- unitid
-
{"value"=>"20591", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"Sc MG 291", "type"=>"local_call"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1871-1989", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1871/1989"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Henry C. Bunton papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"20 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"7.4 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear_feet"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division</span>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Henry C. Bunton's papers consist of personal papers, writings, chaplaincy records, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church records, and correspondence. These papers principally document Bunton's role as a bishop with the C.M.E. Church. Church records consist of copies of sermons, office files, correspondence, denominational records, pamphlets and related material from his years in the ministry. Denominational records include correspondence with other bishops from the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church such as J. Claude Allen, Norris S. Curry, Chester Kirkendoll, Elisha P. Murchison, P. Randolph Shy, and P. Julian Smith regarding plans for meetings, annual conferences, expansion of the church and other church activities. There is also correspondence with individual pastors, and officers from the many member churches in Bunton's district regarding requests for assignments and transfers, securing property and other church business, as well as financial reports. Among the churches represented are Israel Metropolitan Church in Greenville, South Carolina; Mount Olive Cathedral in Memphis, Tennessee; and Russell Memorial Church in Durham, North Carolina."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Bunton, Henry Clay, 1903-", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Henry C. Bunton was born in 1903 near Coker in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama to sharecropping parents. He was the sixth child of eleven children born to Isaac Washington and Sarah Lue Noland, both descendants of slaves. As was common among southern African-American tenant farmers, he experienced a life of dire impoverishment. His elementary education, typically in a single room of the local Colored, now Christian Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal Church (C.M.E.), was frequently interrupted by the exigencies of farming and the seasonal requirements of labor. He managed, however to complete five grades.</p> <p>At the age of nineteen he married a Baptist woman, Estelle McKinney. Shortly thereafter he joined the C.M.E. Church and at age twenty he felt his calling to the ministry. He was licensed to preach at a Fourth Quarterly Conference and recommended to the Annual Conference from the same Quarterly Conference for admittance on trial. With much foresight, the Presiding Elder of Tuscaloosa County, the Reverend R. A. Kirk encouraged him to advance his education if he hoped to contribute to the ministry. At age twenty-two, he enrolled in the sixth grade in the Elementary School at Miles College in Birmingham, Alabama. By then, in addition to being a husband and student, he was also the father of two children, the financial obligations of which forced him to work in various menial jobs. At the age of twenty-nine, he graduated from high school and pursued two years of courses at Miles College. Family responsibilities and health reasons compelled him to discontinue.</p> <p>For ten years Bunton served as pastor in various rural churches throughout Alabama. Included among them was Miles Chapel at Miles College. From Alabama, Bunton went to pastor in several urban churches in the East Florida Conference. In 1938 while ministering in St. James church in Tallahassee, he assumed his college instruction at Florida A&M College and earned his A.B. in 1941. From Saint James he was sent to Carter Tabernacle Church in Orlando for two years. While in Florida, he was also Dean of the Leadership Training School, Sunday School lesson writer, and Director of Leadership Education and Youth Work.</p> <p>Bunton was again transferred to Arkansas, where he pastored at Bullock Temple Church in Little Rock. While residing there he was commissioned to the chaplaincy in the United States Army in 1943 and was assigned to Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. From there, he went, in November 1943 to England and Wales and in June 1944 he crossed the English Channel to Normandy, France with U.S. Army units. He remained in Europe until November 1945. From 1948 to 1950 he again served as Chaplain for which he was rewarded the rank of Major and awarded the certificate for meritorious service and three battle stars. His connection with the military did not cease with the end of the war, but rather he became an official of the General Commission on Chaplains and the Armed Forces and was chosen sometime during the 1970s by the C.M.E. College of Bishops as the denomination's endorsing agent.</p> <p>Upon his return to the United States Bunton resided in Dallas, Texas where he was assigned to pastor at Sparks Chapel Church. While there he also served as the Young Men's Christian Association's Boys Work Secretary part time for two years. After two years of study, he graduated from the Perkins School of Theology of Southern Methodist University. During the summer of 1950 he attended Garrett Biblical Seminary at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.</p> <p>From Dallas, Texas, Bunton went to Denver, Colorado where he pursued his theological studies at the Iliff School of Theology and earned a Master of Theology degree. He also pastored in Denver at Cleaves Memorial C.M.E. Church. From 1953 to 1954, he served with the Board of Christian Education as Director of Leadership Training, Adult Work and Writer for the Sunday School Literature.</p> <p>In 1953 Bunton moved to Memphis, Tennessee to perform pastoral duties at Mount Olive Cathedral, one of the largest and most prestigious churches of the C.M.E. Church in Memphis. During his residence in Memphis from 1953 to 1962, he became active in civic work and civil rights activities. When the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was formed, Bunton served on both the Board of Directors and the Executive Board until 1962 and continued a working relationship with the organization during his bishopric. He was also a charter member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Among the other positions he served in during his tenure in Memphis were president of the Ministers and Citizens League and president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Memphis and Shelby County. He also ran for a position on the Board of Education. In 1955, Texas College, a C.M.E. Church affiliated college, named him honorary Doctor of Divinity.</p> <p>From July 1957 to January 1958, Bunton traveled to Egypt, Lebanon, Greece, Palestine, Syria, Jordan, and Italy and visited sites of Biblical significance. Bunton's wife of 33 years passed away in 1958. Later that year, he married Alfreda Gibbs Carpenter, a widow and businesswoman.</p> <p>In May of 1962 at the C.M.E. General Conference, Bunton was elected the thirty-third Presiding Bishop of the C.M.E. Church and as Bishop of the Seventh Episcopal District with headquarters in Washington, D.C. He remained Bishop until 1978 and was assigned throughout that period to the Seventh Episcopal District. Unlike some of his predecessors, Bunton did not campaign for this position. He felt that this was not a secular office, that a campaign of a political nature was inappropriate, and that the person to fill the position should be chosen by the people.</p> <p>During his bishopric Bunton accomplished several things. Aside from helping numerous persons attend college and founding twenty-four congregations, he was permitted by the College of Bishops to supervise the Annual Conferences of Ghana and Nigeria. The C.M.E. Church's activities in these two countries had traditionally been termed, \"the African work\" which was attached to the Episcopal District to which the presiding bishop was assigned. As Bishop of the Seventh Episcopal District, Bunton also oversaw these two conferences from 1966. In addition, Bunton continued the ongoing dialogue between the C.M.E., the African Methodist Episcopal, and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Churches toward the goal of union between the three Methodist groups. Moreover, during the years 1976 to 1978, the C.M.E. Church worked closely with the Union American Methodist Episcopal, African Union Methodist Protestant, Reformed Zion Union Apostolic, and British Methodist Episcopal Churches. Before the 1978 General Conference, Bunton, with the help of several ministers, organized the C.M.E. Church in Haiti.</p> <p>Other C.M.E. Church-related positions which Bunton held include trusteeships of Paine College in August, Georgia and of Miles College in Birmingham, Alabama, president of the Publishing Board, and chairman of the College of Bishops. In addition Bunton served on the Board of Directors of Joint Action for Community Service, Inc. and on the Advisory Board of the American Bible Society, 1962-1970. He was a member of the National Council of Churches of the U.S.A. and the Council of Churches of Greater Washington. Bunton also taught several times in the 1970s at Howard University. In 1972 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Miles College and a Doctorate of Divinity from Mississippi Industrial College, both of which are C.M.E. Church affiliates.</p> <p>Bunton's involvement with the C.M.E. Church did not cease with his retirement in 1978. The same year, the C.M.E. Church legislated that in the case of the death of a bishop of a District, a retired Bishop may be recalled to serve. Due to the death of Bishop Joseph A. Johnson in 1979, Bunton was recalled to complete his term at the Fourth Episcopal District until 1982. Bunton is at present fully retired from the Church. His second wife passed away in 1990. He is currently living in Memphis, Tennessee and writing a book on the concept of the Methodist episcopacy.</p> <p> <span class=\"title\">Christian Methodist Episcopal Church</span></p> <p>The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1870 as a result of the exodus of the former slave congregations from the Southern branch of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1954, the year of Brown versus Board of Education Supreme Court decision, the General Conference resolved to officially change the name of the church from Colored to Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.</p> <p>During Henry C. Bunton's bishopric there were nine Episcopal Districts. Each District is headed by a bishop who presides over the Districts Annual Conferences. The bishops together comprise the College of Bishops. This body acts as the chief executive of the Church. The chairman of the College of Bishops is elected annually.</p> <p>Within each Conference are smaller districts which are headed by presiding elders. Every four years the Annual Conferences elect delegates to the C.M.E. Church General Conference, a quadrennial meeting. These delegates elect the bishops of the Episcopal Districts and the bishop of the whole Church. The churches and the Annual Conferences also hold conferences.</p> <p>Also within the C.M.E. Church structure are bodies, divisions, boards, departments, committees, and commissions devoted to various areas of interest to the church. Many of these bodies extend in hierarchical fashion to the Conference and district levels.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Henry C. Bunton Papers, 1871-1989, are divided into PERSONAL PAPERS, WRITINGS, CHAPLAINCY, CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH and GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Henry C. Bunton papers are arranged in five series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20591#c644690'>PERSONAL PAPERS</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The PERSONAL PAPERS, 1938-1979, series consists of papers relating to Henry C. Bunton as well as his family. It includes typewritten, printed, and handwritten biographical and autobiographical material, clippings, scattered school-related papers, and correspondence. The series also contains a folder of material on his campaign for membership on the Board of Education in Memphis, another on his trips to the \"Holy Land\" and papers relating to his teaching appointments at Howard University and the courses he taught there. In addition the series includes a historical sketch of Alfreda Gibbs Bunton, Bunton's second wife, an undated piece of writing by her, correspondence between Bunton and immediate as well as extended family, 1940-1977, and Hungerford School Records of his children, Mattye Lou, Marjorie and Henry Bunton, Jr., 1940-1943. Of interest in this series is an outline and introduction entitled, \"The Bunton Era.\" This may be the beginnings of Bunton's autobiography, <span class=\"title\">A Dreamer of Dreams.</span></p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20591#c644709'>WRITINGS</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The WRITINGS, 1963-1979, n.d., series includes essays, eulogies, sermons, and speeches by Bunton as well as essays whose authorship and/or title is unidentified. The majority of these essays are undated. Of interest in this series is Bunton's booklet, <span class=\"title\">The Challenge to Become Involved,</span>the only published writing by Bunton in the series.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20591#c644726'>CHAPLAINCY--UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The CHAPLAINCY, UNITED STATES ARMED SERVICES, 1938-1978, series is composed of papers relating to Bunton, chaplains and prospective chaplains. The series contains correspondence and personal papers relating to Bunton's term as Chaplain. These are arranged chronologically. The series also contains the files of individuals requesting ecclesiastical endorsement for chaplaincy in the armed forces, and include applications with photographs and recommendations. These folders are arranged alphabetically. Other material included in this series are chaplain's reports and correspondence. Of interest is the file devoted to the correspondence of Edward Avery, a Methodist preacher whom Bunton met while in Wales and to whom he was grateful during his chaplaincy there.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20591#c644756'>CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 1871-1989 series is the largest single series of the collection. The subseries within it are Bishopric, Churches, Affiliated Bodies and Activities, and Colleges.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20591#c644976'>GENERAL</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The GENERAL series contains correspondence and printed matter arranged alphabetically by subject. The Letters of Appeal folder contains letters from individuals requesting scholarships and financial aid for education. If the person is a minister requesting such assistance, his/her correspondence will be found in the Ministers folder. The Letters of Appeal folder also contains requests for monetary assistance for churches and relief from disasters. Moreover, it contains correspondence from individuals asking that Bunton pray for them. The Ministers file contains correspondence between Bunton and individual ministers as well as letters about the them. The two largest subjects subdivisions in this series are Civic Organizations and Religious Organizations. These are arranged alphabetically. In the Southern Christian Leadership Conference folder is a letter from the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1957 to Bunton pertaining to the Reverend's schedule of arrival in Memphis to give a speech. The Transfers--Correspondence folder contains letters from, to, and about people who requested transfers between a C.M.E. church and a non-C.M.E. church and from one C.M.E. Church Conference to another.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>Papers organized into five series: I. Personal Papers; II. Writings; III. Chaplaincy, IV. Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, V. General Correspondence</p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Gift of Henry C. Bunton, 1989</p> <p>SCM 89-76</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>The following items were removed from:</p> <p><span class=\"title\">Name of Collection/Papers</span>Henry C. Bunton Papers</p> <p><span class=\"title\">Accession Number</span>SCM 89-76</p> <p><span class=\"title\">Donor:</span>Henry C. Bunton</p> <p><span class=\"title\">Date received:</span>September 15, 1989</p> <p><span class=\"title\">Date transferred:</span>November 1989</p> <p>The item(s) listed below have been sent to the division indicated, either to be retained or disposed of there. Any items that should receive special disposition are clearly marked.</p> <p> <span class=\"title\">Schomburg Library:</span></p> <p><span class=\"title\">The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change Newsletter.</span>April 1974</p> <p>National Urban League. <span class=\"title\">Quick Facts About the Urban League Movement.</span></p> <p>United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. <span class=\"title\">Recent Trends in Social and Economic Conditions of Negroes in the United States.</span>July 1968 (Current Population Reports, Series P-23, No. 26, BLS Report No. 347).</p> <p>Ghana Church Union Committee. <span class=\"title\">Proposed Constitution of the United Church.</span>Accra, Ghana: Ghana Church Union Committee, 1967.</p> <p><span class=\"title\">Intermediate Quarterly.</span>Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. March, April, May, 1984- September, October, November, 1985 and December 1986, January, February, 1987</p> <p>Newbern, Captolia Dent. <span class=\"title\">Preparers of the Lord's Table: Stewardess Handbook of The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.</span>Rev. ed. Memphis: General Board of Publication Services of The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, 1986.</p> <p>The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center. <span class=\"title\">Institute of the Black World: Statement of Purpose and Program</span></p> <p>Stokes, Charles J. <span class=\"title\">Historic Churches of Fairfield County.</span>Westport, Connecticut: County Books, 1969</p> <p>United States Civil Service Commission. <span class=\"title\">Minority Group Employment in the Federal Government.</span>May 1973</p> <p>United States Army Chaplains. <span class=\"title\">Military Chaplain's Review, Homiletics.</span>Spring 1974.</p> <p>United States Army Chaplains. <span class=\"title\">Military Chaplains' Review, Horizons.</span>Summer 1976</p> <p>United States Commission on Civil Rights. <span class=\"title\">Twenty Years After Brown: Equality of Economic Opportunity. A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.</span>July 1975. Third in a series.</p> <p>United States Commission on Civil Rights. <span class=\"title\">Minorities and Women as Government Contractors. A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.</span>May 1975.</p> <p>United States Commission on Civil Rights. <span class=\"title\">The Navajo Nation: An American Colony. A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.</span>September 1975.</p> <p>Horgan, Thaddeus and Gouthro, Arthur F. <span class=\"title\">Parish Ecumenism.</span></p> <p>Chaplain Corps, United States Navy. <span class=\"title\">United States Navy Chaplians Program Support Guide.</span>1974-1975.</p> <p>Lignon, Ernest M. and Smith, Leona J. <span class=\"title\">Let Your Husband Be a Man, and Your Wife a Woman.</span>1960.</p> <p>Vertical File</p> <p>\"A. Philip Randolph: Labor's Grand Old Man.\" Reprinted from May, 1969 <span class=\"title\">Ebony.</span></p> <p>\"For An Accurate Black Count.\" Reprint from January, 1969 <span class=\"title\">Ebony.</span></p> <p> <span class=\"title\">Schomburg Art and Artifacts Division:</span></p> <p>Commemorative coin and key to the city of St. Louis, Missouri</p> <p> <span class=\"title\">Schomburg Photographs and Print Division:</span></p> <p>128 photographs of Bunton, military personnel, churches, congregations, ministers, groups of people, and individuals</p> <p>4 boxes of slides on the New York-Washington Conference, Africa, and the bishops of C.M.E. Church and their wives.</p> <p>Accessioned by: Amal A. Muhammad</p> <p><span class=\"title\">Date:</span>June 1992</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Amal A. Muhammad; Machine-readable finding aid created by Apex Data Services; revised by Terry Catapano.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1871
- keydate
-
1871
- date_end
-
1989
- date_inclusive_start
-
1871
- date_inclusive_end
-
1989
- extent_statement
-
7.4 linear feet (20 boxes)
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"[Item], Henry C. Bunton papers, Sc MG 291, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library"}