World Council of Churches Records Available!

We are excited to announce that the World Council of Churches Records, 1893-1975 is officially open for researchers! Thanks to Amy Meverden for her hard work on this during her CUL Primary Sources internship. The World Council of Churches (WCC) Records comprise materials documenting the inception and institutional proceedings of the organization. Established to create […]

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The Gripsholm Exchange and Repatriation Voyages

The Shanghai Evening Post American Edition, Dec. 3, 1943, page 1. Credit to MRL 12: Foreign Missions Conference of North America Records, Series 2B, Box 33, Folder 9, The Burke Library Archives (Columbia University Libraries) at Union Theological Seminary, New York.   The Committee on East Asia comprises a large part of the Area Committees […]

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Foreign Missions Conference of North America (FMCNA) Records – Now Available

Little Boxes in the Archives – Completed FMCNA The records for the Foreign Missions Conference of North America (FMCNA), covering the years 1894-1968, are now available! This large MRL12 collection totaling 68 boxes (30.50 linear feet) comprise materials documenting inception and institutional proceedings of the organization. Established to create dialogue between missions-based action committees confronting […]

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“These Are Bloody Times in Which We Live…”: The Journal of Mary Lewis Shedd

June 17, 1918 One of the first collections I processed at Burke was MRL2: Mary Lewis [Mrs. W. A.] Shedd Papers, 1918. This journal made an impact on me not just because of the first-hand account it provides, but also because this copy appears to be completely unique. The collection is comprised of a 42-page […]

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Union in Dialogue

We will be cross-posting some of our entries to Union Theological Seminary's Union in Dialogue blog. Union in Dialogue is an ongoing discussion of what students at UTS find important: social analysis, interreligious dialogue, embodiment, poverty, and a number of other pressing topics. Our entries will be posted under the category "Unearthing Eloquence." Hope you take […]

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“We will never forget this ride of terror”: Translating the Reports of German Missionaries to Cameroon Taken as Prisoners of War

Credit to: MRL1: German Missionaries in Cameroon Reports, The Burke Library Archives (Columbia University Libraries) at Union Theological Seminary, New York. One of the great benefits of interning at the Burke Library Archives last spring was the opportunity to fuse several of my skills in the various projects I undertook. One of these projects was […]

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The Value of Ecumenical and Missionary Records

Credit to: WAB: Foreign Missions Conference of North America Records, The Burke Library Archives (Columbia University Libraries) at Union Theological Seminary, New York. I had the pleasure of working on the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Foreign Missions Conference of North America (FMCNA) collections this summer and the following highlights the materials that […]

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A Lay Person’s Love-Hate Relationship with “More Product Less Process”

As a doctoral student, and specifically a student of ancient Near Eastern languages, I have learned to become increasingly detail oriented (read: anal retentive) as the years pass. The longer I study cuneiform, the smaller my handwriting gets and I have noticed certain OCD tendencies related to classification and organization sharpen in my “old age.” […]

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