Missouri United Methodist Archives
Located in Smiley Memorial Library at Central Methodist University, the Missouri United Methodist Archives houses historical materials concerning Methodism in Missouri. Holdings include Annual Conference minutes, Disciplines, hymnals dating to the 18th century, books on Methodist history and heritage and files documenting the life of Missouri congregations and clergy.
Ancestral denominations of Methodism in Missouri include:
- Evangelical United Brethren
- German Methodist Church
- Methodist Episcopal Church
- Methodist Protestant Church
- Methodist Episcopal Church, South
- United Brethren Church
Methodism in Missouri began with a sermon in the summer of 1798 by John Clark. In 1806, John Travis was assigned to the “Missourie” circuit, marking the formal start of Missouri Methodism. The Missouri Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church formed in 1816. When the Methodist Episcopal Church split in 1844, Missouri aligned with the MEC, South. Both branches operated in the state until reunification in 1939.
The Archives contains many handwritten Annual Conference minutes, extensive minister’s files and the largest collection anywhere of The St. Louis Christian Advocate, a MEC, South periodical. Researchers also have access to microfilmed obituaries, marriages and special collections such as the papers of Bishop Eugene M. Frank, Frank C. Tucker and Theodore Wolff.
Church History Project
The Archives encourages congregations to write and submit their histories for permanent preservation. This work connects present-day disciples to the faith, determination and witness of earlier generations.
Research Access
The Archives is open during Central Methodist University library hours. Special appointments or hour verifications can be made by calling 660-248-6271 or emailing MUMA@centralmethodist.edu.
Requests for family information require a $10 per hour research donation; verification of whether information exists is provided free of charge. Local church membership records are rarely available through the Archives and should be requested directly from the church.
The General Commission on Archives and History
The General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH) is the official historical agency of The United Methodist Church, serving as the connectional repository for its general agencies, the Council of Bishops and other major connectional offices. GCAH offers resources, research support and tools for preserving church history. Visit gcah.org.
Missouri Commission on Archives and History
The function of the Archives and History Committee is stated in ¶641 of The 2024 Book of Discipline. The committee is exempt from the eight-year term limit. Membership includes nine members, with ex officio members from the Board of Trustees of Old McKendree Chapel (appointed by the board president) and the editor of The Missouri Methodists.
For a complete list of members of the Missouri Conference Commission on Archives and History, visit moumethodist.org/leadershiplist/9787373.
Current Initiatives
In keeping with Para. 641 of The Book of Discipline, the Archives and History Committee collects, preserves and makes accessible the records of the Annual Conference and its agencies, while assisting congregations in preserving their own histories.
Recent and ongoing work includes:
- Bicentennial Church Recognition – Churches reaching 200 years are recognized every other year at Annual Conference.
- African American Methodist History – Arnold Parks and John Wright are updating African American UMC Churches in Missouri. Parks is also writing a history of George R. Smith College, founded in 1888 in Sedalia by the Methodist Episcopal Church.
- Church Histories for 2026 – Congregations are encouraged to create a short written history for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. A question guide will be provided.
- Oral Histories – The Archives will promote the UM Stories app from GCAH, enabling congregations to record and preserve oral histories.
- Heritage Resources – Plans are underway to develop six to 12 short programs connecting Methodist and U.S. history and to create virtual heritage tours of historic Missouri Methodist sites.
- Digital Access – The committee is working with the Communications team to make past issues of Toward the Setting Sun available via an online archive.
