Iowa Baptist Association Booklet Collection
Scope and Contents
These records consist of the published minutes of the annual meetings of The Iowa Baptist State Convention from 1855-1864 and the Davenport Baptist Association from 1856-1862 as well as the annual reports of the Executive Board of the Iowa Baptist Education Society from 1857-1858. The years covered are not continuous because some years are missing. The meetings were held throughout Iowa.
Generally, the Iowa Baptist State Convention booklets include the following: information about where and when the convention was held, the associations constitution, by-laws, officers, minutes, reports of committees, treasurer's report, membership information, and a table of associations across the state, statistical history of the Iowa Baptist Convention, and address of Baptist ministers in Iowa. The information include varies from year to year as the associate grew.
The Davenport Baptist Association booklets generally include the following: information about where and when the meeting was held, constitution and by-laws (rules of order), minutes, statistical tables, abstract of letters, and a circular letter.
The Iowa Baptist Education Society booklets include the meeting minutes, annual report, treasurer's report, list of officers and other members, constitution, and an appeal.
Dates
- Creation: 1855-1864
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Materials are available for use in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center only.
Request permission before copying materials.
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Copyright restrictions may apply; please consult Special Collections staff for further information.
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of reproductions of copyrighted material.
Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
Biographical / Historical
The history of Baptists and the Baptist Church in the state of Iowa began around the year 1834. The establishment of churches started slowly with the addition of each of the subsequent years. The churches organized into association beginning in 1839. The Iowa Baptist State Convention was organized in 1842. The first convention was held in Iowa City and the second was held in Davenport.
The Constitution of the Convention details the purpose for the meeting which was to bring together the Baptist churches in the state of Iowa. It outlines who composes the membership of the convention and how the officers are selected. The Convention takes place annually on the Friday before the fourth Sabbath in October. It states that the Executive Board shall hold its first session before the final adjournment of the Convention. It also states that the Constitution may be changed at any annual meeting, by a vote of two thirds of the members present.
The Davenport Baptist Association was organized on September 16, 1842. “It was organized in the City of Dubuque, in September, 1842. It embraced all the Baptist Churches then existing in the territory north of the Iowa River, except one” (Mitchell, Chapter XV). The cities included were LeClaire, Muscatine, Davenport Dubuque, Iowa City, and Maquoketa. The organization remained active and held meeting until 1872. After that time, the Association was reporting on its spiritual health but records were sparse.
Iowa Baptist Education Society was organized or held their first meeting in 1847. According to Mitchell’s book, Historical Sketches of Iowa Baptists, 1886, “Incipient steps had already been taken looking to the formation of an Iowa Baptist Educational Society. This society held its annual meeting in connection with the Convention in 1847, and records this item in the minutes” (Mitchell, Chapter IV). In 1856, the Society published its first annual report separate from the Iowa Baptist State Convention.
Bibliography
Bonner, J. William. History of the First Baptist Church Davenport, Iowa. Morgantown, West Virginia: Morgantown Printing and Binding Company, 1978.
Mitchell, S. H. Historical Sketches of Iowa Baptists. Burlington, Iowa: Burdette Co., 1886.
Extent
1 Linear Inch (in 3 folders.)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
These records are organized into three folder by the association or group holding the meeting. The folder names are The Iowa Baptist State Convention Minutes, The Davenport Baptist Association Minutes, and the Iowa Baptist Education Society Annual Reports.
Physical Location
Range 22 Shelf 01 (shares box)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center Repository
321 Main Street
Davenport IA 52801-1490 United States
specialcollections@davenportlibrary.com