Electronic Guide to the Elmer E. Burtner Papers
Prepared by Kristen D. Turner and Mark C. Shenise, Associate Archivists
United Methodist Archives and History Center
General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church
2/12/2002
Overview of Collection
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| Record Creator: |
Burtner, Elmer E. |
| Title: |
Elmer E. Burtner Papers |
| Date Span: |
1910-1923 |
| Abstract: |
Elmer Edward Burtner (1881-1923) was a Church of the United Brethren in Christ minister. This collection contains sermons,
manuscripts, correspondence, and biographical material.
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| Extent: |
1.0 Cubic foot |
| Resource ID:
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gcah.ms.2661 |
Biographical Note
Elmer Edward Burtner (1881-1923) was a Church of the United Brethren in Christ minister. He attended Shenandoah Institute
in Dayton, Virginia, and received a B.A. from Otterbein College in 1906. Burtner also received a B.D. (1909) and M.A. (1910)
from Yale Divinity School. He earned a Ph.D. from Otterbein College in 1918. In 1910, he married Maude Truxall.
Burtner was ordained in 1909 by the Congregational Church, and preached during college. After graduation, he began a pastorate
at the First Congregational Church in Missoula, Missouri. He later served the Congregational Church in Spokane, Washington.
In September 1915, Burtner transferred his membership to the Southeast Ohio Conference of the Church of the United Brethren
in Christ. He served in Westerville, Ohio, from 1915 to 1923.
Scope Note
This collection contains sermons, manuscripts, correspondence, and biographical material on Elmer E. Burtner. The largest
part of this collection consists of sermons which document his ministerial career as a Congregationalist and a Church of the
United Brethren in Christ pastor. There are approximately 375 sermons. Most are not dated. The sermons have been grouped
by text reference, topic, title, and fragments. Topics that Burtner addressed in his sermons included the Bible, Christians
in the world, church work and the nature and criticisms of, communion and Christmas, evangelism, missions, education, youth,
interchurch relations, the ministry, pastoral subjects, temperance and prohibition, and World War I. The sermons on the Bible
were preached at the College Church in Westerville, Ohio, during the fundamentalist controversy of 1921-1922. They attracted
widespread attention in the church. There are five manuscripts written by Burtner on religious topics. "The Immanence of
God" is 112 handwritten pages. "The Problem of Evil" is seventy-one typed pages. Both papers may have been written by Burtner
while he was attending school. He also took continuing education classes with N. E. Cornetet at Otterbein College. Burtner
wrote three papers for these classes. The topics of these papers are Gideon, Nehemiah, and Hebrews. The correspondence contains
a single letter written in 1914 on prohibition. It is addressed to the Congregationalist and discusses the prohibition views
of Washington Gladden. This letter is decidedly for prohibition and against liquor trafficking. The biographical materials
include a marriage certificate, a memorial tribute, and a family photograph. The marriage certificate is from his 1910 marriage
to Maude Truxall. The memorial tribute entitled, "Memorial to a Man of God," is sixty pages and contains biographical information,
testimonials to his life and work, and sermons by Burtner. It was prepared by a committee of the Wagoner Memorial Bible Class
of the United Brethren Church in Westerville, Ohio. Finally, there is a black and white photograph of Burtner and his three
brothers, Otto, Weldon, and Luther.
Arrangement
Materials have been arranged in the following manner.
Materials in this collection have been organized by record types. Sermons were divided by book of the Protestant Bible, topic,
title, and fragments. Sermons that had clear text references were arranged by book of the Bible and then by chapter and verse.
Burtner grouped many of his sermons together by topic, and the original order of his topical sermons has been maintained.
Sermons in this category are arranged first by book of the Bible, including chapter and verse, and then alphabetically by
sermon title. Titled sermons are those that contain no text reference. These are arranged alphabetically. Finally, those
sermons that were partials and incomplete were grouped as fragments..
Preferred Citation
When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file folder,
Elmer E. Burtner Papers, United Methodist Church Archives - GCAH, Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the item's call
number as that is not a stable descriptor.
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding this collection.
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Subject Terms
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Subject Names - Personal |
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:Burtner, Luther. |
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:Burtner, Otto |
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:Burtner, Weldon |
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:Cornetet, N. E |
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:Gladden, Washington |
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Subject Names - Corporate |
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Congregationalists |
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Subject Topics |
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Church work |
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Communion sermons |
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Education |
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Evangelistic work |
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Ministry |
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Missions |
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Modernist-fundamentalist controversy. |
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Prohibition |
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Temperance |
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World War, 1914-1918 |
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Youth |
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Subject Geographic |
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Ohio. |
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Genre |
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Certificates |
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Correspondence. |
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Manuscripts |
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Memorials |
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Photographs |
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Sermons |
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Occupations |
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Minister. |
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 1306-2-3:
1
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Sermons: Genesis |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
2
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Sermons: Numbers |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
3
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Sermons: Judges |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
4
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Sermons: I Samuel |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
5
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Sermons: II Samuel |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
6
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Sermons: I Kings |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
7
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Sermons: Job |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
8
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Sermons: Psalms |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
9
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Sermons: Proverbs |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
10
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Sermons: Ecclesiastes |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
11
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Sermons: Ezekiel |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
12
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Sermons: Daniel |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
13
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Sermons: Hosea |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
14
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Sermons: Amos |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
15
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Sermons: Zechariah |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
16
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Sermons: Matthew |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
17
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Sermons: Mark |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
18
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Sermons: Luke |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
19
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Sermons: John |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
20
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Sermons: Acts |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
21
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Sermons: Romans |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
22
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Sermons: I Corinthians |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
23
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Sermons: II Corinthians |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
24
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Sermons: Galatians |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
25
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Sermons: Ephesians |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
26
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Sermons: Philippians |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
27
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Sermons: Colossians |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
28
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Sermons: I Timothy |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
29
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Sermons: II Timothy |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
30
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Sermons: Titus |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
31
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Sermons: Hebrews |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
32
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Sermons: James |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
33
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Sermons: I Peter |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
34
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Sermons: II Peter |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
35
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Sermons: I John |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
36
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Sermons: Bible |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
37
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Sermons: Christians in the World |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
38
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Sermons: Church Work (nature and criticisms of) |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
39
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Sermons: Communion and Christmas |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
40
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Sermons: Evangelism, Missions, Education, Youth |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
41
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Sermons: Interchurch Relations |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
42
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Sermons: Ministry |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
43
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Sermons: Pastoral Subjects |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
44
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Sermons: Temperance and Prohibition |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
45
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Sermons: World War I |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
46
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Sermons: A-C |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
47
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Sermons: D-G |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
48
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Sermons: H-L |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
49
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Sermons: M-R |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
50
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Sermons: S-U |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
51
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Sermons: V-Y |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
52
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Sermons: Untitled |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
53
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Sermons: Fragments |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
54
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Manuscripts: "The Immanence of God" |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
55
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Manuscripts: "The Problem of Evil" |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
56
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Manuscripts: Continuing Education Papers |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
57
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Correspondence |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
58
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Marriage Certificate |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
59
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Memorial Tribute |
Undated |
| 1306-2-3:
60
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Photograph |
Undated |
