Guide to the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions Division of Church Building Aid Records

Descriptive Summary

Title

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions Division of Church Building Aid Records

Inclusive Dates

1924-1972

Bulk Dates

1940-1969

Call Number

RG 304.1

Creator(s)

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions. Division of Church Building Aid.

Quantity

4.00 cubic feet (6 boxes)

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

Administrative History

At the time of the reorganization of Boards and Agencies in 1923, the work of the Board of Church Erection became the responsibility of the new Board of National Missions. The old Board of Church Erection, however, continued to maintain an incorporated name for legal reasons.

Since 1923 the work of church erection has experienced a wide range of relationships within the administrative framework of the Board of National Missions. In 1924 the work of the superseded Board of Church Erection continued as the Division of Buildings and Property. The Division had several departments: A Department of Field Activities and Survey from 1924 to 1930; a Department of Grants, Loans, Mortgages and Titles; Building Fund Campaigns; and a Bureau of Architecture.

In April of 1930 the Division of Buildings and Property was discontinued as it had functioned and Building and Property interests of the Board were cared for through departments attached to the Office of the General Secretary and the Treasury. During 1930 and 1931 the work became a Department of Buildings and Property under the Office of the General Secretary. In 1932 and 1933 it functioned as the Department of Buildings and Property under the Treasury. In 1934 it was called the Department of Building Aid under the Treasury. During 1935 and 1936 it was the Department of Building Aid under the General Secretary. From 1937 until 1949, the Department of Building Aid was listed in the Annual Report of the Board as being under the Treasury.

The Department worked together with the Church Debt Service Bureau in building projects. The Bureau was created in 1938 as a separate service bureau under the direction of the Treasurer of the Board, "to be available to churches and presbyteries for the purpose of investigation, the formulation of plans, and the actual conduct of church loyalty or debt raising campaigns".

In 1949, the name of the Department of Building Aid was changed to the Department of New Church Development and Building Aid. In 1951 the work became one of the two Inter-Divisional Offices of the Board as the Department of New Church Development and Church Extension. At that time one function of the work continued under John N. Penn, Jr. as Secretary of the Office of New Church Development and Building Aid, while the other function of New Church Development--Organization and Promotion had Richard S. McCarroll as Secretary. The dual responsibility for new church development in the PCUSA's Board of National Missions thus rested jointly with the Department of New Church Development and Building Aid (Division of the Treasury) and the Department of New Church Development--Organization and Promotion (Division of Missionary Operation).

The primary function of the Office of New Church Development and Building Aid, operating under the Division of the Treasury, was to process applications for building aid, to recommend certain ones for approval, and to collect previously appropriated outstanding aid. Other
responsibilities included counseling on new church development and church extension, assistance in financial planning for church building, and the supervision of the Board's fund-raising service.

Funds for the Church Building Aid work of the Board came from funds raised nationally for capital purposes, gifts designated for this specific use, and the repayment of mortgage loans and grants. The Fund Raising Campaign Service, begun in 1950, helped churches raise funds for building projects. The Committee on New Church Development and Building Aid was charged with the review and consideration of applications for loans or grants from the Building Aid funds of the Board, and all applications for grants for building and sites from other funds made available for new church development, and presenting its recommendations to the Board.

During the 1960's the Department of New Church Development and Building Aid (Division of the Treasury) became the Division of Church Building Aid under the General Department of Treasury and Business Management. In 1972 the work of the Board of National Missions was transferred to the new Program Agency.

Collection Overview

RG 304.1 contains the records of the Board of National Missions, Division of Church Building Aid Records, 1924-72. The bulk of this collection dates from the 1940s through the 1960s.

The Department of New Church Development and Church Extension functioned as an inter-divisional department, and the records of the Division of Church Building Aid are closely interrelated with other records outside the Division relating to New Church Development. During the early 1960's, for instance, John N. Penn, Jr. served both as Director of the Division of Church Building Aid (under the General Department of Treasury and Business Management) and as Associate Director, Building Aid Services, Department of New Church Development and Building Aid (under the General Department of Program and General Services). In addition, because of the nature of building projects, there was extensive interaction with the Church Debt Service Bureau.

Series III (Building Aid Funds) and IV (Grants and Loans) reflect the daily functioning of the Division. Series V (Church Projects) appears to have functioned as a resource file for the office. The card file in this series contains information on specific building projects, listing information such as validation dates, and information on manse, site, and unit aid.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES I: CORPORATE RECORDS, 1947-1972
Subseries 1: Board Committee on Church Building Aid, 1957-1972
Subseries 2: Committee on Church Building Aid/Committee on New Church Development and Building Aid, 1947-1972
Subseries 3: Cabinet on Church Building Aid, 1948-1953
Subseries 4: Joint Committee-Cabinet on Church Building Aid, 1953-1972
Subseries 5: Presbyterian Church Development Corporation, 1957
Subseries 6: Presbyterian U.S.A. Bond Corporation, 1957

SERIES II: GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS, 1924-1972, n.d.

SERIES III: BUILDING AID FUNDS, 1932-1971, n.d.

SERIES IV: GRANTS AND LOANS, 1947-1969, n.d.

SERIES V: CHURCH PROJECTS, 1946-1972, n.d.
Subseries 1: Local Church Project Files, 1946-1971, n.d.
Subseries 2: Local Church Aid Cardfile, ca. 1956-1958
Subseries 3: Architectural Blueprints/Renderings, 1961-1972, n.d.

SERIES VI: MISCELLANEOUS, 1960, n.d.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Processing Information

Collection processed and finding aid created: May, 1995
Amy Roberts, Processing Archivist

Catalog Headings

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

Topical Subject

Church property.

Church buildings--Finance.

Church development, New--United States--Presbyterian Church.

Genre-form

Blueprints (reprographic copies) aat

Scrapbooks. aat

Financial records. aat

Corporate Added Name

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of the Church Erection Fund.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions. Board of Church Erection.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions. Division of Buildings and Property.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions. Department of Buildings and Property.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions. Department of Building Aid.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions. Office of New Church Development and Building Aid.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions. Office of New Church Development and Church Extension.

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions. Department of New Church Development and Building Counsel.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Finding Aid to Record Group 304.1

		SERIES 1: CORPORATE RECORDS, 1947-1972

		Subseries 1: Board Committee on Church Building Aid, 1957-72

1	2	Minutes, 1957-65
1	3	Minutes, 1966-72

		Subseries 2: Committee on Church Building Aid/Committee on New Church Development and Building Aid, 1947-1972

1	4	Minutes, 1947-52
1	5	Minutes, 1953-56
1	6	Correspondence, 1951-72
1	7	Reports, 1948-72
1	8	Description of Committee on New Church Development and Building Aid, 1959

		Subseries 3: Cabinet on Church Building Aid, 1948-1953

1	9	Minutes, 1948-53

		Subseries 4: Joint Committee-Cabinet on Church Building Aid, 1953-1972

1	10	Minutes,1953-55
1	11	Minutes,1955-63
1	12	Minutes, 1964-69
1	13	Minutes, 1970-72

		Subseries 5: Presbyterian Church Development Corporation, 1957

1	14	Certificate of Incorporation, 1957

		Subseries 6: Presbyterian U.S.A. Bond Corporation, 1957

1	15	Description, 1957


		SERIES II: GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS, 1924-1972, n.d.

1	16	History, 1949
1	17	Guidelines, Procedures, 1924-49, n.d.

2	1	Processing Procedures, 1957-60

1	18	Delinquent Churches Program, 1969
1	19	General Office Correspondence, 1945-61
1	20	General Office Correspondence, 1968-72
1	21	Correspondence of John N. Penn, Jr. (Director) --Staff/"Joe in the Field" Memos, 1952-64
1	22	Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1950-53
1	23	Annual Reports, Division of Church Building Aid,1964-69
1	24	New Church Development Study 1958-62, 1963
1	25	Report on Current Projects, 1963
1	26	Twenty-Five Year Report on Church Building Aid, 1948-1972

5	1	Strategy/Finance Analysis and Reviews, 1970

1	27	Miscellaneous Reports, 1946-63
1	27a	Miscellaneous Reports, 1964-72, n.d.
1	28	Presentation by Office of New Church Development and Building Aid to Standing Committee on National Missions at the General Assembly,1950
1	29	Presentation to Consultative Conference on New Church Development at General Assembly, 1964
1	30	Workshop Materials from Presentation on Church Development and Financing to the Synod of New Jersey, 1972
1	31	Building Aid Policy Conference Meeting Materials, 1969
1	32	Building Aid Policy Conference Meeting Recommendations, 1969
1	33	Division of Church Building Aid Job Descriptions, 1969-70, n.d.

		SERIES III: BUILDING AID FUNDS, 1932-1971, n.d.

1	34	Fund Descriptions and Restrictions, 1932-71, n.d.

2	5	Brief, Addressing Overture to General Assembly Regarding Building Aid Funds, ca. 1930

1	35	Extracts from the Plan for the Custody, Care and Arrangement of the Church Erection Fund, n.d.
1	36	Extracts from Wills Containing Bequests to the Board of Erection, n.d.
1	37	Correspondence, 1945-69
1	38	Report on Board's Church Building Campaign Service, 20 Years 1950-1969
1	39	Report on Need for Building Aid Funds, 1961
1	40	Fundraising Department Reports, 1953-57

		Researchers are asked to use particular care in handling the scrapbooks in Box 3. These are extremely brittle and materials have come loose from many pages.

3		Building Funds Campaign Scrapbook, Vol. 1, 1951
3		Building Funds Campaign Scrapbook, Vol. 2, 1951-52
3		Building Funds Campaign Scrapbook, Vol. 3, 1952-55

2	4	Building Funds Campaign Pamphlets, Bulletins, 1952-53
2	6	Miscellaneous Reports (oversize), 1949, n.d.

1	41	Miscellaneous Reports, 1952-57

		SERIES IV: GRANTS AND LOANS, 1947-1969, n.d.

2	2	Suggested Guide for Campaign Loan and Grant Applications, n.d.

1	42	Report on Recommendation for Repayment of Church Extension Grants, 1950
1	43	Lists of Satisfied Grants, 1947-49
1	44	Building Aid Grant Funds Satisfied 1954-57, ca. 1957
1	45	Cash Received from Grants, 1955-59
1	46	Cash Received from Grants, 1960-65
1	47	Cash Received from Grants, 1966-69
1	48	Grant Repayments Received from Synods, 1955-57
1	49	Descriptions of Building Aid Loans, 1954
1	50	Accounting Memorandum on Repayment of Loans, 1950
1	51	Lists of Satisfied Loans, 1947-49
1	52	Guaranteed Fund Study, 1958-61

2	3	Report, Church Membership and Building Budget Information (by State), 1957

1	53	Miscellaneous Reports, n.d.

		SERIES V: CHURCH PROJECTS, 1946-1972, n.d.

		Subseries 1: Local Church Project Files, 1946-1971, n.d.

1	54	Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado
1	54	Alabama, Mobile -- Fourth Church, 1964-65
1	54	Alaska, Metlakatla, 1946
1	54	Arkansas, Ridge Station, 1965
1	54	California, Los Angeles -- Second
1	54	Presbyterian Church, 1967
1	54	California, San Francisco -- Diamond Heights, 1963
1	54	Colorado, Canon City -- Mountain View, 1966
1	55	Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, 1962-1971
1	55	Florida, Fort Lauderdale -- Second, 1962
1	55	Florida, Glenwood -- Glenwood United, 1971
1	55	Illinois, Danville -- First United, 1966
1	55	Indiana, Bedford, 1968
1	55	Indiana, Brownstown, 1969
1	55	Indiana, Madison, 1966
1	55	Iowa, Burlington -- Westminster, 1966
1	55	Iowa, Center Junction -- First, 1966
1	56	Kansas, 1965-67
1	56	Kansas, Kansas City -- St. Mark's, 1967
1	56	Kansas, Solomon -- First, 1965-66
1	57	Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, Nebraska, 1950-71
1	57	Maryland, Bethesda -- Bradley Hills, 1969
1	57	Michigan, St. Clair Shores -- Lake Shore, 1958
1	57	Minnesota, East Grand Forks -- Mendenhall, 1971
1	57	Minnesota, Shetek Station -- First, 1965
1	57	Mississippi, Merdian, Prospect, 1966
1	57	Montana, Granite -- First, 1966
1	57	New Jersey, Wallington, 1971
1	57	New Jersey, Dutch Neck -- First, 1962-63
1	57	Nebraska, Hastings -- Hastings College, 1950
1	58	New Mexico, New York, 1966-70
1	58	New Mexico, La Luz, Chaparito, 1966
1	58	New Mexico, Palomas, Hot Springs, 1967
1	58	New York, Otisville, Mount Hope, 1970
1	58	New York, Whitestone, 1966
1	59	North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, 1956-71
1	59	North Carolina, Mt. Zion, Dallas Township, 1965
1	59	North Dakota, McLeod, 1966
1	59	Ohio, Antwerp -- First, 1966
1	59	Ohio, Coleraine -- United, 1970
1	59	Ohio, Genoa, 1956-57
1	59	Ohio, Oak Hill -- Bethel, 1971
1	59	Ohio, Youngstown -- Foster Memorial, 1966
1	59	Wisconsin, W. Allis, Greenfield,
1	60	Pennsylvania, 1965-1966
1	60	Pennsylvania, Harborcreek -- First, 1965-66
1	60	Pennsylvania, Worthington -- United, 1965-66
1	61	Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, 1964-68, n.d.
1	61	Rhode Island, Greenwood -- Greenwood Community, n.d.
1	61	South Carolina, Guess, 1966
1	61	Tennessee, Centennial, Maryville, 1966
1	61	Tennessee, Johnson City, 1968
1	61	Texas, Dallas, 1964
1	62	Local Churches - Miscellaneous, 1950
1	63	Unidentified pictures, n.d.
1	64	Presbyteries: Bismarck-Minot, Brooklyn-Nassau, Eastern Oklahoma, Holston, 1957-68
1	65	Presbyteries: Pittsburgh, 1963-67
1	66	Synods: Kansas, New England, Ohio, Oklahoma-Arkansas, 1962-67

		Subseries 2: Local Church Aid Cardfile, ca. 1956-1968

4		Local Church Aid cardfile, ca. 1956-1968

		Subseries 3: Architectural Blueprints/Renderings,1961-1972, n.d.

5		California, Fresno -- Millbrook United Presbyterian Church, 1968
5		California, Fresno -- Wesley Methodist Church, n.d.
5		California, Hacienda Heights - United Presbyterian Church, n.d.
5		California, Red Bluff -- Red Bluff Presbyterian Church, 1970
5		California, Santa Monica -- 1st Presbyterian Church, 1972
5		California, Selma -- St. Andrew United Presbyterian Church, 1968
5		Florida, Largo -- Highland United Presbyterian Church, n.d.
5		Florida, Palm Beach Gardens -- Westminster United
5		Florida, Palm Beach Gardens -- Presbyterian Church, n.d.
5		Florida, Seminole County -- Westminster United Presbyterian Church, 1972
5		Georgia, Atlanta -- Church of St. Andrew, 1969
5		Georgia, Sandy Springs -- Church of St. Andrew, 1969-71

6		Michigan, Detroit -- Broadstreet United Presbyterian Church, 1972
6		Michigan, Detroit -- Knox Presbyterian Church, 1967
6		Michigan, Flushing -- Flushing Presbyterian Church, 1969
6		Michigan, Linden -- Linden Presbyterian Church, 1971
6		Minnesota, Farmington -- 1st Presbyterian Church, n.d.
6		Missouri, Blue Springs -- Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, n.d.
6		Missouri, Kansas City -- Pine Ridge United Presbyterian Church, n.d.
6		Missouri, St. Louis -- Aritha Spotts Apartments,
6		Missouri, St. Louis -- Community Building, 1972
6		Nebraska, Franklin Township -- Somerset Presbyterian Church, n.d.
6		Nebraska, Tecumseh -- 1st United Presbyterian Church, 1969
6		New Jersey, Cedar Knolls -- Hildale Park Presbyterian Church, 1972
6		New Jersey, East Brunswick Township -- Cranbury Gardens, 1968
6		New Jersey, East Brunswick Township -- 1st Presbyterian Church of South
6		New Jersey, East Brunswick Township -- River, n.d.
6		New Jersey, Paulsboro -- 1st United Presbyterian Church, n.d.
6		New Jersey, Somerset -- Somerset Presbyterian Church, 1971
6		New Mexico, Gallup -- Westminster United Presbyterian Church, n.d.
6		New Mexico, Silver City -- 1st United Presbyterian Church, n.d.
6		New York, East Syracuse -- 1st United Church, n.d.
6		North Carolina, Statesville -- Calvary Presbyterian Church, 1971
6		Ohio, Johnstown -- 1st Presbyterian Church, 1972
6		Ohio, Sandusky -- 1st Presbyterian Church, n.d.
6		Ohio, Trenton -- United Presbyterian Church, 1972
6		Ohio, West Carrollton -- 1st Presbyterian Church, 1961
6		Oklahoma , Edinboro -- Edinboro Presbyterian Church, 1972
6		Oklahoma , Lawton -- Westminster Presbyterian Church, n.d.
6		Oklahoma , Pauls Valley -- 1st United Presbyterian Church, 1972
6		Washington, Maplewood -- Maplewood Presbyterian Church, 1971
6		Unidentified Locations, n.d.

		SERIES VI: MISCELLANEOUS, 1960, n.d.

1	67-69	Manuscript - A Guide for the Development of a New Church, by Richard S. McCarroll, 1960
1	70	Photographs - John N. Penn, Jr., Director, n.d.

Print

You are here

Guide to the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions Division of Church Building Aid Records

Creator(s)