Emington, Ill. Emington Congregational Church records, 1875-2021.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains the records of the Emington Congregational Church in Emington, Illinois and includes records which document the operation of the church as well as records which document the activities of the members of the church. The records include meeting minutes, financial records, building records, annual reports, and various versions of the church’s by-laws and constitutions. The collection has extensive records relating to the church’s Sunday School as well as the church’s Ladies Aid Society. In addition to these two groups, the collection contains records for various church auxiliary groups. The records also include membership records and lists, baptismal records, photographs of the church building, people, and events, guest books, and member memorials.
Dates
- 1875-2021
Restrictions on Access
Access to this collection is unrestricted and open to the public.
Restrictions on Use
Items in this collection are subject to U.S. Copyright Law. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine the copyright status of collection items and to secure any permissions necessary for their reproduction and publication. Requests for permission to publish material must be discussed with the archivist or librarian.
Historical Note
The Emington Congregational Church was established on March 23, 1875, though some of the the initial members of the church had been worshipping together since at least 1868. The original church building had been an unused church at Cedar Point. The building was disassembled and then reassembled at a farm outside Emington. In 1881 the building was moved once again into the center of Emington where the Emington Congregational Church would remain until its eventual closure.
By 1905, the church community had outgrown their edifice and decided to build a new building. Construction began in 1905 and was completed in 1906. A fire damaged part of the roof of the church in 1927. A parsonage was built on the church’s land in 1929. The Emington Congregational Church temporarily shared a minister with the Dwight Congregational Church starting in 1931. A more permanent shared ministry with the Odell Congregational Church was begun in 1955 with Rev. Esra Vornholt serving as pastor of both churches. The church joined the United Church of Christ on January 28, 1964. The church closed in 2021.
Extent
5.98 Cubic Feet (7 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Emington Congregational Church in Emington, Illinois, was established on March 23, 1875. The church building was moved from farmland to the center of Emington in 1881. A new church was built on the same location between 1905 and 1906 to accommodate the growing congregation. The church shared ministry with the Dwight Congregational Church briefly in 1931 and more permanently with the Odell Congregational Church starting in 1955. The church joined the United Church of Christ in 1964 and closed in 2021. This archival collection contains records which document the operation of the church as well as records which document the activities of the members of the church. The collection includes meeting minutes, auxiliary group records, financial records, and vital membership records.
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged into the five series listed below. Within each series, materials have been arranged into chronological order by start date.
Series 1: Administrative records, 1875-2021
Series 2: Membership records, 1888-2019
Series 3: Sunday school records, 1893-1996
Series 4: Ladies aid society records, 1902-2007
Series 4: Programs and auxiliary group records, 1903-2015
Acquisition Information
Materials were donated to the Congregational Library & Archives by the Emington Congregational Church in March 2022; 2022-06.
Bibliography
Processing Information
Processed by Zachary Bodnar, November 2024, using Describing Archives: A Content Standard.
- Title
- Emington, Ill. Emington Congregational Church records, 1875-2021.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Zachary Bodnar
- Date
- 2024-11-27
- Description rules
- 3
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Congregational Library & Archives Repository