California Baptist Convention and Association Proceedings, 1851-1972

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Summary

Title:
California Baptist Convention and Association proceedings
Dates:
1851-1972
Creators:
American Baptist Seminary of the West and California Southern Baptist Convention
Abstract:
This collection of minutes and annual reports from the 19th and 20th centuiry was donated to the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) by the American Baptist Seminary of the West. The materials show the development of the Baptist church in California from the Gold Rush period forward.
Extent:
7 containers, 7 linear feet.
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

California Baptist Convention and Association proceedings, GTU 2005-5-01. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

Records consist of published minutes and annual reports of the California Baptist Conventions as well as secratarial ledgers. The organizations include the General Baptist Convention, Northern and Central California and Nevada Convention, Southern California Baptist Convention and the associations within each convention. The time period ranges from the 1851 San Francisco Baptist Association Minutes to the 1972 Southern California Baptist Convention newsletter.

Biographical / historical:

Rev. O.C. Wheeler was sent by the American Baptist Home Missionary Society, to California in 1849 during the Gold Rush to establish a Baptist church. During these early years Rev. Wheeler found that due to the migratory lifestyle associated with the Gold Rush, he had a difficult job in establishing a church. In 1853 the California Baptist Convention was formed with headquarters in San Francisco.

Because of the large distances to be traveled by delegates in 1892 the California Baptist Convention split into Northern and Southern Conventions, with all counties south of Kern County being a part of the Southern Convention. The Northern Convention stretched as far east as Nevada and as far north as Oregon. The Southern Convention reached east to Arizona and south to Mexico. Regional associations formed within each Convention. The make-up of these associations changed frequently but eventually the population settled and formed communities, in the early 20th century. Today it is known as the California Southern Baptist Convention and includes 31 associations.

Other resources: California gold rush sermons : as printed in the Pacific Banner : published in Sacramento, California / prepared by Robert W. Cullifer ; transcribed from microfilm roll acquired at Graduate Theological Union, Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Berkeley, California by Jim Brower, BX6333.A1 C34 2000; A history of the Southern California Baptist Convention and it related organizations and institutions from 1892 to 1922 / by Ray Auldon Bryson, Thesis cage 1956; History of California Southern Baptists, BX6248.C2 L6

Acquisition information:
This collection was donated to the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) by the American Baptist Seminary of the West in May of 2005.
Arrangement:

Records are aseparated into Northern and Southern Baptist Conferences then alphabetically by association within each conference. These are listed in chronological order.

Physical location:
Stored at GTU.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Bibliography:

Sturtevant, A.J. <span>Semi-Centennial History of the Clear Lake Baptist Association of California. </span>

Chase, Don M. <span>Pioneers; sketches of pioneer days in Shasta, Tehama, Trinity and Siskiyou counties, with emphasis on the beginnings of religious organizations. </span>

Linsley, Alice Williams. <span>A History of the Santa Ana Valley Baptist Association 1892 to 1956.</span>

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Angela Noble
Date Prepared:
© 2011
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: March 13, 2012.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to The Graduate Theological Union. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Graduate Theological Union as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

California Baptist Convention and Association proceedings, GTU 2005-5-01. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Location of this collection:
2400 Ridge Road
Berkeley, CA 94709, US
Contact:
(510) 649-2523/2501
archives@gtu.edu
Website