Donations
To assist the churches in preservation of our Methodist history, we welcome their published church histories; pictorial or non-pictorial membership directories; newspaper clippings of special events; church newsletters; photographs; religious objects used in worship or artifacts relating to Methodism in Illinois; and, church records. We accept personal papers and manuscripts from ministers, church leaders and organizations. For anyone wishing to donate to the archives, please contact the
archivist.
Upon a church closing, the archives receives all the church's records, which are officially transferred from the district superintendent to the archivist. Open churches may also transfer to the archives those records deemed of permanent or historical value if church storage space is limited or the records are in deteriorating condition. The following list is a sampling of the records that are classified as permanent: (to see the entire list, visit the
General Conference's webpage)
• Membership registers and church directories
• Minutes from all boards, committees, or organizations
• Annual reports/audits
• Architectural plans
• Insurance policies
• Newsletters
• Bulletins
• Property deeds
• Property inventories
• Bequest or estate papers
• By-laws
For individuals wishing to donate personal papers or other material to the archives, please
contact the archivist.