Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education Division of Field Service Records

Descriptive Summary

Title

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education Division of Field Service Records

Inclusive Dates

1943-1950

Bulk Dates

1944-1949

Call Number

RG 23

Creator(s)

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education. Division of Field Service

Quantity

4.50 cubic feet

Restrictions on Access

Collection open for research

Repository

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

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Administrative History

As of March 1, 1944, the newly-established Division of Field Service assumed administration of the total field program of the Board of Christian Education. Prior to that date, the field directors had been related directly to the office of the General Secretary. The primary responsibility of the Division of Field Service was to maintain a well-balanced program of educational, promotional, administrative, and interdenominational field service. The educational program included practical service to the leaders of local churches in all phases of work from children to pastors. The promotional activities were to develop interest in Christian Education, good will toward the Board's program and a generous response in prayer and gifts. Administrative field work included those business relationships essential to the total program. Interdenominational work included such relationships with other religious education organizations as would be mutually helpful in advancing Christian Education as effectively as possible. Specific functions of the Division of Field Service included: engaging and instructing the members of the field staff; counseling and overseeing their activities; providing the equipment necessary for carrying out the work; visiting the fields to review the work being done and counsel the field personnel and committees of Christian Education with whom they cooperated in the synods and presbyteries where they served; reviewing the monthly reports of field staff; administering the budget of the Division; handling correspondence, preparing reports and publicity; reporting to Board meetings.

The Reverend William Ralph Hall, D.D. (1880-1953), who had devoted virtually his entire career to administrative and educational work of the Board of Christian Education, was elected Secretary of the Division of Field Service and held this position until December 31, 1949.

In addition to field directors, who represented the Board of Christian Education, field staff included field representatives, who served the Board of Christian Education and the Board of National Missions. The latter, at first designated "joint" field representatives, were elected by, and were responsible to, the Interboard Commission on National Missions and Christian Education. Regarding division of responsibilities for the field representatives, financial arrangements and general administration as to reports, et cetera, centered in the Board of National Missions, while the Division of Field Service carried the secretarial work, taking of minutes, calling of meetings, et cetera.

Collection Overview

The major part of Record Group 23 consists of Dr. Hall's correspondence from 1944 to 1949, with a few financial reports and subject files making up the balance. The correspondence for 1943 and January 1950 is minimal.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE - ALPHABETICAL, 1944-1949.
Most of this correspondence is between the Director of the Division and the field staff and includes most of the monthly reports from the field.

SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE - CHRONOLOGICAL, 1943-1950.
This correspondence is primarily between the director and other members of the headquarters staff of the Board of Christian Education and other boards and agencies of the Church, primarily the Board of National Missions and the Interboard Commission.

SERIES 3: FINANCIAL REPORTS, 1947-1949.

SERIES 4: SUBJECT FILES.
This series includes correspondence, minutes, dockets, reports and miscellaneous items, the most significant being those from the Interboard Commission of the Boards of National Missions and Christian Education.

Administrative Information

Processing Information

In arranging Record Group 23, some re-ordering of the files was necessary, due to apparent inconsistencies in filing systems within the Division's office. This explains gaps in Series I, the alphabetically-arranged correspondence, in Box 2: "A" to "O", 1947 and 1948. The missing correspondence is likely to have been filed chronologically; hence might be found in Series II. Monthly reports and relevant correspondence, although scattered throughout the Record Group, are largely concentrated in Series I.

The researcher's attention is directed to a mimeographed communication called "Our Mutual Concern", a house organ between the headquarters staff and the field staff of the Board of Christian Education and referred to as the "voice of headquarters spoken through the Division of Field Service", previously spoken through the General Secretary's office. A complete set is catalogued in the Library of the Presbyterian Historical Society.

Catalog Headings

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

Corporate Added Name

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Interboard Commission on National Missions and Christian Education.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Finding Aid to Record Group 23

		SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE, 1944-1949

1	2	1944, A-B
	3	1944, C-D
	4	1944, E-J
	5	1944, K-L
	6	1944, M-O
	7	1944, P-S
	8	1944, T-Z
	9	1945, A-B
	10	1945, C
	11	1945, C-D
	12	1945, E-G
	13	1945, H-J
	14	1945, K-L
	15	1945, M-O
	16	1945, O-T
	17	1945, T-Z

2	1	1946, A-Z
	2	1946, A-B
	3	1946, C-D
	4	1946, D-G
	5	1946, H-K
	6	1946, L-R
	7	1946, S
	8	1946, T-Z
	9	1947, P-S
	10	1947, S
	11	1947, T-Z
	12	1948, P-S
	13	1948, S-T
	14	1948, V-Z

3	1	1949, A
	2	1949, B-F
	3	1949, G-I
	4	1949, J-K
	5	1949, L
	6	1949, M
	7	1949, S, W-Y

		SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE, 1943-50

3	8	1943-45
	9	1946
	10	1946, August-December
	11	1947, January-February
	12	March
	13	April-May
	14	June-August
	15	September-October

4	1	November-December
	2	1948, January-June
	3	July-December
	4	January-February
	5	March-April
	6	May-June
	7	July-September
	8	October-December
	9	1949, January-May
	10	June-December
	11	January-May
	12	June-August
	13	September-December; January 1950

		SERIES 3: FINANCIAL REPORTS, 1947-1949

5	1	Financial Reports, 1947-49

		SERIES 4: SUBJECT FILES

5	2	The New Curriculum--Servicing its Users, 1948
	3	Christian Education National Staff Conference (CENSC) and Field Directors' Conferences,1945-49
	4	Interboard Commission of the Boards of National Missions & Christian Education, 1949
	5	Interboard Commission--Institute on Racial & Cultural Relations, 1948-49
	6	Inter-Council Field Department, 1948-49
	7	International Council of Religious Education (ICRE), 1946-48
	8	World's Sunday School Association, 1945

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Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education Division of Field Service Records

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