Zion United Church of Christ (Lincoln, Neb.) [RG3981.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG3981.AM:  Zion United Church of Christ (Lincoln, Neb.)

Records:  1900-1979
Lincoln, Lancaster County, Neb.:  United Church of Christ
Size:  61 volumes on 4 reels of microfilm

HISTORICAL NOTE

In January of 1900, a group of men, mostly Volga-Germans who had recently come from Europe, met to discuss the advisability of organizing a new church in the southwest part of Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska. With the supervision and assistance of Dr. M.E. Eversz of Chicago, who was then superintendent of the German Congregational Church of America, the German Evangelical Congregational Zion Church of Lincoln, was organized on January 17, 1900. Three months later, the first church building was dedicated at 4th and F Streets. Rev. C.E. Orthoff, the first pastor, served only a brief time and was followed by Rev. S.H. Schwab. The church was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska on January 18, 1901.

The original church building had to be enlarged in 1907 in order to serve the growing congregation. With an increasing membership in the 1920s, it was decided to build a new church building. The new German Evangelical Congregation Zion Church was built at 9th and D. It was dedicated on February 12, 1928. In 1963 the Zion Congregation became part of the United Church of Christ, and the Church became known as the Zion United Church of Christ [see RG3037 for related materials].

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of 61 volumes of church records on 4 reels of microfilm and arranged in nine series: 1) Business Meeting Minutes, 1906-1976; 2) Church Board Meeting Minutes, 1963-1978; 3) Auxiliary Church Group Minutes, 1901-1967; 4) Ledgers, 1900-1962; 5) Collection Records, 1911-1956; 6) Building Fund Records, 1924-1957; 7) Annual Reports, 1962-1978; 8) Ceremonial Registers, 1900-1979; and 9) Miscellany, 1927-1967.

This material relates to the historical and financial records kept by the Zion United Church of Christ of Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska.

The Minutes of the Business Meetings, 1906-1976, of Series 1 record policies and programs of the Zion United Church of Christ. These minutes show business taking place at regular, quarterly and annual meetings, committee reports, financial status, election results, and some membership lists. About half of this series is in German. The Church Board Meeting Minutes, 1963-1978, of Series 2 contains material similar to that of Series 1, although there is more of an emphasis on the workings and reports of the various departments within the church. Attendance records for some of the meetings are included.

Series 3 consists of the Minutes of Auxiliary Church Groups, 1901-1967. Included are minute reports for the New Zion Youth Fellowship, Women’s League, Christian Endeavor Society, Sunday School Teachers, and Zion Daughters. Series 4 contains Ledgers, 1900-1962, which record money collected and money spent by the church for various projects. The early volumes of this series are written in German, but all of the volumes provide names, dates, amount of cash received or paid out, and rent and interest payments. The Collection Records of Series 5 show dues and donations received by the church. Some individuals have their birth, confirmation and marriage dates recorded by their name.

Series 6 consists of Building Fund Records, 1924-1928. These record money collected and spent for the various building projects of the church. The Annual Reports, 1962-1978, of Series 7 discuss church business and progress of a particular year. The reports provide an annual business meeting program, expenditure listings, reports of auxiliary groups, a pastor’s report, the proposed budget for the following year, and a membership directory. The annual reports for 1974-1978 are in newsletter form.

Series 8 contains the church’s Ceremonial Registers, 1900-1979. These record the baptisms, deaths, marriages, and confirmations of the church membership. Other information shown in some instances includes the individual’s place and date of birth, his/her parents, and his/her sponsors or witnesses. The Miscellany, 1927-1967, of Series 9 includes a constitution of the Zion Congregational Church, 1954; commemorative anniversary booklets, 1940-1975; architectural specifications, 1927; and a guest book for Centennial Sunday, June 4, 1967.

Note:  See RG3037 for related records.

INVENTORY

Series 1 – Business Meeting Minutes, 1906-1976
Reel 1
Volume

1. Bestrebungsverein Record, 1906-1909 (German)
2. May 12, 1919-October 4, 1932 (German)
3. December 27, 1932-March 30, 1948
4. March 30, 1948-October 27, 1969
5. January 8, 1970-December 10, 1976

Series 2 – Church Board Meeting Minutes, 1963-1978
Volume

1. January 11, 1963-December 2, 1963
2. January 17, 1964-December 7, 1964
3. February 1, 1965-March 1, 1967
4. April 5, 1967-August 15, 1969
5. September 5, 1969-June 17, 1971
6. June 1971-December 1973
7. January 6, 1974-January 2, 1976
8. February 6, 1976-December 3, 1976
9. January 7, 1977-December 10, 1978

Series 3 – Auxiliary Church Group Minutes, 1901-1967
Volume

1. Christian Endeavor/New Zion Youth Fellowship, 1901-1906 (German)
2. Women’s League, 1915-1923 (German)

Reel 2 (begins May 1, 1919)
Volume

3. Christian Endeavor Society, 1915-1934 (most in German but Executive and Business Meetings of 1930s in English)
4. Sunday School Teachers, 1916-1936 (mostly German)
5. Zion Daughters, 1964-1967

Series 4 – Ledgers, 1900-1962
Volume

1. 1900-1934 (German)
2. 1900-1925 (German)
3. 1901-1921 (German)
4. 1910-1921 (German)
5. 1916-1922 (German)
6. 1922, Members, Attendance, and Collections included
7. 1923-1931
8. 1932-1946
9. 1934-1952 (Sunday School)

Reel 3 (begins page 30)
Volume

10. 1946-1956
11. 1950-1961
12. 1957-1962

Series 5 – Collections (dues) Records, 1911-1956

Volume

1. 1911-1916, alphabetical index in front
2. 1927-1943, arranged by year and alphabetically
3. 1928-1962
4. 1932-1956, alphabetically arranged; some individuals have birth, confirmation, and marriage dates entered

Series 6 – Building Fund Records, 1924-1957
Volume

1. 1924-1928
2. 1928-1941, includes financial records for anniversary celebration
3. 1954-1957; includes financial records for parsonage and house

Series 7 – Annual Reports, 1962-1978
Volume

1. 1962
2. 1963
3. 1964
4. 1965

Reel 4 (begins page 2)
Volume

5. 1966
6. 1967
7. 1968
8. 1971
9. 1972
10. 1973
11. 1974
12. 1975
13. 1976
14. 1977
15. 1978

Series 8 – Ceremonial Registers, 1900-1979
Volume

1. Baptism, Death, Marriage, and Confirmation Register, 1900-1971
2. Confirmation Classes, 1900-1975
3. Communicants, 1906-1911
4. Miscellaneous Loose Sheets, 1974-1979

Series 9 – Miscellany, 1927-1967
Volume

1. Constitution of Zion Congregational Church, 1954
2. Commemorative Anniversary Booklets, 1927-1967
3. Architectural Specifications, 1927
4. Guest Book – Centennial Sunday, June 4, 1967

Subject headings:

Congregational Church in Nebraska
Evangelical Church in Nebraska
German Evangelical Congregational Zion Church (Lincoln, Neb.)
Germans in Nebraska
Germans from Russia in Nebraska
Lancaster County (Neb.) — Churches
Lincoln (Neb.) — Churches
United Church of Christ in Nebraska
Zion United Church of Christ (Lincoln, Neb.)

Revised 05-29-2009   TMM