Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Office of the Stated Clerk Records

Descriptive Summary

Title

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Office of the Stated Clerk Records

Inclusive Dates

1921-1938

Call Number

RG 125

Creator(s)

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Office of the Stated Clerk.

Quantity

12.00 cubic feet

Restrictions on Access

Open for research. Medical, educational, and psychological records of living people are closed.

Repository

Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 USA

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Biographical Note

The General Assembly was the highest judicatory of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. The Stated Clerk was the chief permanent executive officer of the Church. By designation of the General Assembly, he was the executive head of the Office of the General Assembly and its several departments. Among his important duties were editing the official church law books and giving legal opinions on the meaning of the Constitution of the Church in its relation to problems which arose in the life of the judicatories, particular churches and individuals.

The Reverend Dr. Lewis Seymour Mudge (1868-1945) served the Church as Stated Clerk of the General Assembly from 1921 until 1938. One year, 1931-1932, he held the two highest offices in the PCUSA, having been elected the Assembly's Moderator, or presiding officer, while continuing to serve as its Stated Clerk. Dr. Mudge graduated from Princeton University in 1889 and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1895. Prior to his election as Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, he served the pastorates of the First Presbyterian Church of Beverly, NJ, the First Presbyterian Church of Trenton, NJ, First Presbyterian Church of Lancaster, PA, and the Pine Street Church of Harrisburg, PA. From his retirement in 1938 until his death in 1945, Dr. Mudge was the Stated Clerk Emeritus of the General Assembly. Illustrative of the high respect accorded him by his colleagues and the church at large are these words of appreciation expressed in a letter to him from Dr. Henry S. Coffin, President of the Union Theological Seminary, 1926-1942: "We are all so thankful that we have a Stated Clerk who is a man of such tact as well as legal scholarship. We honor you for the magnificent way in which you discharge a very difficult office."

Collection Overview

Record Group 125 comprises the official files kept by Mudge during his tenure as Stated Clerk of the General Assembly from 1921-1938. The files relate to the boards and agencies of the Church and to the various General Assembly committees and commissions.

Administrative Information

Processing Information

This collection was not processed with series headings. The following list should aid researchers in finding materials.

Correspondence Box 2

General Council Boxes 3-4

Reorganization of Boards and Agencies Boxes 4-5

Boards and Agencies:
Board of Christian Education
Board of Foreign Missions
Board of National Missions
Board of Pensions

Permanent Judicial Commission Boxes 5-6

General Assembly Commissions and Committees Box 7

Theological Seminaries Box 8

Synods and Presbyteries Box 9

Department of Church Cooperation and Union Boxes 9-10

World Alliance of Reformed Churches Box 11

World Conference on Faith and Order Box 12

Related collections include:

RG 5, L.S. Mudge Papers (personal papers)

RG 17, L.S. Mudge, Stated Clerk's Correspondence

RG 20, Correspondence of Stated Clerk Mudge relating to the
matter of the Independent Board for Presbyterian
Foreign Missions

Collection processed: May 1968
Milton Kenin, Records Researcher

Collection reprocessed and finding aid prepared: 1983
Jane M. Ramsay

Notes added to finding aid: February 1992
Stephanie Muntone, Processing Archivist

Material added to the collection: March 1992
Glenn Colliver, Assistant Archivist

Catalog Headings

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in the society’s electronic catalog.

Corporate Subject

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Office of the General Assembly.

Personal Added Name

Mudge, Lewis Seymour, 1868-1945.

Corporate Added Name

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. General Assembly. Stated Clerk (1921-1938 : Mudge)

Alliance of the Reformed Churches Throughout the World Holding the Presbyterian System.

Conference Name Added Entry

World Conference on Faith and Order.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Finding Aid to Record Group 125

1	2	General Assembly Arrangements, 1932-33
	3	Local Committee on Arrangements--Manual, 1932-36
	4	Comments re Proposed Economy Measures for General Assembly Meeting, 1933
	5	Special Committee on Arrangements for the Sesquicentennial Meeting of the General Assembly, 1934-38
	6	General Assembly Arrangements, 1937-38
	7	Overture on Reducing Size Of Assembly, 1938
	8	Moderator--Correspondence, 1929-31
	9	Invitations - Correspondence, 1931
	10	Congratulatory Letters, 1931
	11-12	Engagements - Correspondence, 1931-32
	13	General Assembly Minutes; Book of Discipline, 1926-37
	14	Board Reports - Production, 1931-33
	15-16	Trustees of the General Assembly, 1921-30
	17	1936
	18	Plans for Organization of a Presbyterian Foundation-- and Reports; Committee to Appoint Directors, 1927-30
	19	Presbyterian Foundation, 1931-33

2	1	Correspondence A-E, 1925-30
	2	Correspondence F-M, 1925-30
	3	Correspondence N-Z, 1925-30
	4	Correspondence re Statistical Tables in General Assembly Minutes, 1927-28
	5	Correspondence with Other Denominations, 1929-30
	6	Correspondence re Lectures for Course of Worship at Princeton Seminary, 1932
	7	Correspondence A-G, 1933
	8	Correspondence H-M, 1933
	9	Correspondence N-Z, 1933
	10	Correspondence A-D, 1934
	11	Correspondence E-J, 1934
	12	Correspondence K-P, 1934
	13	Correspondence R-T, 1934
	14	Correspondence U-Z, 1934
	15	Correspondence 1934

3	1	New Era Movement, 1921-24
	2	New Era Indebtedness, 1923

		General Council

3	3-4	Program and Field Activities, 1925-29
	5	Program and Field Activities, 1930-32
	6	Budget and Finance Committee,1926-28
	7	Budget and Finance Committee,1929-30
	8	Building Funds Campaigns Department, 1927-
	9	Administrative Committee, 1931-33
	10	Operating Committee--Minutes 1933-34
	11	Correspondence, 1930
	12	Correspondence, 1931-32
	13	Correspondence, 1932
	14	Correspondence, 1932-1933
	15	Correspondence, and Papers 1935
	16	Correspondence, and Reports, 1935-36
	17	Correspondence, 1936
	18	Dockets, Minutes and Reports 1936

4	1	Correspondence, Minutes and Reports, 1936
	2	Dockets, Minutes and Reports, 1937-38
	3	Committee on Relation of the Presbyterian Church to the Federal Council of Churches, 1932
	4	Stewardship Department, 1930
	5	United Promotion Plan, 1928-29
	6	United Promotion, 1937
	7-8	Spiritual Emphasis Committee--Correspondence and Report, 1931-32
	9	Spiritual Quickening and Enrichment Plan, 1933-34
	10	"Year of Emphasis on the Christian Home", 1934-35
	11-12	Reorganization and Consolidation of Boards and Agencies, 1921-23
	13	Committee on Reorganization of the BNM, 1928-29
	14	Special Committee of General Council to Study and Report on Board Reports as to Fulfillment of Instructions Of 1923 Assembly Reorganization, 1930-31
	15	Correspondence with Boards of National Missions, Foreign Missions and Pensions, 1933
	16	Proposals to Merge Boards of National Missions and Christian Education, 1934
	17-18	Work of Boards of National Missions and Christian Education - Summary of Replies to Questionnaire, 1934
	19	Further Consolidation and Reorganization, 1931
	20	Reestablishing Standing Committee on Social Welfare
		to Consider Moral, Social and Industrial Questions and Related Matters, 1932-33

		Committee of Five re Consolidation of Boards of National Missions and Christian Education, 1931-34

4	21	1931-34

5	1	1934
	2	Conferences with Representatives of Boards of Christian Education and National Missions, and Women's Missionary Organizations, 1935
	3	1935
	4	1935-36
	5	1936
	6	Board of Christian Education, 1930
	7	Board of Christian Education, 1933
	8	Board of Christian Education, 1935
	9	Board of Christian Education, 1936
	10	Board of Christian Education, 1937
	11	Board of Foreign Missions, 1923-29
	12	Board of Foreign Missions, 1930
	13	Board of Foreign Missions, 1932-33
	14	Board of Foreign Missions, 1935
	15	Board of Foreign Missions, 1936
	16	Board of Foreign Missions, 1937
	17	Board of National Missions, 1928
	18	Board of National Missions, 1930
	19	Board of National Missions, 1934
	20	Board of National Missions, 1935

6	1	Board of National Missions, 1937
	2	Board of Pensions, 1927-29
	3	Board of Pensions, 1930
	4	Board of Pensions, 1934-35
	5	Board of Pensions, 1936
	6	Board of Pensions, 1937
	7	Laymen's Foreign Missions Inquiry, 1932
	3	Investigation of the Board of Pensions--Personnel, 1939
	9	The Boards--Annuities - Correspondence and Schedules, 1925-27
	10	Interboard Committee on Annuity Agreements, 1931-32
	11	Correspondence re Annuities, 1935
	12	Permanent Judicial Commission, 1922-26
	13	Permanent Judicial Commission, 1925
	14	Permanent Judicial Commission, 1926
	15	Permanent Judicial Commission, 1927-29
	16	Permanent Judicial Commission, 1930
	17	Permanent Judicial Commission, 1932-34
	18	Permanent Judicial Commission, 1935-36
	19	Permanent Judicial Commission, 1936
	20	Department of Men's Work, 1930
	21	Status of Women--Printed and Mimeographed Materials
	22	Correspondence, 1923

7	1	Status of Women - Correspondence, Minutes, Papers, 1929
	2	Committee on Basis of Financial Cooperation In the Woman's Missionary Societies, 1930-31
	3	Committee of Three--Relation of Women of Particular Churches to Boards of the Church, 1931-32

7	4	Special Commission of 1925 to Study Spiritual Condition of the Church and Causes Making for Unrest--Correspondence, Reports, 1925-26
	5	Special Commission of 1925--Correspondence and Reports 1925-1928
	6	Special Committee on Marriage and Divorce, 1927-28
	7	Special Commission on Marriage and Divorce and Remarriage, 1930-31
	8	Special Committee on Communicant's Manual, 1932-36
	9	Special Committee to Nominate a Successor to the Stated Clerk, 1937-38
	10	Special Committee on Retirement Allowances, 1937
	11	Special Committee to Consider Proposed Amendment to Confession of Faith, 1931-32
	12	Special Committee on Amendment to Confession of Faith, 1935
	13	Special Committee on the Revision of the Confession of Faith, Chapter XXIII, 1937-40
	14	Special Committee on Church Indebtedness, 1937-38
	15	Special Committee on the Maintenance of the Ministry 1936-39
	16	Special Committee on Judicial Procedure, 1927, 1928
	17	Special Committee on Revision of Book of Discipline, 1931-34
	18	Special Committee on Manual for National Missions Churches, 1935-36
	19	Special Committee on Field Organization and Service, 1935
	20	Special Committee on Church Publications, 1933-37
	21	Special Committee on Near East Relief, 1928-32
	22	Commission of Nine, 1935
	23	Commission of Nine, 1936-1937
	24	Committee on 225th Anniversary of the Organization of the General Presbytery, 1931
	25	250th Anniversary of Organized Presbyterianism, 1933

		Princeton Theological Seminary

8	1	Charter and Plan
	2	1927-1928
	3	Special Committee, 1927-28
	4	Group of Six - Board of Directors--re Composing Differences at the Seminary, 1928-29
	5	Reorganization Of Board of Trustees, 1927-28
	6	Special Committee--Plans for Reorganization and Establishment of a Unified Board, 1928-29
	7	1928-29
	8	Scholarship Aid, 1928-30
	9	Board of Trustees--Curriculum Committee, 1937-38
	10	Board of Trustees--Curriculum Committee, 1933
	11	Administrative Committee, 1944, 1949
	12	Correspondence 1944-50
	13	Princeton and Western Seminaries, 1935
	14-15	The Theological Seminaries, 1922-30
	16	Committee on Theological Seminaries, 1929
	17	The Theological Seminaries 1931-35
	18	Special Committee re Lane Theological Seminary 1931

9	1	Synods and Presbyteries--Articles of Incorporation, 1928- 29
	2	Correspondence with Synods re Field Service and Organization
	3	Official Communications to Stated Clerks of Synods and Presbyteries, 1928-39
	4	Official Communications to Synod and Presbytery Stated Clerks, 1930-38
	5	Correspondence re Presbytery's Use of Funds from Board of National Missions, 1933
	6	Welsh Synods and Presbyteries 1933
	7	New Welsh Presbytery, 1936

		Department of Church Cooperation and Union

9	8	1921-24
	9	1925-27
	10	1929
	11	1929
	12	1930
	13	1931

10	1	Minutes and Literature, 1931
	2	1931-33
	3	1932-34
	4	1933
	5	1933-35
	6	1934
	7	1935
	8	1935-37
	9	1936
	10	Joint Committee on Polity, 1930-31
	11-14	Joint Committee on Organic Union PCUSA/UPCNA, 1930-1933
	15-16	Negotiations with PCUS, 1934-41

11	1-5	Negotiations with PCUS, 1939-1944
	6	Joint Drafting Committee PCUSA/PCUS, Decisions
	7	Replies re Plan of Reunion
	8	"Opinion on the Plan of Union, Section 9 of the Concurrent Declarations" re Property Rights, PCUSA/PCUS, 1948
	9	Negotiations with Episcopal Church, 1936-38

		World Alliance of Reformed Churches

	10	Proposed Merger of Western Section and General
		Council of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in America, 1925-26
	11	Western Section--Correspondence and Minutes, 1925-35
	12	Western Section--Correspondence and Minutes, 1926-29
	13	Membership, 1926-1934
	14	Correspondence, 1933-1935
	15	Correspondence, 1935-38
	16	Federal Council of Churches, 1930
	17	Universal Christian Council, 1933-35
	18	Universal Christian Council, 1936-39

		World Conference on Faith and Order

12	1	1923-1926
	2	1927-1928
	3	1929-1535
	4	1936-1938
	5	Delegates to Oxford and Edinburgh Conferences, 1937-38
	6	American Bible Society, 1921-30
	7	American Christian Committee on German Refugees, 1935-1937
	8	Dr. Barnhouse–Letters, 1935
	9	Committee for the Establishment of a National Daily Christian Newspaper,1928-31
	10	Crombie vs. Synod of South Dakota--Correspondence, 1928
	11	Article for Encyclopedia Britannica 1928
	12	Golden Rule Foundation, 1929-30
	13	The Hubbard Press, 1930
	14	Presbyterian Digest, 1927-30
	15	Presbyterian Digest, 1931
	16	Jarvie Commonweal Fund, 1934
	17	Lincoln University, 1937
	18	Mexican Church--Correspondence, 1928
	19	Department of Moral Welfare--Board of Christian Education, 1932-33
	20	National Capital Commission, 1922-38
	21	National Loyalty Commission, 1929
	22	Philadelphia Federation of Churches, 1927-29
	23	Publication Department, 1930
	24	Religion and Welfare Recovery
	25	Scholarship Aid, 1926-27
	26	Spalding Church - Rehabilitation Fund 1936
	27	Statutes Concerning Religious Corporations, 1930
	28	Translation Of the Constitution into Spanish, 1931
	29	Transportation Bureau, 1927-30
	30	Correspondence re Use of Word "Debts" or "Trespasses" In the Lord's Prayer, 1932-33
	31	Correspondence on Form of Government, Chapter XIV, 1933
	32	Miscellaneous
	33	Harry Emerson Fosdick Controversy: Correspondence, Reports, Overtures, Protests, 1922-1925
	34	Harry Emerson Fosdick Controversy: Polemical Publications, Articles, Sermons, Clippings, 1922-1924

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Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Office of the Stated Clerk Records

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