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

Scope and Content Series: Executive director's files

Arrangement: Files are arranged by director, then alphabetically by folder title, based on the significant word in the title. For example, "Winter Appeal, 1977" would be filed under "A", with the other appeal files. The materials were received by the Archives in a somewhat disordered state and the files were alphabetized by the archivist, because this appeared to reflect the original order. Most of the folder titles are original, a few were assigned by the archivist.

Date Range: 1894-1984

Volume: 8.4 cubic feet Boxes: 1-20, 46

Geographic coverage: United States, Italy, a very few from other countries such as the Philippines

Type of documents: Correspondence, manuscripts of articles and conference speeches, reports, pamphlets

Subjects: Activities of the mission, critiques of Roman Catholic theology and practice from a Protestant perspective, influence and power of the Roman Catholic Church in American society

Notes: The collection contains only the files of the last two executive directors, although a few folders contain materials from Walter Montano, who preceded Garver.

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Series: Executive Director's Files

Subseries A: Stuart P. Garver

Arrangement: Alphabetical by folder title, based on the significant word in the title

Date Range: 1894-1978 (most of the documents are from 1950-1978)

Volume: 6.6 cubic feet Boxes: 1-16

Geographic Coverage: United States, Philippines Correspondents: Howard Ferrin, James K. Montgomery, Kenneth Opperman

Notes: Garver's files are especially concerned with the production of the mission's magazine, fund-raising, the scheduling of speakers at churches and conferences, the production of films, pamphlets and other means of carrying the mission's message.

There are several topical folders of material (usually containing only one or two items) about the Roman Catholic Church and its relations to Protestants.

Boxes 2 through 9 contain Garver's general correspondence and give a good idea of the work of the mission. The correspondence tends to be in several sets of folders, covering a chronological period. These sets were kept together and arranged chronologically.

Exceptional items: Folders 2-3 through 2-6 contain materials from the April 1960 Buck Hill Falls, Pennsylvania conference. At this meeting, which was organized by Christ's Mission, several leading Fundamentalist and Evangelical Protestants got together to discuss Roman Catholic doctrine and the influence of the Catholic Church in the United States. Among the participants were Donald G. Barnhouse Sr., Louis H. Benes, Geoffrey W. Bromley, Terrelle B. Crum, Harry Denman, Frank E. Gaebelein, James Leo Garrett Jr, Stuart Garver, Carl Henry, Oswald C. J. Hoffman, John H. Kromminga, John Alexander Mackay, Harold John Ockenga, Bernard L. Ramm, Harold Paul Sloan, Clyde W. Taylor. The files contain transcripts of the discussion, as a well as an article about the conference that appeared in Christianity Today magazine. See also audio tapes T3-T8 and film F3.

Folders 9-8 through 9-12 contain scripts, correspondence, and other materials relating to production of Christ Missions's films, including The Hidden Power, Menacing Shadows, The One True Church, and 95.

Folder 13-9 contains a few clippings relating to questions of some Protestant churchmen as to whether a Catholic president could resist the influence of the Catholic Church hierarchy.

Folder 13-11 contains a report by Kenneth Opperman on his meeting with Pope Paul VI. The historical materials file (folder 10-1) contains a wide range of miscellaneous material on the mission's history, including several early pamphlets about the work of James A O'Connor, information about the celebration of various anniversaries, and notes, apparently for use in the magazine or in a history of mission, on the lives of the men who served as directors of the mission.

For more information on the early history of the mission, see folders 10-2, 13-12, 19-8. Folders through 16-8 contain hundreds of press releases statements and other documents from the Vatican press office relating to the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, popularly known as Vatican II. These are statements from the Vatican about the various activities and subgroups of the council, as well as speeches and statements by Pope John XXIII and various cardinals and bishops. The documents cover sessions of the council in 1962, 1963 and 1964.

There are also statements from the Federal Protestant Council of Italy and a few articles about the Vatican Council. These are good records for the day-to-day activities of the Vatican II. Apparently Christ's Mission had someone there as a press representative or asked someone on the Federal Protestant Council to send materials.

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Series: Executive Director's Files Subseries: B. Royal L. Peck

Arrangement: Alphabetical by folder title

Date Range: 1954-1984 (almost all the documents are from 1978-1984)

Volume: 1.8 cubic feet

Boxes: 17-20, 46

Geographic Coverage: United States, Italy

Correspondents: Clyde Taylor

Notes: The files for Royal L. Peck are many concerned with staff policy, fund-raising, and a shift in emphasis from work within the United States to sending teams to evangelize and plant churches in the Latin area of Europe, especially Italy. The files contain very little on the final dissolution of the mission. There are also newsletters from other Evangelical organizations and related groups which Peck apparently kept for reference.

Exceptional Items: Folder 19-8 contains material on the history of the mission

Folders 17-23 through 18-4 and 19-12 through 20-2 contain a great deal of information on the development of the Centurion project, which was to send teams of short-term missionaries to the Latin area of Europe (Italy, France, Spain) to evangelize and start churches. This had developed out of Peck's experiences on similar teams in Italy in the mid-1970s. The documents in the files trace the origins of the project and contain many of the team members prayer letters to supporters, describing their activities.

Folder 20-10 contains information on Peck's ministry in Italy before he came to Christ's Mission.

Folder 18-5 contains the letter set out to CM supporters when the magazine Christian Heritage was discontinued.

Folder 19-6 contains fund raising letters and ideas which Peck had gathered from other Evangelical organizations.

Folder 46-6 contains the paper Peck gave at the 1980 Consultation on World Evangelization on "Reaching Nominal Christians Among Roman Catholics." (Folder 46-15 and 46-16 contains some Lausanne newsletters, as well as newsletters of World Evangelical fellowship).

Folder 46-9 contains the secretary's notebook which, lays out the rules for handling various significant events in the life of Christ's Mission, such as the annual banquet and the board of trustees meeting.

Folder 46-13 has articles and memos about the impact of political terrorism on missionary work.

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Series: Ex-Priest Files

Arrangement: First few files in box 20 are on the work with ex-priest in general and are arranged alphabetically. The rest of the files are arranged alphabetically by the name of the individual.

Date Range: 1921-1977

Volume: 10.2 cubic feet

Boxes: 20-45

Geographic Coverage: United States, Europe, South America

Type of Documents: Correspondence, memos

Notes: Files consist almost entirely of files of correspondence and other materials from individual ex-priests (and in a few case, ex-nuns), dealing with the kind of help and counseling Christ's Mission could provide.

There are a few general folders (in box 20) on policies and arrangements for providing assistance to ex-priests. In some cases, the mission helped the ex-priests immigrate to the United States. Some of the ex-priests became Protestant ministers and speakers for the mission, in which case their files often have some information about their speaking engagements.

Many files contain autobiographical statements or testimonies both as to the individual's reasons for leaving the Catholic Church and a description of his faith in Jesus Christ. Many articles also contain articles by or about the individual of the folder. Exceptional items: Folder 38-7 contains a friendly letter from a priest who is definitely not leaving the church and who gives a sympathetic critique of the mission's work.

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Series: Board of Directors Files

Arrangement: Alphabetical by title. (The minutes and accompanying reports which were originally kept in blue notebooks were removed by the archivist and placed in files labeled "Minutes and materials")

Date Range: 1933-1984

Volume: 3.8 cubic feet

Boxes: 47-55 Geographic coverage: United States, Italy

Type of Documents: Minutes, reports, audits, correspondence Subjects: History, programs, governance and finance of Christ's Mission Notes: These files consist of material relating to the governing board of the mission, apparently kept together by Royal Peck. Besides minutes of meetings and reports of the executive director and other staff members, there are financial records such as budgets and audits; correspondence with board members; reports on the activities of ex-priests sponsored by the mission; reports on properties owned by the mission.