First United Church of Christ Records (MS-620)
Scope and Contents
The records in this collection document the membership and activities of Dayton’s First United Church of Christ. The collection features a guestbook, two membership record books, and a ledger containing records about Sunday school attendance and church offerings.
The Church Register and Record book, which begins circa 1955, features an alphabetical list of members’ names, a sheet recording active members’ names and birthdays, and a record for one marriage. Some of the names in this book appear in records from the Walnut Hills Christian Church/First Christian Church (MS-619).
The ledger documents weekly attendance for the various Sunday school classes offered for children, teenagers, and adults. General attendance records cover 1957-1978, and records for specific classes date from 1960-1978. The ledger also includes financial data about general funds and weekly offerings from 1956-1978. Additionally, the ledger contains annual summaries of enrollment and offerings statistics from 1946-1977. These annual reports include historical attendance and offerings records covering 1932-1945.
The guestbook from the church’s 1978 sesquicentennial includes the names and addresses of church attendees. Attendees came from Dayton, from surrounding areas in Ohio, as well as from out-of-state. Some members recorded their roles within the church.
The Church Membership Record book, from circa 1980, includes an alphabetical name list and the record for a 1980 marriage.
Dates
- Creation: 1946-1984
Creator
- First United Church of Christ (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on accessing material in this collection.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
In 1957, the United Church of Christ was founded through a merger of the Congregational Christian Church (founded in 1931 by a merger between the Christian Church and Congregational Church) with the Evangelical and Reformed Church. Data about Dayton’s First United Church of Christ has been difficult to find. However, it does appear to have been located in the Walnut Hills neighborhood, on the west side of Edgar Avenue between Gunckel and Wayne. It seems to be connected to the Walnut Hills Christian Church and First Christian Church (see MS-619), which operated earlier near the same location, and there is some overlap of members between records of all these congregations. Based on the addresses in the membership reocrds, many members appear to have been residents of either Walnut Hills neighborhood or the Oregon District. Ministers of the congregation included Rev. Ray Sturch, Rev. Fausey, Rev. Welch, and Rev. Fandt.
Extent
0.42 linear feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection contains membership data and attendance records of the First United Church of Christ, which was located in the Walnut Hills neighborhood of Dayton.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in chronological order. Material contained in a three-ring binder were placed in separate folders, but were kept in the original order.
Custodial History
The objects in this collection were received as part of the records of St. John’s United Church of Christ (MS-612), but are records from a separate church.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University Libraries, by Judith E. Humphreys of St. John’s United Church of Christ in November 2017.
Processing Information
Material that was originally contained in a three-ring binder (ledger) was removed from the binder and separated into folders. The folders were filled and labelled as “Ledger section,” followed by the titles from the binder’s original dividers. The original order of materials in the binder was preserved.
donor
- St. John's United Church of Christ (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
Subject
- First United Church of Christ (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the First United Church of Christ Records (MS-620)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Megan O'Connor
- Date
- 2019 Oct
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
Wright State University Libraries
Special Collections and Archives
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton OH 45435-0001 USA
937-775-2092
library-archives@wright.edu
