Bartholomew, Alfred C. (1919- 2013)

Collection

Identifier: Ms. Coll. 410

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Alfred C. Bartholomew (1919-Oct. 31, 2013) collection contains biographical and genealogical information, pastoral records, photographs, news clippings, dissertation, correspondence, sermons and reports. Honduras Mission. Instituto Evangelica, 1962. Committee on Rural Evangelism in Japan 1958

Dates

Creation: 1942 - 2007

Biographical / Historical

Dr. Bartholomew was born in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania to his parents, Edwin J. and Meda Wenner Bartholomew. He married Joyce Studenmund who died in 1995. They had a son, Alan Alfred (deceased), a daughter, Jocelyn Alida Bartholomew Sugimoto, a son, Philip and seven grandchildren. Dr. Bartholomew and his wife were members of First Reformed United Church of Christ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA) he went on to receive his Bachelor of Divinity degree from the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical and Reformed Church (now Lancaster Theological Seminary) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. degree from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Bartholomew was ordained by the Evangelical and Reformed Church and served Pleasantville E & R (later United Church of Christ) in Chalfont, PA for seven years. He was elected Professor of Church and Community at Lancaster Theological Seminary, serving in that position for twenty-two years before being appointed General Secretary for the Division of World Service of the United Church of Christ Board for World Ministries in New York City for twelve years. Dr. Bartholomew also served a chairperson of Church World Service and also as chairperson of CODEL, an ecumenical development partnership which included Roman Catholic and Protestant organizations for which he received special recognition by Pope John Paul II. He also served on a number of boards of international nongovernmental agencies. Following his retirement he served as interim pastor in eleven congregations and taught rural church courses in the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Greece, India, Ghana, and Honduras. Because of his interest in rural church development he was also appointed as administrator for the ministry to agricultural migrants for the Pennsylvania Council of Churches. Another of his interests was the issue of Union Churches (Reformed and Lutheran) which lead to his appointment as negotiator for the United Church of Christ in discussions with the Evangelical Lutheran Church about the future of union churches.