Church Archives
We are pleased to now have available our entire church history catalogue available online. Please feel free to search this catalogue by viewing our online catalogue via ArchivesHub. This catalogue is a professionally archived catalogue of the church archives which dates from 1811- present. While we do encourage members of the public to contact us if they have queries, please note that data protection restrictions will not permit some of these archives to be accessed by the public. Archives from 1811-1900 may be freely accessed, but more recent archives will be permitted on a case-by-case basis.
Please access the catalogue by clicking here.
Please access the catalogue by clicking here.
Overview of Church Archives:
Scope and Content:
Includes church records dating back to the foundation of the church: correspondence (with members, deacons, and third parties); subject files with publications, administrative documents, and government files. Includes meeting minutes covering deacon and membership meetings throughout the church's history. Missionary files include information about missions organisations, correspondence and general missions subject files.
Administrative / Biographical History:
The archival finding aid for this collection was first begun by Miss Platt in 2012. Miss Platt, who married Jonathan Arnold, continued as the Hon. Archivist from 2012. Jonathan Arnold became pastor at Westminster Baptist Church in April 2016.
Arrangement:
The records are arranged into five series: church subject files, church correspondence, meeting minutes, missionary files, and missionary correspondence and organisations. All are further arranged to the file level, with item level description for significant names and documents. Names are arranged chronologically by mention in the files. Location stickers are located on materials, noted in the finding aid. “M” represents the missions files, “C” represents the church files. These are often examined separately as a unit thus requiring a clear distinction between the two. The first numeral following the letter indicates the box, the second number indicates the file (where necessary).
Conditions Governing Access:
The archive is available without restriction to current members at Westminster Baptist Church. For external researchers, the archives are readily available - with supervised access - on any period for which no person involved in the content is still in living memory (i.e., records which are 100+ years of age). Any exceptions to this may be provided on a case-by-case basis.
Finding Aids:
Church Subject Files 1895-1991 (Bulk 1954-1972)
Church Correspondence Files 1930-2009
Meeting Minutes 1811-2006
Missionary Correspondence and Organisations 1977-1987
Missions Files 1977-1987
Archivist's Note:
Unfortunately we are unable to fulfill research requests on family history queries at this time.
Includes church records dating back to the foundation of the church: correspondence (with members, deacons, and third parties); subject files with publications, administrative documents, and government files. Includes meeting minutes covering deacon and membership meetings throughout the church's history. Missionary files include information about missions organisations, correspondence and general missions subject files.
Administrative / Biographical History:
The archival finding aid for this collection was first begun by Miss Platt in 2012. Miss Platt, who married Jonathan Arnold, continued as the Hon. Archivist from 2012. Jonathan Arnold became pastor at Westminster Baptist Church in April 2016.
Arrangement:
The records are arranged into five series: church subject files, church correspondence, meeting minutes, missionary files, and missionary correspondence and organisations. All are further arranged to the file level, with item level description for significant names and documents. Names are arranged chronologically by mention in the files. Location stickers are located on materials, noted in the finding aid. “M” represents the missions files, “C” represents the church files. These are often examined separately as a unit thus requiring a clear distinction between the two. The first numeral following the letter indicates the box, the second number indicates the file (where necessary).
Conditions Governing Access:
The archive is available without restriction to current members at Westminster Baptist Church. For external researchers, the archives are readily available - with supervised access - on any period for which no person involved in the content is still in living memory (i.e., records which are 100+ years of age). Any exceptions to this may be provided on a case-by-case basis.
Finding Aids:
Church Subject Files 1895-1991 (Bulk 1954-1972)
Church Correspondence Files 1930-2009
Meeting Minutes 1811-2006
Missionary Correspondence and Organisations 1977-1987
Missions Files 1977-1987
Archivist's Note:
Unfortunately we are unable to fulfill research requests on family history queries at this time.
