Council of Churches of Akron and Summit County
Reference Code:
Repository: University of Akron Archival Services
Title: Council of Churches of Akron and Summit County
Dates: 1900-(1947-1974)
Extent: 8 cubic feet
Creator: Council of Churches of Akron and Summit County
Language: English
Access: Collection is open for research.
Finding Aid prepared by: Stephen Paschen, 7/19/91
Related Material:
Administrative History:
In April 1947, 100 lay people and 50 ministers met at Grace Reformed Church in Akron, Ohio, to set up the Council of Churches of Akron and Summit County. Mr. Alan Diefenbach was named President; Reverend Albert B.Denton was named Executive Secretary; 54 Churches were given admission to the organization.
The Council of churches' objectives are as follows: (1) to provide an inter-church agency for cooperation of the churches in Christian education, research and planning, social action, worship and fellowship; (2) to study religious, cultural and economic needs in Greater Akron; (3) to alert member churches to issues and problems in the community, state, nation and world; and (4) to serve and support neighborhood or community councils of the church. The Council of Churches is open to any Akron-area congregation which subscribes to the Preamble of the Council's Constitution.
The Council of Churches, unlike the Akron Ministerial Association which acts specifically for its minister members, works through ministers and laymen alike with an interest in broadening the role of laymen in religious life and community. To conserve effort and personnel, however, the officers of the Council of churches and the Akron Ministerial Association confer regarding committee functions. The shared goal of the Council of Churches and the Akron Ministerial Association is to provide inter-denominational cooperation of churches in Christian education, social relations, evangelism and world Christian Fellowship and to express a common faith in Jesus Christ.
The Council of Churches consists of an executive committee, a legislative body (the Assembly) and a central board comprised of standing committees and program commissions. One of the Council committee's projects was the Leadership Training School (L.T.S.) which taught church school teachers effectiveness and teaching skills.
In 1956, the Council of Churches was financially out of the red for the first time; total church memberships reached 76. In 1957, the council of Churches of Akron and Summit County was incorporated and its title changed to "The Council of Churches of Greater Akron".
Scope and Content:
The Council of Churches of Akron and Summit County Collection consists largely of Council of Churches materials dating from 1947-1974. The collection also includes materials from the Akron Ministerial Association which date from 1909-1967 and other church-related materials which date from 1900-1941.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into three series. Series I represents an almost complete record of the Council of Churches in terms of council activities, committee activities, financial records and community projects. Series II consists of minutes of meetings of the Akron Ministerial Association. Section III contains materials from a few, separate church organizations.
Series I of the collection (the largest section of the collection) consists of minutes of various Council of Churches committee meetings; annual reports; financial records such as reports, accounts, receipts and ledgers; Council and Interracial Newsletters; and a variety of miscellaneous materials such as committee records, organization records (Boy Scouts, Big Brothers), programs (Easter Sunday, Prayer Breakfast), newspaper clippings, conference study papers and workshop information, research and planning materials, community projects materials (Council for Action in Public Education, Urban Renewal), reports (Urban Coalition, The Council's First Five Years), and applications for membership in the Council of churches.
Series II of the collection (a smaller section of the collection) contains minutes and notes of meetings of the Ministerial Association of Akron and Vicinity; booklets listing officers, programs, committees and rolls of the Association; miscellaneous correspondence, memos and notes; nominating committee reports; an old Constitution of the Association; records of Rev. James Stewart; and monthly bulletins of the Association.
Series III of the collection (the smallest section of the collection) contains other Church related materials such as minutes of the Akron Sunday School Superintendents' Association, the Secretary's Book of the Summit County Evangelical Alliance, ministerial membership lists and copies of the Metro Memo (newsletter of the Metropolitan Interchurch Ministries).
Container List:
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SERIES I: Council of Churches of Akron and Summit County |
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Box 1 MEETING MINUTES: |
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Folder |
1 |
Executive Committee Minutes 1947-1951 |
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2 |
Executive Committee Minutes and Resume of Treasurer's Report 1951-56 |
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3 |
Executive Committee Minutes and Resume of Treasurer's Report 1956-62 |
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4 |
Executive Committee Minutes and Resume of Treasurer's Report 1962-68 |
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5 |
Assembly Meeting Minutes 1947-61 |
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6 |
Boy Scout Committee Meeting Minutes 1948-1969 |
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7 |
Church and Economic Life Minutes 1948-1968 |
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8 |
Evangelism Committee Minutes 1949-1968 |
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9 |
Interfaith Committee Meeting Minutes 1963-68 |
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10 |
International Justice and Goodwill Meeting Minutes 1953-67 |
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11 |
Layman's Committee Minutes 1948-67 |
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12 |
Leadership Training Committee Minutes 1952-68 |
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13 |
Program Development Committee Minutes 1955-67 |
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14 |
Radio and TV Committee Minutes 1949-67 |
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15 |
Racial and Cultural Relations committee Minutes 1958-69 |
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16 |
Research and Planning Minutes 1947-69 |
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17 |
Stewardship Committee Minutes 1959-68 |
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18 |
World Christian Fellowship (Faith and Order Committee) Meeting Minute1948-66 |
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19 |
Youth Meeting Minutes (U.C.Y.M.) 1954-66 |
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Box 2 ANNUAL REPORTS: |
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Folder |
1 |
Council of Churches Annual Reports 1947-69 |
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2 |
Council of Churches Treasurer's Report/Finance Committee Minutes 1970-71 |
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3 |
Council of Churches Treasurer's Report/Finance Committee Minutes 1972-73 |
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4 |
Treasurer's Report 1948-1969 |
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5 |
Finance Committee Minutes 1947-1970 |
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6 |
Auditor's Report 1947-1970 |
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7 |
General Account 1967-73 |
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8 |
Mission Account 1969-75 |
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9 |
Receipts 1948-53 |
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10 |
Receipts 1953-57 |
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11 |
Receipts 1957-58 |
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12 |
Receipts 1958-61 |
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13 |
Receipts 1961-63 |
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14 |
Receipts 1963-65 |
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15 |
Receipts 1965-67 |
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16 |
Ledger (receipts, disbursements, pledge payments, special accounts) 1947-62 OVERSIZED |
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17 |
Ledger (Old Church pledges, receipts, contributions, special accounts) 1954-69 OVERSIZED |
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18 |
The Council Newsletter 1948-58 |
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19 |
The Council Newsletter 1958-68 |
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20 |
Interracial Newsletter 1965-69 |
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Box 3 GENERAL FOLDERS: |
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Folder |
1 |
Akron Area Community/Catholic Committee Action '71 |
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2 |
Akron Area Strategy and Action Coalition(AASAC)'71 |
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3 |
Council of Churches of Greater Akron goals and organization 1963-69 |
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4 |
Blank Applications for Membership in the Council of Churches |
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5 |
Completed Applications for Membership in the Council of churches 1947-70 |
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6 |
Big Brothers pamphlets and information 1960 |
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7 |
Brotherhood Dinner Programs 1950-71 |
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8 |
Boy Scout Chaplain's Reports 1954-64 |
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9 |
Council for Action in Public Education (CAPE) '71 |
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10 |
"Church in Urban Life: A Fact Book" 1954 |
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11 |
"City" 1967 |
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12 |
Commission on Religion and Race Reports "Toward the New City" 1966 |
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13 |
Easter Sunrise Service Scripts |
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14 |
Easter Pageant Script "He is Risen" 1966 |
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15 |
Easter Sunrise Service Scripts |
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16 |
Folio issued by the Department of Youth Ministry 1964 |
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17 |
Folio issued by the Department of Youth Ministry 1965 |
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18 |
Fourth National Study Conference on Church and Economic Life: Major Addresses 1962 |
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19 |
Fourth National Study Conference on Church and Economic Life: Study Papers 1962 |
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20 |
God and Country Award Dinner Programs (Boy Scouts) 1962-68 |
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21 |
Christian Action in Industrial Relations booklet 1953 |
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22 |
Interfaith Materials 1964-68 |
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23 |
Interfaith Service Programs 1967-68 |
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24 |
Interracial Worship Service Programs 1958-68 |
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25 |
Joint Strategy and Action Committee "JSAC Grapevine" 1971 |
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26 |
Leadership Training Fliers 1948-67 |
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27 |
Lenten Charts 1952-68 |
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28 |
Lenten Folders, Fliers, Posters 1949, 51-68 |
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29 |
Margaret Park Project: Confidential, Preliminary Study 1972 |
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30 |
Mayor's Prayer Breakfast Programs 1965-68 |
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31 |
Newspaper Clippings 1947-1950 |
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32 |
Observation School (Leadership Training School) 1967-69 |
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33 |
Observation School (LTS) Fliers 1957-68 |
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34 |
Older Adults Materials 1951-58 |
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35 |
Protestant Social Services Agency Materials 1940-50 |
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36 |
Race Relations 1948-49 |
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37 |
Race Relations 1965-68 |
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Box 4 |
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Folder |
1 |
Religion and Public Education: Background Reports |
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2 |
Religion and Public Education: "Shared Time" 1961-64 |
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3 |
Religion and Public Education: Legal Aspects 1961-64 |
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4 |
Religion and Public Education: 1961-64 |
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5 |
Religion and Public Education: 1961-69 |
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6 |
Religion and Public Education: 1965-70 |
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7 |
Research and Planning: Completed Projects 1961 |
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8 |
Research and Planning: Pamphlets and Research Material 1959-70 |
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9 |
"A Study of the First Five Years of the Program of Council of Churches of Akron and Summit County" 1953 |
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10 |
Through-the-Week Christian Education Curriculum Series 1968 |
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11 |
Urban Coalition Reports (Detroit and Washington DC) 1968-69 |
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12 |
Urban Coalition 1969 |
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13 |
Urban Renewal 1965-70 |
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14 |
United Clergyman's International 1971 |
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15 |
Vacation Church School Training Folders and Fliers 1948-68 |
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16 |
Workshop Orientation Statements (Mental Retardation) 1969-74 |
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17 |
Youth Council Constitutions n.d. |
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18 |
Youth Week Program 1954-66 |
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19 |
"Hymn of Last Supper" (Easter Pageant) |
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20 |
Questionnaires: Leadership Training School (LTS) |
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21 |
Religious Drama: (LTS) Materials on the Passion Play 1961-70 |
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22 |
Miscellaneous Correspondence and Information 1970-71 |
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23 |
Miscellaneous Booklets and Information 1968-70 |
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24 |
Council of Churches Member Plaque |
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SERIES II: Akron Ministerial Association of Akron and Vicinity |
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Box 5 MEETING MINUTES: |
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Folder |
1 |
Ministerial Association of Akron and Vicinity Minutes 1909-16 |
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2 |
Ministerial Association of Akron and Vicinity Minutes 1917, 1920-22 |
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3 |
Akron Ministerial Association Minutes 1923-28 |
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4 |
Akron Ministerial Association Minutes 1929-41 |
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5 |
Akron Ministerial Association Notes 1930s-1940s |
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NEWSLETTERS |
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6 |
Akron Ministerial Association Monthly Bulletins 1948-49 |
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7 |
Akron Ministerial Association Booklets Listing Officers, Programs, Committees, Roll 1947-59 |
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8 |
Akron Ministerial Association Miscellaneous Correspondence, Memos, Notes: 1946-48 |
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9 |
1947-49 |
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10 |
1948-50 |
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11 |
1950-53 |
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12 |
1954-55 |
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13 |
1956-57 |
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14 |
1957-58 |
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15 |
1958-59 |
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16 |
1959-60 |
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17 |
1960-61 |
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18 |
1961-62 |
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19 |
1962-63 |
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20 |
1963-64 |
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21 |
1965-66 |
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22 |
1966-67 |
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23 |
Report of Nominating Committee of Akron Ministerial Association n.d. |
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24 |
Akron Ministerial Association--Old Constitution n.d. |
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25 |
Correspondence, Pamphlets and General Information Regarding the Showing of Religious Films in Akron 1959 |
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26 |
Records of Rev. James Stewart (Newsletters, Correspondence, Reports, Meeting Minutes) |
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27 |
Records of Rev. James Stewart |
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SERIES III: Other Church Related Material |
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Folder |
28 |
Akron Sunday School Superintendents' Association Minutes 1924-33 |
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29 |
Secretary's Book of the Summit county Evangelical Alliance 1900-08 |
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30 |
"The Metro Memo" of the Metropolitan Interchurch Ministries 1972-78 |
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31 |
Ministerial Membership Lists and Miscellaneous Papers 1939-40; 1940-41 |