St. Mark's United Methodist Church (Bloomington, Indiana)
MC 234

Archives of DePauw University

and Indiana United Methodism

Bloomington - St. Mark's UMC

Size: .40 linear feet

Restrictions: None

Accession #: M992.075, M995.010, M004.028, M005.040

Provenance: donor

Processed by: Joan Stevens, May 1996, Marian Schlotterbeck, July 2002

Historical Sketch

St. Mark's history began with the recognition by Bishop Richard C. Raines and the Cabinet that a new church was needed on the rapidly growing eastern edge of Bloomington, Indiana. Several members of First Methodist Church expressed a willingness to transfer to the new congregation. In the coming years, First Church and the Conference Church Extension Program provided financial assistance for the new church. St. Mark's Methodist Church was formally constituted February 6, 1955 with 48 members, and closed its charter on May 1, 1955, with 83 persons on the rolls. The congregation assumed funding of the parsonage and received $25,000 from the conference to purchase nine acres of land for the church and to being construction of the church building. Today the congregation is housed in a lovely, modern building on a hill just off Highway 46 Bypass. It has been an active and growing congregation served by talented and faithful staff members who have helped the congregation to shape a ministry of service in the Bloomington community. In addition to the active music ministry, children and adult church school ministries, children's weekday ministries, youth ministries, campus ministries, and liturgical art, the United Methodist Women of St. Mark's play an important role in the life of the church. Formerly the Women's Society of Christian Service (the name was changed in 1968 along with the rest of the United Methodist Church), the UMW has always been a focus for women in the congregation. The group works to provide opportunities for education and spiritual growth, while keeping in touch with current issues. The UMW of St. Mark's also supports a number of charities and missions at the local, national, and global levels.

Collection Statement

The collection consists of records from St. Mark's founding, Oct. 1954 to 1955, including the mortgages and grants received. In addition there are church bulletins, newspaper clippings, an address given by a minister of St. Mark's, church histories, church directories, and miscellaneous pamphlets and brochures. The collection also contains the meeting minutes of the St. Mark's WSCS and later the UMW, from June,1955 to December,1997. Additionally there are UMW booklets and a brief history of the organization.

MC 234

"The People of God": An Address given by Rev. David J. Lawson at the meeting of the Indiana Conference Commission on Town and Country Work, Brownstown, Indiana, Sept. 25, 1963.

Church bulletins

Church History: 1980, 1994, 2004

Clippings

Directories: 1987, 1996, 1999, 2003

Founding records, Oct. 1954-1955

Mortgages & Grants, 1955

Pamphlets & Brochures

Women's Society of Christian Service Meeting Minutes, June 1955 - March 1963

Women's Society of Christian Service Meeting Minutes, Sept. 1963 - Sept. 1972

United Methodist Women: Booklets, 1985-87, 1989, 1991-1993, 1996-1998; History of UMC 1993

United Methodist Women Meeting Minutes, Dec. 1972 - Dec. 1980

United Methodist Women Meeting Minutes, Jan. 1981 - Feb. 1986

United Methodist Women Meeting Minutes, Jan. 1991- Dec. 1994

United Methodist Women Meeting Minutes, Feb. 1995 - Dec. 1997

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