Bruceville United Methodist Church (Knox County -
Bruceville, Indiana)
MC 657, 658
ARCHIVES OF DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
AND INDIANA UNITED METHODIST
Bruceville UMC
Size:
2 document cases and 40 bound volumesRestrictions: None
Accession #: MC 88-17
Provenance: donor
Processed: November 1989
Historical Background
The earliest recorded history of Methodism in the vicinity of Bruceville was in 1820. The services were held in the home of Richard Posey, a preacher and school teacher who settled on a tract of land adjacent to the town. Services were later held in the home of William Hargrave, son-in-law of Mr. Posey. Occasional services were held in the homes of other early settlers.
The first church building was built in 1840 and stood just at the rear of the present building. It burned in 1843, but another was erected immediately on the same site. This served as a place of worship until the present brick building was erected in 1875.
Through the years, as they became necessary or desirable, many changes have been made to the church building. The present altar was installed by Nicholas Marsh in 1891, only two days before his death. In 1910, the original windows of plain glass were replaced with attractive stained glass windows. From time to time, it has been necessary to have the windows repaired, and another generation has responded to the need. In 1972, descendants and relatives of those earlier members, though scattered from New York to California, made generous response and aided interested members in having the windows renovated. The windows are invaluable and add greatly to the beauty of the sanctuary.
In 1917, dirt was excavated, and a basement was built beneath the church and a coal furnace was installed. In 1943, a vestibule was added to the front of the church which aided in making the building much warmer. In 1962, an education building was erected beside the church.
In 1973, Bruceville United Methodist Church became one of a three-point charge with Emison and Oaktown Methodist Churches. In 1975, the Bruceville U.M.C. celebrated the centennial year of the present church building.
The collection consists of two document cases of papers and forty bound volumes. The records include membership lists that date back to 1837, results from a church survey taken in 1959 for Boston University, official board minutes, and quarterly conference roll and records dating from 1943 - 1973. The papers are arranged in folders according to subjects, and then assembled in the document cases in alphabetical order. The forty bound volumes include church records, Sunday school records, treasurer's records, a W.F.C.S. treasurer's book, and records from the Bruceville U.M.C. W.S.C.S. These bound volumes are kept in the section of the Archives reserved for Methodist bound volumes.
Collec
tion StatementThe collection consists of change of name certificate, Charge Conference Reports, church surveys, papers and Methodist bound volumes, history, membership and evangelism committee, membership lists,
Part 1: Papers
MC 657
Folder 1 Certificate as to change of name
2 Charge Conference Reports: May 1969, Oct. 1969, Nov. 1970, Nov. 1975, Nov. 1976
3 Church Survey, from 1959, for Boston University
4 Church Survey, see above
5 Church Survey, see above
6 History
7 Membership and Evangelism Commission, 1959 - 1960
8 Membership lists: 1837, 1901 - 1917, 1926, 1937/38
MC 658
9Membership lists: 1959, 1959 - 1960, several with no dates
10 Newsletters: two issues of the Circuit Rider (1967), and one issue of Reaching Out (1980)
11 Official Board Minutes: 1953 - Mar. 1973
12 Official Board Minutes: 1973 - 1977
13 Pastor's record of Bruceville Church, no date
14 Quarterly Conference Roll and Record, 1943/44 - 1960/61
15 Quarterly Conference Roll and Record, 1961/62 - 1973
16 Sunday school attendance: 1959, 1965/66, 1966/67
17 Women's Society for Christian Service members, 1973
Part 2: Methodist Bound Volumes
no. 3115 Class book, 1837
no. 3116 Church record, c.1872
no. 3117 Church record, 1894 - 1909
no. 3118 Church record, c.1920
no. 3119 Register of the church membership, no date
no. 3120 Sunday school record, 1926 - 1929
no. 3121 Sunday school record, 1930 - 1933
no. 3122 Sunday school record, 1938 - 1941
no. 3123 Sunday school record, no date
no. 3124 Sunday school record, 1953 - 1957
no. 3125 Sunday school record, 1957
no. 3126 Sunday school record, 1959 - 1960
no. 3127 Sunday school record, 1960 - 1961
no. 3128 Sunday school record, 1961 - 1962
no. 3129 Treasurer's record, 1915 - 1920
no. 3130 Treasurer's record, 1921 - 1922
no. 3131 Treasurer's record, 1925 - 1926
no. 3132 Treasurer's record, 1926 - 1927
no. 3133 Treasurer's record, 1927 - 1928
no. 3134 Treasurer's record, 1928 - 1929
no. 3135 Treasurer's record, 1929 - 1930
no. 3136 Treasurer's record, 1932 - 1934
no. 3137 Treasurer's record, 1933
no. 3138 Treasurer's record, 1934 - 1935
no. 3139 Treasurer's record, 1935 - 1936
no. 3140 Treasurer's record, 1954 - 1955
no. 3141 Treasurer's record, 1956 - 1957
no. 3142 Treasurer's record, 1960 - 1961
no. 3143 Treasurer's record, 1961 - 1962
no. 3144 Treasurer's record, 1962 - 1963
no. 3145 Treasurer's record, 1963 - 1964
no. 3146 Women's Foreign Missionary Society: Treasurer's book, 1922 - 1927
no. 3147 Women's Society for Christian Service (W.S.C.S.), 1947 - 1953
no. 3148 W.S.C.S.: Secretary's report, 1951 - 1953
no. 3149 W.S.C.S.: Secretary's report, 1953 - 1954
no. 3150 W.S.C.S.: Treasurer's record, 1953 - 1956
no. 3151 W.S.C.S.: Treasurer's record, 1956 - 1958
no. 3152 W.S.C.S.: Treasurer's record, 1958 - 1961
no. 3153 W.S.C.S.: Membership and Treasurer's record, 1966 - 1970
no. 3154 W.S.C.S.: Membership and Treasurer's record, 1971 - 1972