Mt. Zion AME Church Records

Avery Research Center Manuscript Number 1026

	Mt. Zion AME Church Records
	Avery Manuscript Number 1026
	Historical Note:
	Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, Charleston, SC, was formed in 1882,
	splitting from Emmanuel AME Church, Charleston, which was unable to accommodate
	all its members. The new congregation, led by Norman B. Sterrett, purchased the Zion
	Presbyterian Church building on Glebe Street. Sterrett served briefly as pastor before
	becoming the regular pastor of Emmanuel.
	Scope and Content: 2.5 linear ft., (1884-1949)
	The records in the collection consist of bound volumes in two separate series, each in
	chronological order. The first series of member/financial records contains information re
	members of the church, their donations and occasional notations as to deaths, baptisms,
	expulsions, withdrawals, etc.; as well as money collected at rallies and other church
	functions and how the money was spent. The second series contains minutes of various
	church and related meetings. These minutes offer insights into church leadership issues,
	building repairs, complaints, finances and other business matters.
	Mt. Zion AME Church Records
	Avery Manuscript Number 1026
	Inventory
		Box #/
I.	Member/financial records	Folder #
1	Volume (1884-1889, 1947, with gaps) labeled "Stewards Book" notes donations and	1-1
	member dues collected from each class; also lists names of those who bought lecture
	and rally cards.
2	Volume (1887-1889) labeled "Class records of Mt. Zion AME" includes listing of the	1-2
	donations of each class, list of probationers and their donations, noting money raised
	at "Board Meetings," with occasional notations re those expelled, sick, on committees
	and those who departed the church.
3	Volume (1889-1891) lists donations from each class, the names of class leaders with	1-3
	notations re committee service, discharges, church functions, the pastor's salary, and
	deaths; with periodic notations on members such as "doing well," "hopeful," "fair,"
	"not doing much," etc.
4	Volume (1892) notes donations by class; with occasional comments at the bottom of	1-4
	pages re expulsions, received members, withdrawals, and brief notes on meetings held.
5	Volume (1893, 1897) labeled "Steward's Acct" includes notes on those received into	1-5
	full membership, probation and with certificates of membership from other churches.
	With list of class members, and occasional notes re departures, deaths and suspensions.
6	Volume (1894-1895) titled "Roll Book of Mt. Zion AME" listing class members,	1-6
	class donations and occasional comments re deaths, appointments to leadership, etc.
7	Volume (1894-1898) labeled "Roll Book" listing attendance of church members and	2-1
	noting members received, deaths, expulsions, departures, baptisms, donations of each
	class and a report of a complaint against the Pughs for allegedly taking a young girl to
	Columbia, SC without permission.
8	Volume (1894, 1902) labeled "Expenditure Collection" listing "Official Meetings" and	2-2
	donations collected by church members separated by class and noting how money was
	spent.
9	Volume (1898-1899, 1900-1905) lists class leaders and notes donations by class, as	2-3
	well as occasional comments on deaths, appointments to leadership, expulsions,
	baptisms, etc. of members.
10	Volume (1900, 1902) listing members by class and their donations as well as church	2-4
	officers.
11	Loose materials from above volume includes scraps of paper with class members and	2-5
	their financial contributions.
12	Volume (1903, 1910, 1913, 1915) listing members by class with notations on deaths,	3-1
	transfers, expulsions, probationers, departures, etc.
13	Roll book (1923-1939) contains a list of members and their donations. Also some	4-1
	notations re transfers, expulsions, deaths, etc.
14	Volume (1930) listing collections from member committees and giving the names	4-2
	of the trustees and those who composed various church committees. Also included is
	information re collections, disbursements, debts and record of a trustee meeting (1929).
15	Loose materials from above volume consist of collection and utility envelopes for	4-3
	bills and donations.
16	Volume (1938) titled "Cash" (1938) containing a list of pledges and amount actually	4-4
	paid by each member.
17	Loose materials from above volume includes 18 April 1938 correspondence from the	4-5
	Trustees to Hattie Pugh requesting she transfer the title of the church to the Board.
18	Volume (1936-1949, with gaps) containing a list of class leaders and member	5-1
	donations with some notations re deaths, departures, members received, pledges, etc.
19	Loose materials from above volume includes various "Class Leaders Report Blanks"	5-2
	(1948 -1949) which note donations of different class members.
II.	Meeting minutes
1	Volume (1906-1920) titled "Trustee Minit Book" contains mostly meeting minutes	6-1
	of "Trustee Board of Mt. Zion AME," with data on officers, repairs, pastor salary and
	church finances. Between 1913-1915 only two meetings are recorded.
2	Loose material from above volume includes a receipt and cost of repairs to the church	6-2
	in 1919.
3	Volume (1907-1911) titled "Quarterly Conference Record" contains information and	6-3
	reports from the trustees and stewards of the church. Reports detail church repairs,
	officers, donations, the pastor's salary, baptisms, deaths, finances of the church and
	a list of the different committees.
4	Notebook (1908 - 1909) titled "Mt. Zion AME Minute Book of the Official Board"	6-4
	contains information on officers, committees, complaints from church members and
	officers, church repairs, donations, church finances, etc.