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Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of New Mexico records

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-0172

Scope and Content

The Christian Church of New Mexico Records span the years 1912-1983. The materials are dividing to twelve series: Administrative Files; Christian Women's Fellowship; Correspondence; Financial Records; New Mexico Churches; Properties; Publications; Reading Files; State Assemblies and Conventions; State Board Meeting Minutes; Scrapbook; and Photographs.

The Administrative Files series contains nationally distributed materials from the Christian Church, by-laws and constitutions, secretary's files, and other office related materials.

The Christian Woman's Fellowship series contain annual reports, by-laws and constitutions, minutes, and clippings documenting specific activities. Also included are convention programs, leadership personnel files, memorial gift lists, and leader's guides.

The Correspondence series contains letters mainly received from 1968-1975. The bulk of this material pertains to State Minister Herb Miller during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The largest series is Financial Records. The majority of these items are bank statements, cancelled checks, checkbook stubs, and deposit slips, dated after 1970. Specific items contained in this series include Board of Church Extension loan information, correspondence with the Church Finance Council, reports from offerings received, Unified Promotion comparative statements of offerings and monthly reports, trust fund material, and raw data for Christian Church's annual yearbook.

The New Mexico Churches series contains the files the state office maintained for each church. These materials include correspondence, blueprints, and documentation of clerical turnover.

The Properties series was created out of a group of unarranged materials that dealt largely with property maintenance and future church site development. Included in this series is a narrative script for a slide show given around 1970 on the various New Mexico church buildings and sites.

Publications include files copies of the newsletter "New Mexico Christian" and its predecessor the "Arizona-New Mexico Christian."

During Herb Miller's tenure as state minister, his outgoing correspondence was kept in a Readings file. The Readings File series contains copies of letters sent discussing various church issues, including the church involvement in social and community affairs and the problems of ministers leaving their ministries.

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Dates

  • 1912-1983

Language of Materials

English

Access and Use Restrictions

This material may be examined by researchers under supervised conditions in the Search Room.

Copy Restrictions

Limited duplication is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with copyright and other applicable statutes.

The copyrights possessed in this collection have been transferred and assigned to New Mexico State University.

Historical Sketch

The first congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in New Mexico was organzied by John C. Hay, in Roswell, in August 1893. Both the First Christian Church in Albuquerque and the Carlsbad church were established in 1910. A congregation at Portales was also organized in 1910. By 1912, there were Christian Churches at Artesia, Clovis, Deming, Hagerman, Las Vegas, Lordsburg, Raton, Roy, and Tucumcari.

The first state level organization of Christian Churches in New Mexico occurred in November 1907. Eight churches established the New Mexico Christian Missionary Society. The first annual state covention was held at Roswell in 1908. In 1909, the convention was held in El Paso, Texas, under the name New Mexico-West Texas Christian Missionary Society. Later the name of this group of churches became the New Mexico-Southwest Texas Christian Missionary Society.

There have been several periods of growth and development of the Christian Church in New Mexico. From 1895-1914, seven churches were established. In 1952, the church development coincided with general state growth. Finally during the 1960s, the Christian Church on the national level began a developmental program in which several New Mexican churches were established. A significant change of this program was the re-districting of state groups and the merger of the New Mexico and West Texas churches.

Extent

20 Linear Feet

Abstract

Administrative files, including West Texas Area Ecumenical discussions; Christian Women's Fellowship reports, clipping correspondence, financial records, leadership personnel files, and minutes; correspondence; extensive financial records; files on individual New Mexico churches; photographs; property information; publications; reading files; scrapbook; state assembly and convention materials; and state board meeting minutes of the Christian Church of New Mexico.

Acquisition

  1. RG80-70 Gift of Tres Rios Area Chrisitian Church, July 1980

Related Material

Mesilla Valley Christian Church Records, Ms 115 Archives and Special Collections, New Mexico State University Library Black River Christian Retreat Records, Ms 173 Archives and Special Collections, New Mexico State University Library

General

Contact Information

  1. Archives and Special Collections
  2. New Mexico State University Library
  3. P.O. Box 30006
  4. Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8006
  5. Phone: (575) 646-3839
  6. Fax: (575) 646-7477
  7. Email: archives@nmsu.edu
  8. URL: https://lib.nmsu.edu/archives/

General

Title
Inventory of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of New Mexico records, 1912-1983
Status
Edited Full Draft
Author
Processed by Merleen Dibert
Date
© 2001
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English

Revision Statements

  • June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//New Mexico State University::Archives and Special Collections//TEXT (US::NmLcU::Ms 172::Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of New Mexico Records)//EN" "nmlcu1ms172.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).
  • Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.

Repository Details

Part of the New Mexico State University Library Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Branson Hall
PO Box 30006
MSC 3475
Las Cruces New Mexico 88003 USA