Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Rushford (Jerry) Papers
0149
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.
Title: The Jerry Rushford Papers
Identifier/Call Number: 0149
Physical Description:
125 Linear Feet
Textual materials, photos, audio recordings
(298 Hollinger boxes, 1 map box)
Date: 1900-2016
Abstract: Jerry Rushford is a historian in the fields of history, religion, and church history. He served as a minister at multiple
institutions including Pepperdine University and now serves as the curator for the Churches of Christ Heritage Collection
and the Rushford Center for Research at Pepperdine University. His papers contain materials from his research into the history
of Pepperdine University, the Churches of Christ, and the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. The Jerry Rushford Papers also
contain materials from his ministry, teaching, and preaching, as well as his research into hymnology.
Language of Material:
English
.
Advance notice required for access.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was given to Pepperdine University by Jerry Rushford in 2012.
The collection is organized into the following series: 1. Education and Teaching, 1960-2005; 2. Hymnology, 1965-2016; 3. Ministry,
1964-1991; 4. Pepperdine University, 1900-2018; 5. Personal, 1952-2016; 6. Research; 7. Speaking Engagements, 1962-2016.
Jerry Bryant Rushford, son of Jim and Wanda Rushford, was born in Arkansas on December 11, 1942. He moved to Detroit, Michigan
when he was four years old and attended public schools there until his junior year in high school. Jerry completed high school
and one year of college at Great Lakes Christian High School and College across the border in Beamsville, Ontario, Canada.
For his sophomore year, Jerry transferred to Michigan Christian College (MCC), now Rochester College, and completed his AA
degree. Next, he enrolled at Oklahoma Christian University and completed his bachelor's degree, majoring in both Bible and
history, two disciplines that would define his life.
Jerry pursued graduate studies at Abilene Christian University, where he preached part-time in Texas churches. In 1968 he
was accepted for personal tutorial studies under Dr. Elton Trueblood, one of the foremost Christian scholars and authors of
his day, at Earlham School of Religion in Indiana. Jerry completed both the MA in religion and the master of divinity degrees
at Abilene Christian. In 1968 he was also appointed preaching minister for the Hazel Park Church of Christ in Michigan and
taught Bible and church history part-time at his alma mater, Michigan Christian. In 1970 he became the basketball coach, leading
the MCC Warriors to two league championships.
It was at MCC that he met Lori Pfeiffer. But in summer 1972, Jerry was accepted into the PhD program in American church history
at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Turnpike Road Church of Christ in Santa Barbara also offered Jerry the
position of pulpit minister. Just months after the move to California, Jerry and Lori were married in 1973. After six years
of ministry and with a completed PhD, Jerry accepted a position with the Seaver College Religion Division at Pepperdine. The
University Church on the Malibu campus also asked him to be the minister, and he served in that capacity for three years.
In 1982, Jerry became both director of church relations and director of the Bible Lectures. Dr. Rushford now has the longest
tenure in these two roles in Pepperdine's history. He was also successful in helping to organize, recruit for, and teach in
the successful off-campus MS in ministry program that has benefited ministers in many American cities. Jerry and Lori have
two grown daughters, Hilary and Ashley, both Pepperdine graduates. Jerry has now turned his attention to the challenge of
overseeing the important work of the Rushford Center, which opened to the public in 2012.
[Box/folder# or item name], The Jerry Rushford Papers, Collection no. 149, Churches of Christ Heritage Collection, Special
Collections and University Archives, University Libraries, Pepperdine University.
Copyright restrictions may apply.
The Jerry Rushford Papers documents the life of Jerry Rushford and his career as historian of Churches of Christ and the Stone-Campbell
Restoration Movement. The collection contains materials related to his education, writing, teaching, and preaching. The collection
contains materials and photos gathered in support of his research into Churches of Christ and hymnology.
The collection was arranged and described by Sarah Glover.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Correspondence
Ephemera
Theses
Clippings
Photographs
Financial records
Maps
Audiocassettes
Compact discs
Restoration movement (Christianity) -- History
Universities and colleges -- Religion
Universities and colleges -- California -- History
Universities and colleges -- California -- Malibu -- History
Churches of Christ
Churches of Christ -- History
Churches of Christ -- History -- 20th century
Churches of Christ -- Periodicals