Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Church of the Truth (Pasadena, Calif.)
- Abstract:
- This collection contains 49 items chiefly documenting the early years of the Church of the Truth in Pasadena, California, in the 1920s, including four diaries kept by Reverend H. E. Mills, which often note church events.
- Extent:
- 49 items in 3 boxes.
- Language:
- English.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains 49 items chiefly documenting the early years of the Church of the Truth in Pasadena, California. The collection includes article clippings mentioning the church or its sister congregations during the 1920s-1930s; bible lessons used by the church’s reverends; a catalogue from the University of Metaphysics; church bulletins which give an introduction to the church, its teachings, and activities that the members can participate in; the program used during the dedication of the chapel; the School of Truth catalogue for 1984; and the Christmas service bulletin from 1973. Also included are letters between the former Rev. Jean Williams and Erma Wiley Wells (a leader in the New Thought Movement and founder of the University of Metaphysics) and between Rev. Judi Dell Warren and Rev. Kathy Meyers about the process of starting the Albert Grier School of ministry in Pasadena.
The collection includes seven diaries that span from 1920 to 1937. The first diary belongs to Gladys, the daughter of Albert Grier. It documents her family’s travels during the summer of 1920 as they journeyed from the state of Washington throughout California and all the way down to Tijuana, Mexico. The majority of the other diaries were kept by H. Edward (H.E.) Mills, Reverend Grier’s successor, and span the time period of 1925-1935. In his journals he describes how he came to be ordained as Reverend of the Church of Truth in Pasadena and the role he fulfilled while serving in that ministry. Mills moved with his family from Spokane, Oregon after serving a number of years as associate pastor for the Church of Truth in Spokane. He was called to replace Grier who moved to New York to oversee the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and was ordained on August 15, 1925. His diaries record church events and meetings, the creation of a song book, the song book dedication, trips from Portland to Los Angeles, music recitals, and newspaper clippings that mention the church. The last diary was kept by Mary T. Mills, the wife of H. E. Mills, in 1937. It includes information about new church members, preparation for services, newspaper clippings mentioning the church, and piano recitals.
In addition, there is a handwritten table of contents and an author’s index for The Truth, a magazine edited by A.C. Grier, which ran from 1924 to 1932. There is an outline of article titles and authors for each issue organized by month and year. Miscellaneous church items include church flyers and spring concert planning notes. Also included are the C.T.C. notebooks kept by Rev. Jean Williams from 1957-1964 and a notebook belonging to Albert Grier which outlines Ralph Waldo Emerson’s philosophy and teachings for the Church of the Truth.
- Biographical / historical:
-
The Church of the Truth in Pasadena, California, was founded in 1922 by Reverend Albert Grier who eventually formed a total of 22 churches in the early part of the 20th century. Grier’s goal was to provide a place of worship that stressed healing the total human: mind, body and soul. In so doing, this would create a full awakening of Christ within the individual. The Church of the Truth is associated with the New Thought movement which emphasizes metaphysical beliefs such as the effects of positive thinking, the law of attraction, healing, life force, creative visualization, and personal power. It also promotes the ideas that infinite intelligence or God is ubiquitous, spirit is the totality of real things, true human selfhood is divine, divine thought is a force for good, all sickness originates in the mind, and right thinking has a healing effect.
H. Edward Mills succeeded Grier as the reverend of the Church of the Truth on August 15, 1925, after Grier took a call to serve as reverend for a church in New York. Mills was a pioneer in the West for the New Thought movement and was well known as a composer and writer of sacred music and songs. Besides regular church services, many groups were formed to support the members in the Pasadena location: the Junior Church was created for children from nursery through 6th grade, LTL was formed for young people ages 13 through junior college, Harmony Circle was formed as a woman’s group, and Harmony Juniors was formed as a younger women’s group. In addition, members could partake in other activities such as singing in the church choir and performing volunteer work in the church office or library. They could also attend lectures and evening classes which included the Constructive Thinkers Class (C.T.C.), a study group open to all adults.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchased from Elliott Mittler, July 24, 2009.
- Arrangement:
-
Items arranged alphabetically.
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
- Location of this collection:
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1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191