Now Processed: Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations Records

The United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA) Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations (COEMAR) Records have been processed as RG 547, and the guide to the records is now available: https://www.history.pcusa.org/collections/research-tools/guides-archival-collections/rg-547

The processed collection totals 123 boxes and supplements 27 previously processed RGs of COEMAR materials (see the Related Material section of the RG 547 collection guide for a complete list of the previously processed RGs). RG 547's scope covers the history and actions of COEMAR, its staff, and its predecessor entities as they worked to supervise and execute the UPCUSA's work in ecumenical mission. The materials are primarily in English with several items in Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.

COEMAR was created in 1959 after the United Presbyterian Church of North America (UPCNA) and the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (PCUSA) merged to become the UPCUSA in 1958. COEMAR was established by the General Assembly, which merged several mission boards and interchurch and ecumenical committees (foreign and domestic) into one agency. COEMAR sought to represent the UPCUSA living in fellowship and witnessing in action with other Christian churches throughout the world and to supervise the UPCUSA's responsibilities in ecumenical mission. COEMAR released resources for ecumenical mission work, collaborated with other churches and ecumenical agencies worldwide, and participated in interchurch, confessional, and ecumenical organizations to make Jesus Christ known not only as Lord and Savior but also as an approachable person.

Informed by the Confession of 1967, COEMAR also sought to help heal and reconcile enmities between people and God, and between peoples. John Coventry Smith was elected general secretary of COEMAR in 1959, serving in that role until his retirement in 1970. In 1972, as a result of reorganization within the UPCUSA, the foreign mission activities and COEMAR's work were placed under the direction of the Program Agency.

The collection contains twelve series:

Series I, Permanent Files, 1884-1974, is the largest series and contains an alphabetically arranged run of files created and collected by various entities within COEMAR and the Board of Foreign Missions (BFM). Materials include correspondence, financial records, minutes, photographs, printed items and publications, reports, subject files, surveys, and other records. The files document a variety of subjects/topics, internal and external COEMAR functions and work, and ecumenical partners/external entities. Many foreign educational and medical institutions are represented. External entities and ecumenical partners include: the Committee on Cooperation in the Upper Nile (CCUN); the Interboard Committee for Christian Work in Japan; the International Missionary Council; Mackenzie College (Mackenzie Presbyterian University) in São Paulo, Brazil; Miraj Medical Centre in India; the National Council of the Churches of Christ (NCCC); the Near East Council of Churches; Silliman University in Dumaguete, Philippines; the United Andean Indian Mission; the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia; the World Council of Churches (WCC); and Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

Series II, Office of Administrative Services / Recording Office Files, 1907-1987, chiefly contains COEMAR and BFM administrative records and internal documents. These records include appropriation letters, bylaws, charters, documentation of COEMAR actions, financial records, manuals, and reports.

Series III, Office of Communications / Communications Office Files, circa 1952-1973, chiefly contains the files of Archibald (Archie) R. Crouch, communications secretary. Materials include correspondence and files pertaining to filmstrips, motion pictures, and other communications media and writings. The series also contains a small set of Mass Communications Overseas files.

Series IV, Office of Fine Arts Files, 1957-1970, chiefly contains a small set of files maintained by Jeanne V. Carruthers, fine arts secretary. Materials include correspondence, minutes, and reports.

Series V, Office of Student World Relations / Office of Student Work Files, circa 1946-1973, chiefly contains the files of Margaret Flory, director. Flory oversaw several programs for students, including Ecumenical Voluntary Service, Frontier Internship, Junior Year Abroad (JYA), and Working Fellowships for Graduate Study in Europe. Materials include applications, correspondence, and participants files (which often include portrait photographs of participants). Also included are the files of executive secretary Kyōji Buma, chiefly pertaining to the International Christian Youth Exchange (ICYE) and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF).

Series VI, Office for Research / Office of Planning and Research / Myrtle M. Clemmer and W. Stanley Rycroft Files, circa 1920-1971, chiefly contains Clemmer and Rycroft's research files, which document the creation of "Ecumenical Witness of the United Presbyterian Church" and the "United Presbyterian Historical Directory." There are also statistics and subject files for specific mission fields and countries and Rycroft's subject files on Latin America.

Series VII, Associate General Secretaries / Rodney A. Sundberg Files, 1958-1973, contains a small set of files maintained by Rodney A. Sundberg and COEMAR associate general secretaries Raymond V. Kearns and Margaret Shannon. Materials include correspondence and subject files.

Series VIII, East Asia Office / L. Newton Thurber Files, 1964-1970, contains a small set of files maintained by L. Newton Thurber, area secretary for East Asia. Materials include correspondence and subject files.

Series IX, Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office Files, circa 1885-1973, contains BFM and COEMAR files pertaining to the administration of the Latin America and Caribbean mission fields and regional office. BFM era files were previously part of a central filing system and mainly pertain to the Committee on Cooperation in Latin America. Materials include correspondence, minutes, printed items and publications, reports, and subject files. COEMAR era files are chiefly the files of executive secretaries W. Stanley Rycroft (secretary from around 1951 to 1960) and John H. Sinclair (secretary from around 1961 to 1973). Materials include correspondence, historical/resource files on specific countries, minutes, printed items and publications, and subject files.

Series X, Africa Regional / Liaison Office Files, circa 1873-1973, contains the files of Margaret Shannon (COEMAR associate general secretary), William K. Du Val (regional secretary), and Paul H. Hopkins (regional secretary). Their files reflect and document the administrative operations of the Africa Regional Office. Materials include correspondence, minutes, reports, and subject files.

Series XI, Additional Country / Subject Files and Reports, 1950-1966, contains reports and subject files arranged geographically, chiefly by country.

Series XII, Photographic Materials, circa 1906-1975, contains contact sheets, negatives, and photographic prints created and collected by COEMAR photographers. Materials are arranged geographically (then by subject/topic) and document foreign mission work and projects in specific countries and cities. Most photographs include original description from photographers and were assigned a unique BFM/COEMAR photograph number [additional photographic materials that use this numbering system can be found in RG 223, United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations Photographs].

Click here to access the guide to the UPCUSA COEMAR Records and read more about the contents of the records.