The records of the Union Congregational Church are similar to other records of UCC churches held by the Historical Society, although they are unusual because the records date to the congregation's very beginnings as one of the oldest churches in Wisconsin. For the 1960s and subsequent years the records are also notable in their unusually strong coverage of the congregational organization and management as well as for their inclusion of an extensive file of ministerial sermons.
The records consist of Background Material, Administrative Records, Pastors' Papers, Treasurers' Records, Publications, and Miscellany.
The BACKGROUND MATERIAL confirms the unusual interest of the Union Church in its history and traditions, as well as the personal interest of two lifelong members of the congregation, Ethel S. Cady and George Nau Burridge, the church historian. Included here are histories, files concerning numerous significant events in congregational history, scrapbooks (available only on microfilm), memorabilia, photographs, and several miscellaneous files belonging to Burridge. The histories section includes Mrs. Cady's full-length book written in 1955, her shorter work on church symbols, and several speeches and talks by others on miscellaneous historical topics. In the commemorative files are speeches, orders of worship, and special publications concerning various church anniversaries and events. For the dedication of the church building in 1930 there is also a detailed file of correspondence pertaining to the construction. Also in the anniversaries section is a draft and a printed copy of Burridge's book, Sequence of Events Leading to the Vote by Union Congregational Church to Join the UCC which was published in 1984 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of this event. The volume includes his account of the congregation's extended and controversial deliberations and reprints of documents used in preparing the text.
Burridge's own files include reports; fragmentary correspondence related to the church; and information on the Community of the Covenant, a movement in which he was involved.
The historical scrapbooks, which were mainly comprised of newspaper clippings, were microfilmed and the originals returned to the congregation. For conservation purposes the original photographs received with the collection are housed in the Society's Visual and Sound Archives; convenience copies are, however, available with the rest of the records.
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS form the bulk of the collection. The records date to the earliest days of the church, although the documentation is most extensive for the period from the 1960s through 1985. These later records document with unusual completeness the various boards and organizations by which a large, modern Protestant church managed its various activities and endeavors. The early records of the First Presbyterian Church consist of two sets of minutes, one pertaining to the First Presbyterian Church and the other to the First Presbyterian Society. The records of the church (as opposed to the society) contain the small and relatively incomplete quantity of sacramental records available in this collection. The disposition of any similar material for the early history of the congregation is unknown. Among the lists at the end of each volume are:
1835-1876
- Register of Members, 1836-1875
- Register of Infant Baptisms, 1837-1863
- Register of Infant Deaths, 1841-1858
- Register of Marriages, 1840-1856
- Register of Deaths, 1839-1864
- Register of Members, 1837-1893
- Register of Infant Baptisms, 1866-1956
The two sets of minutes created by the Society and the church were eventually combined in one volume. After 1934 the minutes were not recorded in volumes but kept loose in spiral binders. In addition to true minutes of the church and its various boards, both the bound and unbound records contain annual financial statements, audits, reports, clippings, and miscellaneous correspondence. This filing arrangement apparently ended about 1971 (although loose copies of general congregational meetings for the period 1973-1981 have been filed here), in favor of a system which filed records separately by the creating administrative board.
Board records are filed alphabetically by name. For each board, the files variously include minutes, publications, and files on various groups which operated under its functional direction. While the majority of the boards and their purposes are self-explanatory, some records require further comment. Most extensive in the collection are the files of the Board of Trustees, which is responsible for church property and for its financial affairs. In addition to minutes for the trustees, there are financial reports, budget papers, and detailed information (primarily from the 1970s) concerning the church's Every Member fundraising drives.
Records of various women's organizations are also extensive and include not only records of the Women's Fellowship, but also minutes of the turn-of-the-century Women's Missionary Society and the World Study Guild. Although less extensive, the files of the Board of Christian Social Concerns contains extensive correspondence on Green House, an alternative neighborhood school briefly operated in conjunction with Crossroads Academy of Milwaukee.
The administrative records also include a file on miscellaneous church committees. Particularly interesting here are the records of the Pastoral Search Committee which hired Rev. Stanton in 1981.
PASTORS' PAPERS primarily document the pastorate of Charles L. Bagby, who served the congregation between 1959 and 1981. His papers include copies of sermons and talks, 1964-1980, together with three sermons which are available only in recorded form. Bagby's files also include a biographical interview conducted by Burridge in 1985 and an incomplete alphabetical subject file relating to other activities in which he was involved such as the local ministers' group, Planned Parenthood, and the Pastor's Class. The remainder of the series is arranged chronologically.
The TREASURERS' RECORDS are quite incomplete, consisting chiefly of annual reports for the period 1978-1984 and ledgers of individual contributions. These ledgers exist only for the period 1921-1939 but they provide important information on charitable giving during the 1920s and 1930s, a period of tight budgets for the congregation. Supplementary financial information for more recent years can be found in the church's annual reports and in the records of the Board of Trustees.
PUBLICATIONS available in the records include annual reports, 1941-1984; worship service bulletins (the majority of which are available only on microfilm); newsletters; directories; and other miscellaneous publications.
The 2007 Additions cover the years 1877-1961, and are organized into Background Material and Administrative Records.
