The Patti B. Russell Archives of the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church
Our Mission
Preserving the records of this historic conference is the task of the Conference Archives.
The mission of the Virginia Conference Archives, the official repository for archival materials owned by the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, is: to collect and preserve the historically significant records of the conference and its agencies, including information relating to the origin and history of the conference and its antecedents; to provide permanent safekeeping of the historical records of abandoned and discontinued churches in the bounds of the annual conference and its antecedents; to maintain a fire-safe historical and archival depository, and to see that all items that obviously will have value for future history are properly preserved therein; and to provide for the ownership of real property and to receive gifts and bequests.
Contributions of records, books, objects, photographs and memorabilia directly related to the history of the Virginia United Methodist Conference will be accepted at the discretion of the Archivist. Please see the donation request form below to contact the Archivist about your donation.
The Archives cannot accept Items in poor condition, items that are not directly related to the history of the Virginia Conference, Bibles, Conference Journals, Hymnals, Disciplines, Sermon Notes, or Bible Concordances, former Methodist or Evangelical United Brethren archival materials.
Helpful Hints:
The Archives will serve as the official repository of materials produced by the agencies, boards, commissions, committees, and general officers of the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
At the discretion of the Archivist, the Archives will collect materials, memorabilia, and artifacts related to the history of Virginia Methodism, the Virginia Annual Conference and its antecedents, and any related Virginia history.
Archives are further defined as “documents, minutes, journals, diaries, reports, pamphlets, letters, papers, manuscripts, maps, photographs, books, audiovisuals, sound recordings, artifacts, electronic data processing records, or any other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics.”
As stated in the 2008 Book of Discipline, para. 2548:4 “All the deeds, records, and other official and legal papers, including the contents of the cornerstone, of a church that is so declared to be abandoned or otherwise discontinued shall be collected by the district superintendent in whose district said church was located and shall be deposited for permanent safekeeping with the commission on archives and history of the annual conference.”
Archives of merged or closed churches are the responsibility of the successor churches.
Local church and district archives are the responsibility of the respective churches or districts.
Personal papers of persons associated with the conference and its activities will be accepted at the discretion of the archivist.
Rarely, when records contain information of a confidential nature, restrictions may be placed on their use at the time they are deposited.
The Archives will not accept any gift until the donor has signed a Deed of Gift agreement.
In the case of material transferred from agencies, boards, commissions, committees and general officers of The Virginia Conference, a Transfer of Materials form will replace the Deed of Gift.
In the event that an accessioned item is no longer relevant to the purpose of the Archives, broken beyond repair, cannot be properly cared for, is stolen/lost beyond the hope of recovery, or is a duplicate beyond standards set for the collection, the Archivist will deaccession the item.
Loans will be made at the discretion of the Archivist.
Due to space limitations, duplicates will be dealt with at the discretion of the Archivist.
The Commission on Archives and History of the General United Methodist Church shall be the official custodian of the Archives of The Virginia Conference and shall oversee the operation of the Archives
The Archivist does not conduct genealogical research but can provide some data on ordained members of the Virginia United Methodist Conference.