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Clyde W. Taylor Papers

 Collection
Identifier: CN 597

Scope and Contents

Correspondence, reports, minutes, lists and other materials mainly relating to a series of Protestant Evangelical international evangelism congresses which Clyde Taylor helped plan and organize between 1966 and 1974. There is also some material about his leadership in the World Evangelical Fellowship.

Dates

  • Created: 1950-1980

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Biographical Information

Full Name: Clyde Willis Taylor

Birth: November 7, 1904, in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Death: June 3, 1988, at his home in Arnold, Maryland

Family:

Parents: Robert S. and Mabel Wassman Taylor

Marital: Status Married Ruth Jean Marstaller on June 7, 1930

Children: Orletta Jean (Gillikin), Clyde Donald, Darlene Elizabeth (Tate), and Carolyn Ruth (Thompson)

Ordination: 1930, in the Baptist Church

Education:

1924 - Graduated with a diploma from Nyack (New York) Missionary Training

1931 - Gordon College, Th.B.

1942 - Boston University, M.A. in Romance Languages and Education

1948 - Western Baptist Theological Seminary, honorary D.D.

1960 - Houghton College, honorary LL.D.

Career:

1925-1927 - Served as a missionary in Peru with the Christian and Missionary Alliance among the Inca and Campa Indians

1931-1941 - Missionary, together with his wife, in Colombia with the Christian and Missionary Alliance

1934 - Founded the Bethel Bible Institute in Colombia

1941-1944 - Pastor of Central Baptist Church in Quincy, Massachusetts, and professor at Gordon College, teaching theology and missions courses

1944-1963 - Secretary of Public Affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). Opened the NAE's Washington office, which remained his base for the next thirty years

1944 - Participated in the founding of the World Relief Corporation (originally an agency of the NAE, called the World Relief Commission)

1944 - Participated in the founding of National Religious Broadcasters

1945-1974 - Executive Secretary of the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association (EFMA)

1947 -Founding member of Americans United for the Separation of Church and States (originally Protestants and Other Americans United for the Separation of Church and State)

1950-1951 - Key participant in the founding of the World Evangelical Fellowship and continued active in the organization for the next twenty-five years.

1963-1976 - General Director of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE

1964-1966 -President of the executive committee, member of the sponsoring committee and the planning committee planning the World Congress on Evangelism, held in Berlin, Germany, October 26-November 4, 1966. Also a delegate to the congress. He presided over the prayer session on October 25 and gave a brief talk on evangelism in the United States on October 29.

1966?-1975 - Missions Secretary, later International Secretary of the World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF). Served as member of the board of the USA board of WEF for many years and ran the WEF's Washington office until at least 1979.

1967?-1969 - Member of the planning committee for Congreso Latino Americano de Evangelizacion (CLADE), the First Latin American Congress on Evangelism. Also co-president of the Congress, which met in Bogota, Columbia from November 21-30, 1969.

1971-1974 - Member of the executive committee and the planning committee for the International Congress on World Evangelization (ICOWE) held in Lausanne Switzerland, July 16-25, 1974. He was also a delegate to the congress.

Other significant information:

1958 - Alumnus of Year, Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts, USA

1960 - Centennial Award, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, USA

1963 - Received World Christian award from Protestants and Others United for Separation of Church and State

Visited approximately one hundred countries on behalf of the WEF and EFMA

Served on the boards of numerous colleges and mission agencies, as well as on other organizations, such Youth for Christ International and the American Bible Society

Served on the governing board of Taylor University of Indiana for thirty-nine years

Authored Ecumenical Strategy in Foreign Missions (1960), A Glimpse of World Missions (1960), and Evangelicals Examine Ecumenicity (1963), Protestant Missions in Latin America: A Statistical Survey (1961) [co-editor with Wade E. Coggins], Mobilizing for Saturation Evangelism (1969) [with Wade E. Coggins]

Extent

3.0 Linear Feet (6 Boxes (DC), Audio Tapes, Photographs)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement of Material

[Note: In the Arrangement section, the notation “folder 2-5" means “Box 2, Folder 5"]

The materials in this collection document Taylor participation as a leader in international efforts of cooperation between Protestant Evangelicals, particularly in the area of evangelism. Taylor was usually participating as a representative of the World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF), of which he was a significant leader for many years and of the Evangelical Foreign Mission Association (EFMA). The records in this collection, which were given to the Archives by his widow, cover only a small fraction of Taylor’s life and ministry, mainly dealing with the significant Evangelical congresses and conferences of the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. These congresses built on each other’s work and often involved the same participants. The collection also has some materials from the early history of the WEF in the 1950s. The materials are in the order that the Archives received them. In a few cases, folder titles were supplied by the archivist.

*****

Series: Audio Tapes

The following items are located in the AUDIO TAPE FILE; request by Tape number (in bold) at the beginning of each entry below.

Tape 1. Catalyst, Vol VI, Number 6. An audio magazine for Christian leaders distributed via audio cassettes. Includes reports on the amnesty debate, the minister’s family and the charismatic renewal. Side 1 also has a n interview with Carl Henry and Clyde Taylor about the International Congress on World Evangelization. 90 minutes, Cassette tape, 2 sides. October 1974.

Tape 2. Interview of Dr. Everett Graffam about the development and relief work of the World Evangelical Fellowship and the growth of the “Third World” church in Africa, Asia and South America. 30 minutes. Cassette tape, 1 side. January 26, 1979.

*****

Series: Photographs

The following items are located in the PHOTO FILE; request by folder title (in bold) at the beginning of each entry below.

BGEA: BERLIN CRUSADE. Close up of Billy Graham preaching and Peter Schneider interpreting. October 16, 1966. 1 b&w.

CLADE - USA. Scenes from the Congreso Latino Americano de Evangelismo - USA, held in San Antonio October 26 through November 1, 1970. Scenes show various speakers (including Taylor and Juan Isais) and the rally in front of Municipal Hall on November 1, 1970. 11 b&w.

TAYLOR, CLYDE. Picture of participants in August 27-September 4, 1969 Consultation on Saturation Evangelism, held in Leysin, Switzerland. Taylor is standing in the very back. 1969. 1 b&w.

*****

Series: Paper Records (Box List)

Paper records are organized into the following sub-series.

Sub-series: World Congress on Evangelism Files

Arrangement: Alphabetical by folder title

Date Range: 1962-1967

Volume: 1.0 cubic foot, Boxes: 1-3

Geographic Coverage: Worldwide

Type of Documents: Memos, minutes, correspondence, questionnaires, lists of possible participants

Correspondents: Dennis Clark, Wade Coggins, Kenneth Downing, Arthur Glasser, Carl Henry, Samuel Hepburn, Dick Hillis, Sidney Langford, Rolf McPherson, W. Stanley Mooneyham, Victor Nelson, Everett S. Phillips, John Poorter, W. Dayton Roberts, Eugene L. Smith, David R. Talbott, Gregorio Tingson, Robert Van Kampen, George Wilson

Subjects: Program of the congress, the significant Evangelical leadership in various parts of the world

Notes: Taylor served on the executive committee of the congress and was very involved in generating names of possible invitees. His files deal many with participant selection, but there are also materials on the general planning of the meeting, the papers delivered in Berlin, and reaction to and results of the Congress

Exceptional Items: Folder 1-1 includes correspondence, reports from the meeting in Limuru, Kenya, which founded the Association of Evangelicals of Africa and Madagascar. The meeting preceded the Berlin Congress.

Folder 1-2 contains notes on the very early preliminary planning meeting held in 1964 where Graham met with 40 mission and church leaders in Chicago.

Folder 1-3 includes report on possible venues for the congress

Folder 2-2 contains various ideas for follow-up regional congresses to the Berlin meeting and reports on reactions to the congress. It also contains a printed report on the congress that seems to have been done by the congress staff.

Folder 2-3 has materials relating to drafts of the programs for the congress, Taylor’s report on evangelism in the US, the 1963 All Africa Christian Youth Assembly, talks between Evangelicals and World Council of Churches congregations about ecumenicalism and church unity, correspondence between Art Glasser and Eugene Smith of the United Methodist church on the state of the contemporary missionary movement.

Folder 2-4 includes a report on the meeting from several sources, including denominational publications and Newsweek magazine. It also contains several of the congress’ press releases.

Folder 2-5 has transcripts of a few of the papers given during the meeting.

Folder 1-5 includes correspondence about who to invite, who were significant Evangelical leaders around the world at the time, lists of invitees (delegates and observers, alternates, speakers, staff, etc.)

Folders 2-6 through 3-7 contain cards and lists for various people invited to the congress or proposed for an invitation. These lists are not complete.

Folder 3-8 contains the text of “The Why Generation”, a presentation about evangelism to young people shown to the congress on November 1.

*****

Sub-series: International Congress on World Evangelization

Arrangement: Alphabetical by title

Date Range: 1972-1974

Volume: .6 cubic feet, Boxes: 3-4

Geographic Coverage: Worldwide

Type of Documents: Correspondence, questionnaires, participant lists, reports, press releases, statistics, programs, minutes

Correspondents: Hudson Armerding, Wade Coggins, A. Jack Dain, Billy Graham, Victor Nelson, Harry B. Williams

Subjects: Evangelical Protestant leaders in 1974 around the world, the International Congress on World Evangelization

Notes: These files reflect Taylor’s participation in the planning of the 1974 congress. They deal almost exclusively with participant selection, although there are a few minutes that reflect the general work of the planning committee. There is almost nothing from the Congress itself.

Exceptional items: Folders 3-9, 3-10, 3-11, 3-13 and 4-9 all have charts with lists of people recommended to be delegates or observers, with some information about them. Folders 3-14, 4-1, 4-9 also include brief personal questionnaires filled out by many Evangelical leaders at the request of Taylor.

Folder 3-12 contains correspondence with Billy Graham and other members of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). The folder has information about past world congresses, suggestions for the next one and the relationship of the 1974 congress to the WEF. Letters to and from Billy Graham are closed during his life time and have been temporarily removed form the folder.

Folder 3-14 includes a copy of the Lausanne Covenant

Folder 4-1 lists of various possible participants, including lists of possible African American delegates, also many notes and reports on possible committee members, staff, and speakers, graph showing by continent and country how many from each country and the different types of participants.

Folder 4-2 contains letters, memos and other information on the development of the 1969 CLADE, recommendations from Hudson Armerding on the development of a worldwide Evangelical network.

Folders 4-2 through 4-5 contain minutes and other documents of the planning committee for the congress. Folder 4-5 includes reports from the different departments of the congress staff and suggestions for the continuation of the congress’ work after it adjourned.

*****

Sub-series: World Evangelical Fellowship Files

Arrangement: Alphabetical by significant word Date Range: 1950-1980 Volume: .4 cubic feet Box: 5 Geographic coverage: Worldwide, especially Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia Type of documents: Correspondence, reports, newsletters, minutes, notes, financial statements Correspondents: Ben Armstrong, Philip Armstrong, Eugene Bertermann, Everett Cattell, A. Jack Dain, Elizabeth Evans, Carl Henry, James Johnson, Frank J. Kline, Rene Panche, Clate A. Risley, C. Stacey Woods, J. Elwin Wright Subjects: Organization of the WEF, the organizing of their general assemblies, cooperation between Evangelical organizations around the world and removal of causes of friction, coordination of religious broadcasting, Christian literature, the growing influence of African and Asian churches Notes: Taylor was a key officer of WEF during most of its early history and that is reflected in these files. These appear to be only a small portion of the files he must have had. (See also Collection 338.) These files are concerned with the origins of the WEF (including the gathering of information from various mission and indigenous Christian leaders about what the proposed Fellowship should do), reports on the Evangelical fellowships and churches in various countries and regions of the world, the coordination of efforts in areas such as evangelism, Christian literature, radio broadcasting

Exceptional items: Folder 5-2 includes reports from the world trip by Wright and Taylor in 1950-1951 to visit Evangelical churches in the Near East, India, Hong Kong and the Philippines, among other places. The purpose of the trip was to lay the groundwork for the WEF. The reports discuss cooperation between Evangelical mission agencies, needs that a world fellowship would meet, the formation of individual fellowships in various countries.

Folder 5-1 documents the attempt of WEF to start a Christian Education department, which did not, however, generate enough support to sustain itself.

Folder 5-7 contains reports from Evangelical fellowships in the Philippines (by Jun Vencer), Thailand, Spain

Folder 5-8 includes correspondence about plans to form a commission to be concerned with the needs and activities of Evangelical broadcasters around the world

Folder 5-10 has notes and overheads for a talk on the structure and purpose of WEF as well as reports from meetings about religious broadcasting.

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Sub-series: Conference Files

Arrangement: Alphabetical

Date Range: 1967-1974

Volume: .4 cubic feet, Box: 6

Geographic coverage: United States, Latin America

Type of Documents: Correspondence, programs, news releases, minutes of meetings, lists of participants, papers given at congress

Correspondents: Willys K. Braun, Arthur Climenhaga, Ted Engstrom, H. O. Espinoza, Paul Fryhling, Billy Graham, Richard Halverson, Oswald Hoffman, Carlos Lastra, Horst Marquardt, Victor Nelson, George Peters, C. Richard Shumaker, Herbert J. Taylor, Conrad Thompson, George M. Wilson, T. W. Wilson

Subjects: Strategies of evangelism, evangelism programs around the world, especially in North and South America

Notes: These are files from various conference Taylor was involved with, usually as a planner as well as a participant. Files generally deal with the planning and program of each event. Meeting for which there are files include the U. S. Congress on Evangelism (September 8-13, 1969), Consultation on Saturation Evangelism (August 27-September 4, 1969), and CLADE-USA (First Latin America Congress on Evangelism, October 26-November 1, 1970)

Exceptional items: Folder 6-4 includes papers on evangelism programs in various parts of the world, including Nigeria, Korea, Latin America, India, and a summary of the Evangelism-in-Depth program. Papers are by Edward F. Murphy, Horace Fenton, David C. E. Liao, Gerald Swank, H. Paul Ko, W. Scott Nyborg, Rollin Reasoner.

Accruals and Additions

The materials in this collection were given to the Billy Graham Center Archives by Ruth Marstallar Taylor in March 1992.

Accession 92-29

November 1, 2006

Bob Shuster

K. Hayward

Title
Collection 597 Papers of Clyde W. Taylor
Author
Bob Shuster
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Roman Script

Repository Details

Part of the Evangelism & Missions Archives Repository

Contact:
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630-752-5910