The records of the Central United Methodist Church document the two congregations which merged in 1969, although there is little concerning the united church itself. Included are minutes, sacramental records, financial records, committee reports and records, sermons, bulletins, published historical materials and photographs, and some ministerial correspondence and subject files. The majority of the files concern First Methodist, the older congregation, and a number of these files are particularly notable because of their rarity or completeness when compared with the records of other churches held by the Archives. Among these are long runs of administrative minutes, financial records, bulletins, and sermons. The records of the Wesley Church, although much less complete, do include basic sacramental records.
The FIRST METHODIST Church historical files include published histories, anniversary booklets, and commemorative materials such as George W. Young and Rees Powell's Eighty Years: Historical Review of Grand Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, 1836-1916 (1916), John G. Gregory and Rees Powell's Century Survey: First Methodist Episcopal Church, Milwaukee, 1836-1936 (1936), and A. W. Kellogg's A Brief Historical Sketch of...Grand Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church (1904). Also included are Powell's correspondence and notes collected in the preparation of these works, pages from a historical scrapbook pertaining to concerts held in the church building before the turn of the century (donated by Powell), and some miscellaneous historical clippings.
While the First Methodist minutes are not complete, they document some aspects of official congregation proceedings as early as 1853. This section is, without doubt, the single most important source on the history of the congregation. Also among these early records are pastor's summary reports to the Quarterly Conference. Beginning in the 1920s the definition of minutes was expanded so that the records include reports, correspondence, and some financial records as well as official proceedings. The minutes are supplemented by microfilmed records of special meetings of the board (Milwaukee Micro 3/Micro 1) loaned by Albert B. Houghton.
Sacramental records, which are recorded in specially printed volumes, document only the middle period of the church's history (1892-1933). Included are lists of members and probationers, baptisms, and marriages. Related membership records also filed here include a register of people joining First Methodist (1954-1964) and microfilmed correspondence (1928-1944) which indicates the churches which departed members joined.
The financial records for this church date to 1844, although documents that can be considered true ledgers actually begin only in 1857. In addition to the account books maintained by the congregation treasurer (1857-1955), there are reports to the board, financial committee and budget material, and the aforementioned financial records in the minutes. Also included here is a volume entitled “Subscription book” which recorded individuals' collection plate offerings. This detailed volume has been retained chiefly because it documents the 1930s, a period when patterns of charitable giving are of special interest to historians.
Committee records include miscellaneous lists, minutes, publications, and information on various anniversaries and fund raising efforts. Several files concern the activities of the Epworth League during the 1930s and 1940s and the Milwaukee Missionary Society, an organization of Milwaukee businessmen which made possible the construction of several Methodist congregations during the nineteenth century.
Probably the weakest and most incomplete section of the First Methodist records include the documentation on the many ministers who served the congregation. Best represented is Ensworth Reisner, minister from the 1940s through the 1970s, for whom the collection includes a long run of sermons. These sermons, which were broadcast over the radio, are available only on microfilm. They are of interest not only for their theological content but also for the degree to which the minister referred to contemporary events and concerns.
Congregational publications include two issues of Good News, the church newsletter, and a very extensive run of church bulletins. Although sometimes recording only the order of the service, the file has been retained because many programs provide information on the activities of congregation groups and committees.
WESLEY METHODIST Church is documented by sacramental record books which cover the period 1883-1922, a file of collected historical materials, and a subject file probably created by Reverend David G. Owen during the early 1960s. Although quite fragmentary, the subject file hints at the congregation's involvement in contemporary social problems. Also here are some minutes and correspondence pertaining to Methodist Missioners and the Central Milwaukee Methodist Parish Council.
The MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS includes data publications pertaining to various Methodist churches and organizations in Milwaukee and a photocopied scrapbook on Welsh Methodists in Wisconsin apparently compiled by someone in Rees Powell's family.
In addition, the Wisconsin Historical Society's Visual Materials Archive holds related photographs including portraits of many ministers and interior and exterior views of the First Methodist and Wesley Church buildings.
