commencements, conferences, conventions, Mason meetings, women's clubs, community organizations and civic groups. Topics that Mitchell addressed in his lectures include peace, women's suffrage, missions, teachers, education, citizenship, Memorial Day, revivals, Abraham Lincoln, Sunday school, and youth. Mitchell also spoke at several universities including Hamline, Dakota Wesleyan, Allegheny College, and Nebraska Wesleyan. The lectures also include five travel accounts. The most extensive account is on the Bible lands. Other countries covered are Holland, Italy, Norway, and Russia. A typed manuscript Mitchell prepared entitled "Questions to Modern Youth" is part of this collection. There are also three letters addressed to Mitchell. Biographical materials include a handwritten copy of a characterization of Mitchell by Reverend J. S. Daney; two short articles on Mitchell; an article on Mitchell's father, Revered Daniel Patrick Mitchell by S. J. Heaton; and an application for membership in the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. This application contains some ancestry information. Arrangement Material has been arranged in the following manner. Series SERMONS. LECTURES. ASSORTED AND BIOGRAPHICAL FILES. Related Material Records of the Methodist Church, Board of Missions, Biographical Reference Series. Records of the Methodist Church, Board of Missions, Administrative Files Series. Access Restrictions There are no restrictions on this collection. Use Access Detailed use restrictions relating to our collections can be requested from the office of the archivist at the Page 2
General Commission on Archives and History. Photocopying is handled by the staff and may be limited in certain instances. Before using any material for publication from this collection a formal request for permission to publish is expected and required. Preferred Citation When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file folder,, United Methodist Church Archives - GCAH, Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the item's call number as that is not a stable descriptor. Index Terms Subject Terms Christian life City and town life Education Gambling, Religious aspects Missions Peace Secret societies Sunday schools Temptation Women Youth Geographic Terms California Illinois Israel Italy Kansas Minnesota Missouri Netherlands NewJersey North Dakota Norway Ohio Pennslyvania Philippines Russia Wisconsin Subject Names - Person Lincoln, Abraham Mitchell, Daniel Patrick Subject Names - Corporate Bodies Methodist Episcopal Church Occupation Terms Bishop Minister Page 3
Genre Terms Articles Clippings Correspondence Lectures Manuscripts Sermons Speeches Added Names - Persons Davey, J. S. Heaton, S. J. Table of Contents Sermons... 5 Lectures... 6 Assorted and Biographical Files... 6 Page 4
Container List Sermons Call Number 1082-3-1:1 1082-3-1:2 1082-3-1:3 1082-3-1:4 1082-3-1:5 1082-3-1:6 1082-3-1:7 1082-3-1:8 1082-3-1:9 1082-3-1:10 1082-3-1:11 1082-3-1:12 1082-3-1:13 1082-3-1:14 1082-3-1:15 1082-3-1:16 1082-3-1:17 1082-3-1:18 1082-3-1:19 1082-3-1:20 1082-3-1:21 1082-3-1:22 1082-3-1:23 1082-3-1:24 1082-3-1:25 1082-3-1:26 1082-3-1:27 1082-3-1:28 1082-3-1:29 1082-3-1:30 1082-3-1:31 1082-3-1:32 1082-3-1:33 1082-3-1:34 1082-3-2:1 1082-3-2:2 1082-3-2:3 1082-3-2:4 1082-3-2:5 1082-3-2:6 1082-3-2:7 1082-3-2:8 1082-3-2:9 1082-3-2:10 1082-3-2:11 1082-3-2:12 1082-3-2:13 1082-3-2:14 1082-3-2:15 1082-3-2:16 1082-3-2:17 1082-3-2:18 1082-3-2:19 1082-3-2:20 Folder Title Genesis Exodus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua I Samuel II Samuel I Kings II Kings I Chronicles II Chronicles Nehemiah Job Psalms (Part I) Psalms (Part II) Proverbs Ecclesiastes Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Haggai Zechariah Malachi Matthew (Part I) Matthew (Part II) Matthew (Part III) Mark Luke (Part I) Luke (Part II) John (Part I) John (Part II) Acts (Part I) Acts (Part II) Romans I Corinthians (Part I) I Corinthians (Part II) II Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Phillipians Colossians I Thessalonians I Timothy II Timothy Titus Hebrews James I Peter II Peter I John Jude Date(s) Page 5
Call Number 1082-3-2:21 1082-3-2:22 1082-3-2:23 1082-3-2:24 1082-3-2:25 1082-3-2:26 1082-3-2:27 1082-3-2:28 1082-3-2:29 1082-3-2:30 1082-3-2:31 1082-3-2:32 1082-3-2:33 1082-3-2:34 1082-3-2:35 1082-3-2:36 1082-3-2:37 Folder Title Revelation About a Man Advent Sermons-Incarnation The Christian Life The Five Most Important Questions Four Besetting Sins of Young Men Four Besetting Sins of Young Womanhood Four Young Men-Two Were Wise and Two Were Foolish Practical Religion Seven Important Questions Some Good Things Some Road Which Lead to Hell A Young Man The Young Man Death of Ulysses S. Grant News Clippings Only Fragments Date(s) Lectures Call Number 1082-3-2:40 1082-3-2:41 1082-3-2:42 1082-3-2:43 1082-3-2:44 1082-3-2:45 1082-3-2:46 1082-3-2:47 1082-3-3:1 1082-3-3:2 1082-3-3:3 1082-3-3:4 1082-3-3:5 1082-3-3:6 1082-3-3:7 1082-3-3:8 1082-3-3:9 1082-3-3:10 1082-3-3:11 1082-3-3:12 1082-3-3:13 Folder Title Daughters of the American Revolution Masonry Temperance Travel Accounts-Bible Lands Travel Accounts-Holland and the Dutch Italy Norway Russia A-B C D-E F-H I L M (Part I) M (Part II) N-O P-R S-T V-W Y Date(s) Assorted and Biographical Files Call Number 1082-3-3:14 1082-3-3:15 1082-3-3:16 1082-3-2:38 1082-3-2:39 Folder Title Manuscript: Questions to Modern Youth Correspondence Biographical materials Prayer meeting talks Prayer meeting addresses Date(s) 1863-1918 Page 6