Guide to the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America Assistant General Secretary for Executive Operations Records

Descriptive Summary

Title

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America Assistant General Secretary for Executive Operations Records

Inclusive Dates

1950-1966

Call Number

NCC RG 12

Quantity

2.00 cubic feet (2 boxes)

Language

Materials in English

Restrictions on Access

Open for research

Repository

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

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Administrative History

The assistant general secretary for executive operations assisted "the General Secretary in the conduct of those responsibilities which that officer elects to handle in his own office." Assignments were "a matter of arrangement from time to time between him and the General Secretary."

The responsibilities of the assistant general secretary for executive operations included the following:

Coordination of all matters requiring clearance or endorsements before final referral to the General Secretary.
Representation of the General Secretary as necessary at conferences and meetings.
Handling of such relationships with the governing bodies of Council units on behalf of the General Secretary as he may designate.
Preparation for and follow-up on meetings and other matters of concern to the General Board.
Supervision of the maintenance of records and files of the General Assembly, the General Board, and the General Secretary, and such additional central records as may be required.
Administrative management of the immediate office of the General Secretary and of the Central Records Unit.
Provision of staff services to the General Secretary’s staff conferences.
Staff service to the following committees: a) General Credentials Committee b) General Constituent Membership Committee c) General Constitution and Bylaws Committee d) General Policy and Strategy Committee e) General Nominating Committee f) General Reference and Counsel Committee g) Special committee to consider projected needs and priorities.

Collection Overview

The Assistant General Secretary for Executive Operations, 1950-1966, files date primarily from 1953 to 1966. The files are chiefly those of Wilbur C. Parry. In addition, included in this record group are a small amount of papers of Phillip C. Landers. Landers served as assistant for Special Services in General Administration from 1961 to 1962.

The files are arranged alphabetically by subject, name of individual, and name of organization. Items within the files are arranged chronologically by year, month, and day. Partially dated documents are placed at the end of the month or year; undated items are placed after all dated material. Enclosures are placed after their letter of transmittal. Newspaper clippings, unless enclosed with correspondence, are placed at the end of subject files. In some instances a general file for a letter of the alphabet precedes subject files for the same letter of the alphabet (i.e., "A" precedes "African Methodist Episcopal Church).

The files consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence, memoranda, reports, newsletters, membership applications, contribution lists, membership lists, biographies, manuscript drafts, pamphlets, leaflets, and newspaper clippings. The majority of the files in this record group concern various denominations. There files contain background material which details the history of the denominations, reports their activities and their relationship with the NCC. The files of Phillip C. Landers, dating from 1959 to 1961, relate to the financing of the Interchurch Center. The files contain fund raising letters prepared by various individuals, as well as biographies, contributor lists, and manuscript drafts.

Administrative Information

Processing Information

The archives of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America were processed in 1980-1984 through two grants awarded to the Presbyterian Historical Society by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Work under the first grant was performed by Dr. Alan Thomson and under the second grant by Donald L. Haggerty.

The archives of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America have been dated from 1950 to 1972; however, there is material dating from before and after this time period. Documents from the predecessor organizations date from as early as 1839. There is also a small amount of material found in the files from as late as 1975. The year 1972 was selected as a cutoff date for the archives because of the major reorganization which the NCC underwent at this time. The archives are arranged in the following record groups:

NCC RG 1: Planning Committee for the NCC, 1941-1951
NCC RG 2: General Assemblies, 1952-1972
NCC RG 3: General Board, 1950-1972
NCC RG 4: General Secretary, 1950-1973
NCC RG 5: Deputy General Secretary, 1947-1975
NCC RG 6: Division of Christian Life and Mission, 1945-1973
NCC RG 7: Division of Home Missions, 1950-1964
NCC RG 8: Division of Overseas Ministries, 1914-1972
NCC RG 9: Division of Christian Education, 1897-1974
NCC RG 10: Division of Christian Unity, 1935-1973
NCC RG 11: Office of Administration, 1938-1973
NCC RG 12: Assistant General Secretary for Executive Operations, 1950-1966
NCC RG 13: Washington Office, 1951-1966
NCC RG 14: Office of Planning and Program, 1943-1973
NCC RG 15: Department of Information, 1951-1974
NCC RG 16: Broadcasting and Film Commission, 1923-1974
NCC RG 17: Special Topics, 1951-1970
NCC RG 18: Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, 1894-1952
NCC RG 19: International Council of Religious Education, 1839-1953
NCC RG 20: Missionary Education Movement of the United States and Canada, 1901-1952
NCC RG 21: National Protestant Council of Higher Education, 1911-1951
NCC RG 22: United Stewardship Council, 1917-1950
NCC RG 23: Inter-Council Field Department, 1935-1950
NCC RG 24: Association of Council Secretaries, 1915-1971
NCC RG 25: Church Executive Development Board, 1960-1974
NCC RG 26: Home Missions Council of North America, 1903-1951
NCC RG 27: Foreign Missions Conference of North America, 1887-1951
NCC RG 28: Scrapbooks, 1915-1963

Catalog Note
In the society's electronic catalog, all 28 NCC record groups are cataloged together as the records of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Guide to NCC RG 12
1	2	March 1953-May 1956
1	3	African Methodist Episcopal Church, March 1958-Sept 1963
1	4	African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, July 1962-Aug 1966
1	5	Armenian Church of America, Nov 1951-Sept 1958
1	6	Armenian Church of America, Nov 1958-Dec 1965
1	7	Armenian Church of America, Jan-Oct 1966; n.d.
1	8	Armenian Church of California, May 1958-July 1962
1	9	Armenian Dissident Groups, Oct 1957-Dec 1960; n.d.
1	10	B, April-Dec 1953
1	11	Baptists, March 1953-Jan 1966; n.d.
1	12	C, March-Dec 1953
1	13	Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ), June 1953-Dec 1966
1	14	Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Jan 1961-Oct 1966; n.d.
1	15	Church Building Department and Architecture Commission, Sept 1956-June 1960; n.d.
1	16	Church of the Brethren, April 1956-June 1966
1	17	Conference Point Camp, March-Nov 1953
1	18	Denominational Actions Regarding the NCC, April 1961-Aug 1964
1	19	Denominational Actions Regarding the NCC, Oct 1964-1965
1	20	Denominational Actions Regarding the NCC, 1965-June 1966; n.d.
1	21	Eastern Orthodox Churches, Nov 1955-Dec 1963
1	22	Evangelical United Brethren Church, April 1955-Jan 1966
1	23	Faith and Order Advisory Committee, Aug 1963-1964
1	24	Financial Brochures, [1950?]-May 1958; n.d.
1	25	Friends, Sept 1960-Dec 1963
1	26	Friends United Meeting, April 1958-April 1966
1	27	General Commission on Chaplains and Armed Forces Personnel, April 1954-Dec 1957
1	28	General Commission on Chaplains and Armed Forces Personnel, Jan 1958-April 1959
1	29	General Commission on Chaplains and Armed Forces Personnel, Oct 1959-June 1960; n.d.
1	30	General Study and Adjustment Committee, 1953-Sept 1957
1	31	General Study and Adjustment Committee, Oct 1957-June 1960; n.d.
1	32	Greek Orthodox Church of North and South America, July 1958-Oct 1966
1	33	H, June-Oct 1953
1	34	Hungarian Reformed Church of America, July 1954-April 1966

		THE INTERCHURCH CENTER

1	35	"Book of Remembrance," April 1959-May 1961; n.d.
1	36	Buckner, George W., Jan 1960-March 1961
1	37	Cook, Gaines M., Sept 1958-Aug 1960
1	38	Fiers, A. Dale, March 1958-Jan 1959
1	39	Harmon, Francis S., April 1959-Dec 1960
1	40	Hoving, Pauline, Nov 1959-Oct 1960; n.d.
1	41	Miller, Herbert T., Aug 1959-June 1960
1	42	Parlin, Charles C., Dec 1959-Nov 1960
1	43	Peale, Ruth S., March 1959-June 1961
1	44	Plaques, April 1959-Jan 1961; n.d.

2	1	"Vignettes," Correspondence, May 1959-Jan 1961
2	2	"Vignettes," Correspondence, Feb-April 1961
2	3	"Vignettes," Correspondence, May-Aug 1961; n.d.
2	4	"Vignettes," Manuscript, April 1961
2	5	Wilson, Charles E., April 1959-Dec 1960
2	6	K, May-Dec 1953
2	7	Lutheran Church in America, March 1955-May 1966
2	8	Lutheran Groups, May 1958-July 1962; n.d.
2	9	Methodists, Nov 1952-May 1966
2	10	Miscellaneous, Oct 1952-March 1964
2	11	Moravian Church in America, May 1952-Nov 1966
2	12	Mueller, Reuben H., May-Aug 1953
2	13	N, April-Dec 1953
2	14	National Baptist Convention of America, March 1960-Oct 1965
2	15	National Baptist Convention, Inc., USA, Jan 1961-March 1966
2	16	Office for Councils of Churches, Aug 1963-1964
2	17	Orthodox Standing Conference, Jan 1959-Nov 1966
2	18	Oxnam, G. Bromley, June-July 1953
2	19	P, Jan-Dec 1953
2	20	Pension, July-Dec 1953
2	21	Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Dec 1953-Dec 1965; n.d.
2	22	Polish National Catholic Church, Dec 1956-Feb 1966
2	23	Presbyterian Church in the United States, Oct 1958-May 1966; n.d.
2	24	Protestant Episcopal Church, May 1953-Sept 1965
2	25	Public Morals Committee, June-Dec 1962
2	26	R, April-Nov 1953
2	27	Reformed Church in America, June 1955-Nov 1966
2	28	Research and Survey Bureau, May 1963-1964
2	29	Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, Dec 1958-1962
2	30	Ross, Roy G., March-Nov 1953
2	31	Ross Retirement Dinner, Dec 1962-July 1963
2	32	Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America, Oct 1958-Nov 1966; n.d.
2	33	S, June-Oct 1953
2	34	Seventh Day Baptists, Jan 1958-June 1966
2	35	Southern Office, June 1963-1964
2	36	Stone Report, May-Nov 1953; n.d.
2	37	Study and Adjustment Committee, April-Dec 1953
2	38	Syrian Antiochian Orthodox Church, Aug 1958-Oct 1966
2	39	Syrian Church of Antioch, Oct 1954-Oct 1965
2	40	T, June-Oct 1953
2	41	U, June-Dec 1953
2	42	Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America, Feb 1954-Aug 1966; n.d.
2	43	United Church Men, May-Nov 1953
2	44	United Church of Christ, April 1954-Aug 1964; n.d.
2	45	United Lutheran Church in America, 1956-July 1962
2	46	United Presbyterian Church, USA, Dec 1954-Nov 1966; n.d.
2	47	W, July-Oct 1953
2	48	Winnipesauke, March-Nov 1953

You are here

Guide to the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America Assistant General Secretary for Executive Operations Records