Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. African American Synods Collection

Descriptive Summary

Title

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. African American Synods Collection

Inclusive Dates

1873-1988

Call Number

RG 395

Quantity

2.50 cubic feet (4 boxes)

Language

Materials in English

Restrictions on Access

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

Digital Content

To browse this collection's digital content visit Pearl.

Repository

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

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Administrative History

African Americans were members of Presbyterian churches prior to 1807, the date recognized as the beginning of organized African American Presbyterianism. The African American synods and presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. first developed as a result of the denomination's mission work among African Americans in the South. This work was carried out by the Board of Home Missions' Board of Missions for Freedmen. In 1923, with the reorganization of the Board of Home Missions into the Board of National Missions, two newly formed units -- the Unit of Schools and Hospitals and the Unit of Work with Colored People -- took over the work of the Freedmen's Board.

The first African American synod, the Synod of Atlantic, appeared in the General Assembly statistics for the first time in 1869. At its organization, the Synod of Atlantic was made up of the presbyteries of Catawba (the earliest of the all-Black governing bodies), Knox, and Atlantic. Its territory extended along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to South Florida. Beginning in the 1880s, the women of the church organized presbyterial societies to support home and foreign mission work. These presbyterial societies came together to form the Synodical Society of Atlantic in 1885.

By 1886, the Synod of Atlantic comprised seven presbyteries: Atlantic, Catawba, East Florida, Fairfield, Hodge, Knox, McClelland, and South Florida, and it became necessary to form a new synod. In 1887, the Synod of Catawba was established to encompass churches in North Carolina and southern Virginia, organized into the presbyteries of Cape Fear, Catawba, Yadkin, and Southern Virginia.

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church, following its 1906 union with the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., demanded that the boundaries of the church's governing bodies be redrawn to ensure racial segregation. The synods of Canadian and East Tennessee were formed as a result of this restructuring. The presbyteries of the Synod of Canadian were White River, Rendall, and Kiamichi. Presbyteries of the Synod of East Tennessee were Birmingham, LeVere, and Rogerville. In 1936 the Synod of East Tennessee was renamed Blue Ridge.

In the 1950s, the General Assembly began taking steps to integrate synods and presbyteries. In 1957, the Synod of Canadian was merged with the primarily white Synod of Oklahoma, which covered some of the same territory. In 1958, the synods of Blue Ridge and Mid-South were merged. In 1966, the Synod of Atlantic was renamed the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia, and with the restructuring of synods into larger regional bodies in 1972, it became part of the Synod of the Mid-South. The Synod of Catawba and the Synod of Chesapeake merged to form the new Synod of Piedmont. The presbyteries of the old Catawba Synod (Cape Fear, Catawba, Yadkin, and Southern Virginia) elected to form the Catawba Inter-presbytery Program Agency (referred to as the Catawba Unit), to maintain their historical relationship. In the restructuring following the reunion of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. and the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., the last of the all-Black governing bodies were dissolved.

Researchers interested in a more detailed history of the African American synods may wish to consult the 1993 report of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), All-Black Governing Bodies: The History and Contributions of All-Black Governing Bodies.

Collection Overview

The African American Synods Collection consists primarily of the annual minutes of the synods of Atlantic, East Tennessee/Blue Ridge, Canadian, and Catawba. Many of the minutes are printed and attested, but there are also original bound volumes of manuscript minutes in the collection. Researchers should note that there are some gaps in the minutes. Other materials in the collection include newsletters published by the synods of Atlantic and Catawba; minutes, reports, officer lists, and a register of members of the Atlantic Synodical Society; and a small number of photographs of members of the synods of Atlantic and Catawba.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES 1: SYNOD OF ATLANTIC, 1873-1966

SERIES 2: SYNOD OF EAST TENNESSEE/SYNOD OF BLUE RIDGE, 1913-1957

SERIES 3: SYNOD OF CANADIAN, 1907-1955

SERIES 4: SYNOD OF CATAWBA, 1887-1988

Alternative Formats

To browse this collection's digitized content visit Pearl.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Processing Information

Collection processed and finding aid prepared: February 1995
Kerry J. Norce, Coordinator for Governing Body Services

Collection reprocessed and guide updated, September 2016 by Nancy Taylor and Jennifer Barr

Preferred Citation

The Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. African American Synods Collection, RG 395, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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. Synod of Catawba.

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Synod of Catawba.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Synod of Atlantic.

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Synod of Atlantic.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Synod of Blue Ridge.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Synod of Canadian.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Synod of East Tennessee.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Synod of Atlantic. Synodical Society.

Topical Subject

African American Presbyterians--History--20th century.

African American women--Societies and clubs.

Genre-form

Minutes (administrative records) aat

Reports. aat

Programs (documents) aat

Newsletters. aat

Photographs. aat

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description	Alternative Formats

		SERIES 1: SYNOD OF ATLANTIC, 1873-1966

1	1	Minutes, 1873	Digital
1	2	Minutes, 1875	Digital
1	2	Minutes, 1876	Digital
1	2	Minutes, 1877	Digital
1	2	Minutes, 1878	Digital
1	2	Minutes, 1879	Digital
1	2	Minutes, 1880	Digital
1	2	Minutes, 1883	Digital
1	2	Minutes, 1887	Digital
1	2	Minutes, 1893	Digital
1	3	Minutes, 1904	Digital
1	3	Minutes, 1905	Digital
1	3	Minutes, 1913	Digital
1	3	Minutes, 1914	Digital
1	3	Minutes, 1915	Digital
1	4	Minutes, 1921	Digital
1	4	Minutes, 1922	Digital
1	4	Minutes, 1923	Digital
1	4	Minutes, 1924	Digital
1	4	Minutes, 1925	Digital
1	4	Minutes, 1926	Digital
1	4	Minutes, 1927	Digital
1	4	Minutes, 1928	Digital
1	4	Minutes, 1929	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1930	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1931	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1932	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1933	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1934	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1935	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1936	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1937	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1938	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1939	Digital
1	5	Minutes, 1940	Digital
1	6	Minutes, 1941	Digital
1	6	Minutes, 1942	Digital
1	6	Minutes, 1943	Digital
1	6	Minutes, 1944	Digital
1	6	Minutes, 1945	Digital
1	6	Minutes, 1946	Digital
1	6	Minutes, 1947	Digital
1	6	Minutes, 1948	Digital
1	6	Minutes, 1949	Digital
1	6	Minutes, 1950	Digital
1	7	Minutes, 1951	Digital
1	7	Minutes, 1952	Digital
1	7	Minutes, 1953	Digital
1	7	Minutes, 1954	Digital
1	7	Minutes, 1955	Digital
1	7	Minutes, 1956	Digital
1	7	Minutes, 1957	Digital
1	8	Minutes, 1960	Digital
1	8	Minutes, 1961	Digital
1	8	Minutes, 1962	Digital
1	8	Minutes, 1963	Digital
1	8	Minutes, 1964	Digital
1	8	Minutes, 1965	Digital
1	8	Minutes, 1966	Digital
1	9	Photographs, 1960s and undated	Digital
1	10	The Atlantan newsletter, 1961	Digital
1	10	The Atlantan newsletter, 1962	Digital
1	11	Woman's Synodical Missionary Society minutes, 1920-1936	Digital
1	12	Synodical annual meeting program, 1937	Digital
1	12	Synodical annual meeting program, 1938	Digital
1	12	Synodical annual meeting program, 1947	Digital
1	12	Synodical annual meeting program, 1948	Digital
1	12	Synodical annual meeting program, 1949	Digital
1	12	Synodical annual meeting docket, 1949	Digital
1	12	United Presbyterian Women annual meeting program, 1964	Digital
1	13	Synodical officer lists, reports (including some presbyterial reports), and correspondence, 1937-1958	Digital
1	14	Synodical Register, 1955-1964	Digital

		SERIES 2: SYNOD OF EAST TENNESSEE/SYNOD OF BLUE RIDGE, 1913-1957

1	15	Synod of East Tennessee minutes, 1913	Digital
1	15	Synod of East Tennessee minutes, 1931	Digital
1	16	Synod of Blue Ridge minutes, 1953	Digital
1	16	Synod of Blue Ridge minutes, 1954	Digital
1	16	Synod of Blue Ridge minutes, 1955	Digital
1	16	Synod of Blue Ridge minutes, 1956	Digital
1	16	Synod of Blue Ridge minutes, 1957	Digital

		SERIES 3: SYNOD OF CANADIAN, 1907-1955

2	1	Manuscript minutes, 1907-1921 (bound volume)	Digital
1	17	Minutes, 1912	Digital
1	17	Minutes, 1913	Digital
3	1	Manuscript minutes, 1907-1955 (oversize bound volume)	Digital
2	2	Manuscript minutes, 1939-1955 (bound volume)	Digital

		SERIES 4: SYNOD OF CATAWBA, 1887-1988

2	3	Manuscript minutes, 1887-1896 (bound volume)	Digital
2	4	Manuscript minutes, 1897-1904 (bound volume)	Digital
2	5	Manuscript minutes, 1905-1913 (bound volume)	Digital
1	18	Minutes, 1923	Digital
1	18	Minutes, 1926	Digital
1	18	Minutes, 1927	Digital
1	18	Minutes, 1928	Digital
1	19	Minutes, 1930	Digital
1	19	Minutes, 1931	Digital
1	19	Minutes, 1933	Digital
1	19	Minutes, 1936	Digital
1	19	Minutes, 1937	Digital
1	19	Minutes, 1938	Digital
1	19	Minutes, 1939	Digital
1	19	Minutes, 1940	Digital
1	19	Minutes, 1941	Digital
1	20	Minutes, 1942	Digital
1	20	Minutes, 1943	Digital
1	20	Minutes, 1944	Digital
1	20	Minutes, 1945	Digital
1	20	Minutes, 1948	Digital
1	21	Minutes, 1950	Digital
1	21	Minutes, 1951	Digital
1	21	Minutes, 1952	Digital
1	21	Minutes, 1953	Digital
1	21	Minutes, 1954	Digital
1	21	Minutes, 1955	Digital
1	21	Minutes, 1956	Digital
1	21	Minutes, 1957	Digital
1	21	Minutes, 1958	Digital
1	22	Minutes, 1959	Digital
1	22	Minutes, 1960	Digital
1	22	Minutes, 1961	Digital
1	22	Minutes, 1962	Digital
1	22	Minutes, 1963	Digital
1	22	Minutes, 1964	Digital
1	23	Minutes, 1965	Digital
1	23	Minutes, 1966	Digital
1	23	Minutes, 1967	Digital
1	23	Minutes, 1968	Digital
1	23	Minutes, 1969	Digital
4	1	Minutes, 1970	Digital
4	1	Minutes, 1971	Digital
4	1	Minutes, 1972	Digital
4	2	Photographs, undated	D igital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 1, no. 1, January 1956	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 1, no.2-3, July-October 1956	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 2, no. 4, October 1957	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 3, no. 5, October 1958	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 5, no. 2, 1961	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 5, no. 3, 1961	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 6, no. 1, 1962	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 6, no. 2, 1962	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 7, no. 1, January 1963	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 7, no. 2, 1963	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 7, no. 3, 1963	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 8, no. 1, 1964	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 8, no. 2, 1964	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 9, no. 1, 1965	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 9, no. 2, 1965	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 10, no. 1, 1966	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 10, no. 2, 1966	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 11, no. 1, 1967	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 12, no. 1, 1968	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 12, no. 2, 1968	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 12, no. 3, 1968	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 13, no. 1, 1969	Digital
4	3	Argus newsletter, vol. 14, no. 1, 1970	Digital
4	4	Assorted records, 1947-1988	Digital

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Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. African American Synods Collection