Guide to the Japanese-American Internment Camp Church Bulletins and Newsletters Collection

Lucinda Glenn

Graduate Theological Union Archives

Graduate Theological Union

2400 Ridge Road

Berkeley, California, 94709

Phone: (510) 649-2523/2501

Email: archives@gtu.edu

URL: http://www.gtu.edu/library/special-collections/archives

Guide to the Japanese-American Internment Camp Church Bulletins and Newsletters Collection

Collection number: GTU 94-9-02

Graduate Theological Union Archives

Graduate Theological Union

Berkeley, California

Processed by:: Lucinda Glenn
Date Completed:: September 26, 1994
Encoded by:: UCSC OAC Unit

Descriptive Summary

Title: Japanese-American Internment Camp Church Bulletins and Newsletters collection

Dates: 1942-1945

Collection number: GTU 94-9-02

Collector: Pacific School of Religion

Collection Size: 5 boxes

1.5 linear ft.

Repository: The Graduate Theological Union. Library.

Berkeley, CA 94709

Abstract: This collection contains mimeographed church worship bulletins and newsletters from various Japanese-American Internment Camps during World War II.

Physical location: 2/A/2, 2/D/4

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

Collection is open for research.

Restrictions

The material is very fragile. Photocopies are available for use and photocopying. Originals may be used by special permission.

Publication Rights

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

Japanese-American Internment Camp Church Bulletins and Newsletters collection, GTU 94-9-02. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Pacific School of Religion, 1994.

Accruals

Revised, 12/2002.

Scope and Content of Collection

The worship bulletins and newsletters in this collection were mailed to the Pacific School of Religion Library in Berkeley, California (J. Stillson Judah, Librarian) from seven of the ten WWII relocation centers, commonly referred to as internment camps. The library must have been on the camps' mailing lists. In the Library, the materials were put into pamphlet boxes but never cataloged. It is not clear that all material sent from the camps was retained. This collection may be only a portion of what was received.

Some worship bulletins were also the church newsletter. These will have the weekly order of worship for the Sunday church service as well as articles, announcements, notices of baptisms, marriages, deaths, and other items of interest for the church members. Several church bulletins and newsletters have a section reprinting parts or all of letters received from members who had left the camps for school, jobs, or to serve in the armed forces. The Minidoka Churchman (Boxes 1 and 3) contains particularly complete letters.

The bulletins and newsletters were printed on both letter and legal size paper. Therefore, material from the same camps might be found in the letter size Boxes 1-2 as well as in the legal size Boxes 3-5. Check both box sizes for materials from the same camp.

Please note: The material is fragile. Photocopies are available for use and photocopying. Originals may be used by special permission.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Japanese Americans--Evacuation and Relocation, 1942-45--History--Sources

Japanese Americans--Religious life

Concentration camps--United States--History--Sources

Concentration camps--Religious aspects

Granada Relocation Center (Amache, Colo.)

Granada Christian Church (Amache, Colo.)

Heart Mountain Relocation Center (Wyo.)

Heart Mountain Community Christian Church (Wyo.)

Jerome Relocation Center (Denson, Ark.)

Jerome Relocation Center Community Christian Church (Denson, Ark.)

Minidoka Relocation Center (Idaho)

Church of the Holy Apostles (Hunt, Idaho)

Poston Relocation Center (Poston, Ariz.)

Third Christian Church of Poston (Poston, Ariz.)

Rohwer Relocation Center (McGehee, Ark.)

Rohwer Federated Christian Church (McGehee, Ark.)

Central Utah Relocation Center

Related Material

BACKGROUND READING: Lester E. Suzuki, Ministry in the Assembly and Relocation Centers of World War II (Berkeley, Calif.: Yardbird Co., 1979). GTU Library call number BR563.J35 S89

Related Collections

"The J. Stillson Judah: Japanese Camp Books Collection, 1942-46", GTU 2001-3-01. Records from a project where seminaries lent religion and theology books for internment camp church ministers and members to use. The project was coordinated by the Librarian at the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, Calif.

"The Gordon K. Chapman: Protestant Church Commission for Japanese Service Collection, 1942-47", GTU 2002-9-01. Records of a cooperative project for the Protestant denominations in California to coordinate needed programs and services in the internment camps. Gordon Chapman was the Executive Secretary.

box:folder 1:1

Granada Christian Church News, Amache, Colorado 11/22/42

Scope and Content Note

1 issue (original and photocopy)

box:folder 1:2

Worship Bulletins, Community Christian Church, Jerome Center, Denson, Arkansas April 1943 September 1943

Scope and Content Note

4 bulletins (originals and photocopies)

box:folder 1:3

Worship Bulletins, Poston III Christian Church, Poston, Arizona, and the Junior Church 1943-45

Scope and Content Note

8 bulletins (originals and photocopies)

box:folder 1:4-5

Streams in the Desert, Poston III Christian Church ca. 1944

Scope and Content Note

Note: This is a booklet produced by the camp Christian Endeavor Society. It is comprised of testimonies by the members concerning the spiritual impact of their evacuation and relocation to the internment camp.

(original & photocopy)

box:folder 1:6-9

The Minidoka Churchman, Church of the Holy Apostles, Hunt, Idaho

Scope and Content Note

Note: These newsletters, continued in Box 3, contain particularly complete letters from church members who had left the camps for schools, jobs, or to serve in the armed forces.

box:folder 1:6-7

v.2:38-49 January - April 1944

Scope and Content Note

(originals & photocopies)

box:folder 1:8-9

v.3:1-37 April - December 1944

Scope and Content Note

(originals & photocopies)

box:folder 1:10-11, 2:1-6

Worship Bulletins (and newsletter), Federated Christian Church, Rohwer Relocation Center, McGehee, Arkansas

Scope and Content Note

Note: The weekly worship bulletins also include a church newsletter.

box:folder 1:10-11

July - December 1943

Scope and Content Note

(originals & photocopies)

box:folder 2:1-2

January - August 1944

Scope and Content Note

(originals & photocopies)

box:folder 2:3-4

September 1944 - February 1945

Scope and Content Note

(originals & photocopies)

box:folder 2:5-6

March - October 1945

Scope and Content Note

(originals & photocopies)

box:folder 2:7

Topazette, Topaz High School, Utah March 15, 1943

Scope and Content Note

1 issue, v.1:6 (original & photocopy)

box:folder 2:8

Litany of Brotherhood undated

Scope and Content Note

Unmarked (original & photocopy)

box:folder 3:1

Worship Bulletin, Community Christian Church, Heart Mountain, Wyoming January 30, 1944

Scope and Content Note

(original & photocopy)

box:folder 3:2

Church Bulletin (newsletter), Community Christian Church, Jerome Relocation Center, Denson, Arkansas April 1943 November 1943

Scope and Content Note

4 items (originals & photocopies

box:folder 3:3-4

The Minidoka Churchman, Hunt, Idaho, Church Newsletters October - December 1943

Scope and Content Note

(originals & photocopies)

box:folder 3:5-6

Topaz Times News Daily, Topaz, Utah, Camp Newspaper, v.2:54-72 March 1943

Scope and Content Note

English and Japanese (originals & photocopies, some missing)

box:folder 3:7-8

Topaz Times, Topaz, Utah, v.3:1 - v.4:28 March - September 1943

Scope and Content Note

English and Japanese (originals & photocopies, some missing)

box:folder 4:1-2

The Rohwer Outpost, Camp Newspaper, McGehee, Arkansas April 1943 - September 1944

Scope and Content Note

6 issues (originals & photocopies)

box:folder 4:3

The Rohwer Transmitter, Church Worship Bulletin and Newsletter, Federated Christian Church, Rohwer Center, McGehee, Arkansas April 1943 - May 1945

Scope and Content Note

5 issues (originals & photocopies)

box:folder 4:4

The Rohwer Transmitter, Literary Edition, Newsletter, Federated Christian Church, McGehee, Arkansas 1943-1945

Scope and Content Note

10 issues (originals & photocopies)

box:folder 4:5

Programs for special services, Federated Christian Church, Rohwer Center, McGehee, Arkansas 1943-1944

Scope and Content Note

3 issues (originals & photocopies)

box:folder 4:6-7

Clearwater Clarion Call, Rohwer Center, McGehee, Arkansas 1943-1945

Scope and Content Note

Note: This is the newsletter published by the Pastor of the Clearwater Baptist Church, Clearwater, California for the church members "in wartime dispersion".

Some missing (originals & photocopies)

box:folder 5:1-5

The Redeemer, Christian Church, Poston III, Arizona, Church Newsletter

box:folder 5:1-2

v.2:16-50 April - December 1943

Scope and Content Note

Some missing (originals & photocopies)

box:folder 5:3-4

v.3:1-21 January - September 1944

Scope and Content Note

Some missing (originals & photocopies)

box:folder 5:5-6

v.4:1-20 September 1944 - August 1945

Scope and Content Note

Some missing (originals & photocopies)