Elmer G. Kolb Papers
MHEP.Hist.Mss.030

Summary Information

Repository
Mennonite Heritage Center
Creator
Kolb, Elmer G., 1905-2004
Title
Elmer G. Kolb papers
ID
MHEP.Hist.Mss.030
Date [inclusive]
1930-2003
Extent
8.0 Linear feet (9 boxes)
Language
English
Abstract
Elmer G. Kolb (1905-2004) and his wife Emily Moyer Kolb (1906-1990) were Mennonite mission workers with Franconia Conference in the urban setting of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, beginning in the 1930s. In 1938 Elmer was ordained to the ministry, the first in Franconia Conference to be ordained on the basis of gifts and call, without the drawing of lots. In 1952 he was ordained bishop for the western district of Franconia Conference. From 1961-1971 he served as Secretary of the Conference. Highlights of these papers include: Elmer Kolb's record of his ministerial career and the history of Pottstown Mennonite Church; an exhaustive collection of material related to Pottstown Mennonite Church (opened 1930 and closed 1993), as well as other congregations of the western bishop district of Franconia Conference; correspondence files of Elmer Kolb as Secretary of Franconia Mennonite Conference, 1961-1972 (about 30 folders); audio recordings (cassettes) of significant local meetings, funerals, sermons, etc., 1956-2003.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Mennonite Heritage Center 2011

565 Yoder Road
Harleysville, PA
215.256.3020
library@mhep.org

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • Bethel Mennonite Church (Norristown, Pa.).
  • Bridgeport Mennonite Church (Bridgeport, Pa.).
  • Conshohocken Mennonite Church (Conshohocken, Pa.).
  • Eastern Mennonite College (Harrisonburg, Va.).
  • First Mennonite Church (Norristown, Pa.).
  • Franconia Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities.
  • Franconia Mennonite Conference.
  • King of Prussia Mennonite Fellowship (King of Prussia, Pa.).
  • Mennonite General Conference.
  • Methacton Mennonite Church (Norristown, Pa.).
  • Pottstown Mennonite Church (Pottstown, Pa.).
  • Providence Mennonite Church (Collegeville, Pa.).
  • Upper Skippack Mennonite Church (Skippack, Pa.).
  • Vincent Mennonite Church (Spring City, Pa.).

Genre(s)

  • Clippings files
  • Correspondence
  • Sound recordings

Personal Name(s)

  • Kolb, Elmer G., 1905-2004
  • Kolb, Emily Moyer, 1906-1990

Subject(s)

  • Bible--Study and teaching
  • Mennonite Church--Bishops

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Collection Inventory

Series 1. Ministerial records 

Subseries 1a. Biographical material 

 Box
1		 Folder
1

Subseries 1b. Ministerial record books 
Box Folder

Ministerial record book (photocopy for use) 1938-1949 

 1 2

Ministerial record book (original) 1938-1949 

 1 3
Box Volume

Ministerial record book 1950-1997 

 1 1
Box Folder

Marriage licenses 1938-1969 

 1 4
Box Volume

Mennonite Confession of Faith (inscribed: Elmer G. Kolb) 1931 

 1 2

Mennonite Church Polity (inscribed: Elmer G. Kolb) 1944 

 1 3

Subseries 1c. Sermons 
Box Folder

Sermon outlines 1935-1995 

 2 1-6
Box Volume

Index to sermons/addresses 1960-1995 

 2 1

Illustrations / sermon material 1930-1940 

 2 2
Box Folder

Illustrations / sermon material 1940-1960 

 2 7

Sermons by others 1948-1993 

 3 1-3

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Series 2. Correspondence 
Box Folder

Erb, Paul and Alta Mae Eby (5 letters) 1957-1979 

 3 4

Gray, Harvey B., Williamsport, PA (11 letters) 1963-1968 

 3 5

Guntz, John B. (1 letter, 9 folk art drawings) 1974-1975 

 3 6

Hershey, Tobias K. (7 letters) 1947-1948 

 3 7

Nafziger, Dale and Bethsaba (5 newsletters) 2000-2001 

 3 8

Wenger, John C. (6 letters) 1938-1973 

 3 9

Combined correspondence (A-Z) 

 3 10-12

Family and personal correspondence 1968-2000 

 3 13

Social Security (personal) 1956-1971 

 3 14

Mennonite Mutual Aid membership (personal) 1962-1979 

 3 15

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Series 3. Pottstown Mennonite Church 
Box Folder

General 1930-1991 

 4 1-2

Ministerial ballots 1966-1967 

 4 3-6

Conference announcements to congregation 1943-1954 

 4 7
Box Volume

Sunday School talks (stamped: Menn Gospel Mission, Pottstown) circa 1936 

 4 1

Membership record book (includes history of congregation) 1949-1991 

 4 2
Box Folder

Material related to members (loose papers from membership book) 

 4 8

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Series 4. Franconia Mennonite Conference 

Subseries 4a. Service prior to bishop ordination 
Box Folder

School Study Committee 1944 

 5 1

Young People's Institute 1946-1966 

 5 2

Interviews with Franconia Day School students 1949 

 5 3

Subseries 4b. Bishop for the Western District 
Box Folder

Western District "Small Conference" meetings 1948-1980 

 5 4

Certificates of membership transfer, Western District 1953-1969 

 5 5

Bethel Mennonite Church, Norristown 1963-1972 

 5 6

Bridgeport Mennonite Church 1953-1969 

 5 7

Conshohocken Mennonite Church 1957-1962 

 5 8

First Mennonite Church, Norristown 1955-1973 

 5 9

King of Prussia Mennonite Fellowship 1963-1968 

 5 10

Methacton/Worcester Mennonite Church 1958-1978 

 5 11

Providence Mennonite Church, Collegeville 1955-1969 

 5 12

Upper Skippack Mennonite Church 1957-1980 

 5 13

Vincent Mennonite Church, Spring City 1956-1980 

 5 14

Bishop Board / Executive Committee 1952-1960 

 5 15

High School Constitution Committee 1952 

 5 16

Child Evangelism Conference, Laurelville 1954 

 5 17

Meeting of "Concern Group", Harrisburg, PA 1957 

 5 18

Franconia congregation schism (clippings) 1958 

 5 19

Subseries 4c. Conference Secretary 
Box Volume

Franconia Conference resolutions and actions 1933-1972 

 5 1

Franconia Conference committees and boards 1953-1971 

 5 2
Box Folder

Franconia Conference ordination data 1947-1972 

 5 20

Executive Committee minutes (manuscript, incomplete) 1959-1964 

 5 21

Documents and correspondence 1961-1972 

 5 22

Pastor's Workshop on Family Counseling, Plains April 1961 

 6 1

Mennonite Publishing House issues 1961-1968 

 6 2

Augsburger Crusade Steering Committee July 1962 

 6 3

Meeting with Billy Graham, Philadelphia 30 August 1962 

 6 4

Conference questionnaire responses October 1963 

 6 5

Executive Committee political correspondence 1964 

 6 6

School Study Committee 1964-1965 

 6 7

Discipline revision 1964-1966 

 6 8-10

Study Commission on Church Organization 1966-1970 

 6 11
Box Volume

Study Commission on Church Organization final report 1969 

 6 1
Box Folder

Consultation on the Pastoral Office, Chicago December 1966 

 6 12

"Christian Philosophy of Education" preaching tour 1966-1967 

 6 13

College student survey 1967-1968 

 6 14

Franconia Conference "ferment" 1967-1969 

 6 15

Miscellaneous (broader church) "ferment" 1964-1968 

 6 16

Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Historical Library 1967-1971 

 6 17

Eastern Seaboard Conference, Mt. Joy, PA January 1968 

 6 18

Mennonite college territory negotiations 1968-1969 

 6 19

John Lapp interviews with church councils 1968 

 6 20

Lay delegate appointment responses 1971 

 6 21

Subseries 4d. After retirement as bishop 
Box Folder

John E. Lapp biographical and memorial material 1983-1988 

 6 22

Germantown Mennonite Church expulsion 1997-1999 

 6 23

Subseries 4e. Ministerial Committee / Leadership Commission 
Box Folder

Ministerial Committee 1962-1971 

 6 24-25

Ministers' Retirement Plan 1967 

 6 26

John Lapp interviews with ministers 1967 

 6 27

Leadership Commission 1972-1975 

 6 28

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Series 5. Franconia Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities 
Box Folder

Mission Workers' Quarterly Meetings 1945-1963 

 6 29

Field Worker for FMBMC 1948-1952 

 6 30

Foreign Missions Council of FMBMC 1953-1969 

 6 31

Mexico mission trips (slides) 1959, 1960, 1961 

 6 32

Missionary cards 1960-1970 

 6 33

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Series 6. Mennonite General Conference 
Box Folder

Miscellaneous 1943-1963 

 6 34

Associate Editor, The Christian Ministry 1947-1953 

 6 35

Committee for MGC Statement on Recreation 1961 

 6 36

MGC delegate to Mennonite World Conference, Kitchener, ON 1962 

 6 37

Program Committee, Mennonite General Conference 1965 

 6 38

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Series 7. Eastern Mennonite College 
Box Folder

Special Bible Term instructor 1952-1957 

 6 39

Advisory Committee, Christian Day School Curriculum Project 1956-1958 

 6 40

EMC Advisory Council 1958-1962 

 6 41

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Series 8. Topical files 
Box Folder

Baptism 

 7 1

Biographies 

 7 2-5

Change 

 7 6

Children 

 7 7

Church 

 7 8

Civilian Public Service data / Conscientious Objector literature 

 7 9

Devotional covering 

 7 10

Divorce 

 7 11

False doctrines 

 7 12

History, Mennonite 

 7 13

"A History of Mennonite Costume" draft, Melvin Gingerich 

 7 14

Home 

 7 15

Insurance 

 7 16

Marriage / courtship 

 7 17

Ministry 

 7 18

Miscellaneous 

 7 19

Non-conformity 

 7 20

Non-resistance 

 7 21

Poetry 

 7 22

Programs, general 1946-1979 

 7 23-25

Programs, special services (funerals, weddings, etc.) 1948-2003 

 7 26

Programs, Vincent Mennonite Church 1919-1974 

 7 27

Programs, Pottstown Mennonite Church 1935-1966 

 7 28

Programs, Franconia Conference, ministerial meetings 1938-1971 

 7 29

Programs, Franconia Conference, mission meetings 1935-1974 

 7 30

Programs, Lancaster Conference, Christian Life meetings 1945-1968 

 7 31

Programs, Lancaster Conference, education meetings 1942-1972 

 7 32

Programs, Lancaster Conference, ministerial meetings 1936-1974 

 7 33

Programs, Lancaster Conference, mission meetings 1939-1966 

 7 34

Programs, miscellaneous ministerial meetings 1943-1968 

 7 35

Programs, miscellaneous youth meetings 1941-1968 

 7 36

Sermon material 

 7 37

Youth, Mennonite Young People's Bible Meeting Topics 1934-1944 

 7 38

Topical files (combined) 

 8 1-8

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Series 9. Bible studies 
Box Folder

Bible studies (general) 1939-1977 

 8 9-10

Bible studies, Old Testament 

 8 11

Bible studies, Gospels and Acts 

 8 12

Bible studies, Romans 

 8 13

Bible studies, I and II Corinthians 

 8 14

Bible studies, Galatians-Timothy 

 8 15

Bible studies, Hebrews 

 8 16

Bible studies, James 

 8 17

Bible studies, Peter-Revelation 

 8 18

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Series 10. Clippings 
Box Volume

Emily Kolb clippings (missions related) 1940-1960 

 8 1
Box Folder

Local clippings (non-local discarded) 1950-2003 

 8 19

Gospel Herald clippings 1982-1985 

 8 20

Mennonite Weekly Review clippings 1982-2003 

 8 21-23

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Series 11. Audio recordings 1956-2003  (Bulk, 1971-2000)

Arrangement note

Separate inventory available at http://www.mhep.org/files/inventories/HM030audioinventory.pdf

Box
9

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