What's New
May 2013: Remembering Closed Churches: Summerfield UMC, Port Chester NY
Read the Archives' latest blog entry to learn about the history of Summerfield United Methodist Church, which closed in 2012.
April 2013: The Northeastern, United Methodist Historical Bulletin
The January issue of the newsletter of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Commission on Archives and History is now available in the newsletter section of our website. There is still time to register for the NEJ Annual Meeting, to be held in Portsmouth, NH from May 14-16, 2013.
February 2013: Helping to Solve a Mystery in Brooklyn
Read the Archives' latest blog entry to find out how the archivist was able to help New York flutist Sato Moughalian locate an altar constructed by her grandfather, ceramic artist David Ohannessian, in a Brooklyn Methodist church.
February 2013: The Northeastern, United Methodist Historical Bulletin
The January 2013 issue of The Northeastern includes information on the upcoming NEJCAH Annual Meeting in Portsmouth, NH, to be held May 14-16, 2013. The meeting will feature several dramatic presentations relating to Methodist history in the former New Hampshire Conference. Be sure to scroll to the end for registration information and forms!
February 2013: CAH Newsletter
Check out the Christman Archives Winter 2013 Newsletter, which includes an article on the 200th anniversary celebration of The United Methodist Church of Milton and Marlboro!
February 2013: Register for our March 9th Church Archives and Records Management Workshop
If organizing your church's records seems overwhelming, you are not alone! The Commission on Archives and History and the Christman Archives will hold a church archives and records management workshop on Saturday March 9, 2013 from 11am to 3pm, at St. Paul's UMC in Northport, NY. Register online, or contact us at archives@nyac.com or 914-997-1570 ext. 128 with any questions. Registration is limited to 25 participants.
November 2012: CAH Newsletter
Have you ever wondered what happens to a church's historical records when it closes? The Christman Archives has been working to preserve the records of the six NYAC churches that closed this year. Read about that project and find out what else is happening at the Archives in our Fall 2012 Newsletter.
July 2012: CAH Newsletter
The Christman Archives Summer 2012 Newsletter, featuring an article on the early history of Park Street UMC in New York City, is now available.
June 2012: Annual Conference
As always, we had a wonderful time at Annual Conference in early June, greeting old friends and making new ones. We even had a visit from an old-time "circuit rider" (thanks to Tom Johannessen)!
We handed out lots of guidelines for managing local church records and enjoyed talking with church historians and others interested in preserving the rich history of our Conference. Thanks to all who stopped by to say hello!
If you didn't get a chance to pick up a copy of the church records guidelines, be sure to contact us at archives@nyac.com, and if you missed the Christman Archives Treasures exhibit at our booth, check out the online version on our website.
February 2012: Church Archives Workshop Coming Up in March!
On Saturday, March 3, 2012, from 11am-3:30pm, the Commission on Archives and History will hold a church archives and records management workshop at New Paltz UMC, located at 1 Grove Street, New Paltz, NY. The workshop will introduce participants to basic archival concepts through hands-on activities and provide tips for protecting records from flooding and other disasters. A light lunch will be provided at noon, and a $10 donation will cover costs for meeting materials and tote bag.
To register, contact archivist Beth Patkus at archives@nyac.com or telephone 914-997-1570 (toll free 888-696-6922), ext. 128.
February 2012: CAH Newsletter
The Christman Archives Winter 2012 newsletter can be found in the newsletter section of our website. It features an article celebrating the 100th anniversary of The Bethel Homes of Ossining and Croton-on-Hudson, highlighting Bethel's connection to Swedish Methodist immigrants who came to New York City in the 1800s.
January 2012: The Northeastern: United Methodist Historical Bulletin
The January issue of the newsletter of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Commission on Archives and History is now available in the newsletter section of our website. It includes registration information for the May 2012 NEJCAH meeting in Gettysburg, PA, plus Part 2 of the General Secretary's discussion of the implications for Archives and History of the administrative changes to be proposed at the 2012 General Conference.
January 2012: New Online Exhibit on Christman Archives Treasures
An online exhibit highlighting some of the treasured items held in the Archives of the New York Annual Conference is now up in the Exhibits section of the Archives website. These items illuminate several aspects of the rich history of our conference and they illustrate the variety of materials we collect. Check out the exhibit here to learn about early circuit riders, Methodist hymnals, conference and local church records, and more!
November 2011: Methodist History
For those interested in Methodist history, the October 2011 issue of Methodist History journal is available in the Learning Center at the Conference Center in White Plains, and online. This issue includes articles on the development of Korean Methodist Churches in Hawaii in the early 1900s and on early Wesleyan missions in the Carribean, as well as an article comparing American and English camp meetings in the 19th century.
September 2011: CAH Newsletter
Take a look at the Archives' Fall 2011 newsletter!
September 2011: The Northeastern: United Methodist Historical Bulletin
The October issue of the newsletter of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Commission on Archives and History is now available in the newsletter section of our website. Check out the sneak peek at next May's NEJCAH meeting in Gettysburg, as well as a discussion of the administrative changes for the denomination to be proposed at the 2012 General Conference, and their implications for the Archives and History ministry.
August 2011: The Northeastern: United Methodist Historical Bulletin
Take a look at the July issue of the newsletter of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Commission on Archives and History, now up in the newsletter section of our website.
July 2011: Online Exhibit on Rev. Elsie Stowe
The Archives' exhibit about Rev. Elsie F. Stowe, an early pioneer of women in ministry in our annual conference area, is now up in the Exhibits section of the Archives website! Born in 1894, Rev. Stowe was the first woman to be ordained in the New York East Annual Conference. This is an abbreviated version of the exhibit that was displayed in the Learning Center this past spring and at Annual Conference. Check out the exhibit here to learn more about this fascinating part of our conference history!
June 2011: Annual Conference
We had a wonderful time at Annual Conference in early June - it was great to see old friends and meet new 
ones!
We handed out lots of guidelines for managing local church records, and enjoyed speaking in person with church historians and others interested in preserving the rich history of our Conference. Thanks to all who stopped by to say hello!
If you didn't get a chance to pick up a copy of the church records guidelines, be sure to contact us at archvies@nyac.com, and if you missed the Rev. Elsie Stowe exhibit at our booth, an online version will be up on our website soon.
May 2011: CAH Newsletter
Check out the Archives' new spring newsletter!
May 2011: Northeastern Jurisdictional Commission on Archives and History Annual Meeting
In early May we attended the NEJCAH annual meeting in beautiful New Windsor, Maryland, hosted by the Baltimore-Washington Conference. We enjoyed fascinating and inspiring presentations, a tour of the lovely Strawbridge Shrine, and excellent food and fellowship! If you find yourself in the Baltimore area, be sure to visit some of the many sites that document early American Methodist history, including the Lovely Lane Museum and Archives, the Sharp Street Memorial Church, and the Old Otterbein Church. We are looking forward to next year’s meeting in Gettysburg, PA!
April 2011: Commission on Archives and History Meeting
On April 30, the Commission on Archives and History of the New York Annual Conference met at the Conference Center in White Plains. The Commission discussed upcoming plans for its booth at Annual Conference in June, as well as plans to produce a travel guide for Methodist Heritage Landmarks and Historic Sites within the Conference, and a historical packet for use by confirmation and new member classes.
The next Commission meeting is planned for September 2011. If you are interested in learning more about the Commission’s activities, see About the Commission or contact the Chair, Leslie Reyman, at leslienyacarchives@hotmail.com.
April 2011: The Northeastern: United Methodist Historical Bulletin
Check out the April issue of the newsletter of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Commission on Archives and History, now up in the newsletter section of our website.
March 2011: Rev. Elsie F. Stowe exhibit at the Conference Center
In March the Archives celebrated Women’s History Month with an exhibit on Rev. Elsie F. Stowe, an early pioneer of women in ministry in our annual conference area. Born in 1894, she was the first woman to be ordained in the New York East Annual Conference. She believed strongly in ministry to rural churches, and served as pastor to four rural churches in western Connecticut over the course of her ministry.
The exhibit will be on display in the Learning Center at the Conference Center until early June, when it will travel with us to Annual Conference – come visit the Archives booth at Annual Conference to learn more about this remarkable woman!
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June 2010: Annual Conference Update from the Christman Archives...
We had a marvelous time at Annual Conference in June 2010, and we were delighted to have met so many wonderful people from throughout the Conference area. At the Ministry Fair, we embossed perhaps a zillion passports with the seal of the 1945 Women's Society of Christian Service – and many of you got the chance to identify people in our display of archival photographs from Annual Conferences past.
In case you missed the 2010 Annual Conference, take a look at the historic slideshows we played, read our latest newsletter, and be sure to email us at archives@nyac.com if we can help you with family history or other historical research.