Guide to the Thelma Marcella Randall Papers
Mark C. Shenise, Associate Archivist
United Methodist Archives and History Center
General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church
(Published for the African American Methodist Heritage Center)
2018-07-06
Overview of Collection
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| Record Creator: |
Randall, Thelma Marcella |
| Title: |
Thelma Marcella Randall Papers |
| Date Span: |
1971-2015 |
| Abstract: |
Thelma Marcella Randall Simms (?-?), was an active United Methodist layperson in the Baltimore-Washington area in both the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference and Locust United Methodist Church. Thelma also participated in the support for African American United Methodist causes and identity throughout the larger denomination via the Black Methodists for Church Renewal Caucus (BMCR). Almost all the records within Randall’s collection documents BMCR justice ministries throughout the connectional structure of the denomination. |
| Extent: |
3.44 cubic feet |
| Identification: |
aamc.ms.gcah5730 |
Biographical Note
Thelma Marcella Randall Simms (?-?), was an active United Methodist layperson in both the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference and Locust United Methodist Church. Randall became interested in education as a teacher whose career began as a Howard County, Maryland, Head Start teaching assistant and later as a teacher at an unidentified school district.
She became active in the support for African American United Methodist causes and identity throughout the larger denomination. This justice commitment is manifested in her involvement with the Black Methodist for Church Renewal Caucus (BMCR) by attending almost every national, regional and annual conference Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) meeting between 1978 and 2015. It appears that she did not serve on any of the national committees but she was a voting member by virtue of her being part of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference BMCR delegation. This is also true of her Northeast Jurisdiction BMCR relationship as well. But she did serve in leadership capacities at both the annual conference and local church levels. The rest of the records reflect her professional career; church related publications; few local news clippings and documents from surrounding local churches.
Scope and Content Note
Almost all the records within Randall's collection documents the United Methodist Church related Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) caucus throughout the connectional structure of the denomination. Here the researcher will find a non-extant, uneven quantity of meeting records including reports, minutes, programming, worship, supporting documents, and church agency promotions from the national organization down to the annual conference level. There are a number of meeting materials from the Northeast Jurisdiction as well. Though Randall did not hold an office in the national organization, she did hold offices in the Baltimore and later the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference. One can see how closely the inter-connectivity of the work and messaging BMCR does in order to become an effective voice for African American identity within United Methodism. The Audio and Audio-Visual Subseries contain recordings of events at a number of BMCR national meetings ranging from key speakers and worship services.
The second series contains records related to the former Baltimore and present day Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference connection. The annual conference records are primarily from yearly meetings. The remaining records are from the Locust United Methodist church which documents not only Randall’s work within the church but other official records reflecting the ministry of the church. Both subseries contain minutes and reports.
The rest of the collection is located under the Miscellany Series which includes scattered records of her teaching career. Randall collected items from other area local churches along with various church and local news related publications, her photograph and ephemera.
Arrangement
Materials have been arranged in the following manner.
Series: Black Methodists for Church Renewal - BMCR
subseries: National Organization
subseries: Northeast Jurisdiction
subseries: Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference
subseries: Audio and Audio Visuals
Series: Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference Connection
subseries: Annual Conference
subseries: Locust United Methodist Church
Series: Miscellany records
Preferred Citation
When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file folder, Thelma Marcella Randall Papers, African American Methodist Heritage Center - 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.
Use Access
Detailed use restrictions relating to our collections can be requested from the office of the archivist at the General Commission on Archives and History. Photocopying is handled by the staff and may be limited in certain instances. Before using any material for publication from this collection a formal request for permission to publish is expected and required.
Related Material
Charlotte A. Meade Papers.
Records of the United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
Records of the Mission Education and Cultivation Program Department of the General Board of Global Ministries.
Records of the Women's Division of the General Board of Global Ministries.
Records of the National Division of the General Board of Global Ministries.
Administrative records of the Division of General Welfare of the General Board of Church and Society.
Administrative records of the Division of Human Relations and Economic Affairs of the General Board of Church and Society.
Administrative records of the Division of Ministry of God's Human Community of the General Board of Church and Society.
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Index Terms
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Subject Terms
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African American Methodists |
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African American choirs |
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Black Methodists for Church Renewal |
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Black Methodists for Church Renewal--History |
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Concerts |
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Human rights |
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Justice |
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Local church |
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Race relations - Religious aspects |
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Social Gospel |
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Social justice |
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Women, Methodist |
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Worship |
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Geographic Terms
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Maryland |
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United States |
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Subject Names - Person
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Carroll, Phenola V. |
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Subject Names - Corporate Bodies
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United Methodist Church (U.S.) |
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Genre Terms
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Annual reports |
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Artifacts |
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Audiocassettes |
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Brochures |
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Clippings |
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Directories |
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Essays |
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Histories |
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Leaflets |
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Liturgies |
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Minutes |
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Pamphlets |
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Periodicals |
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Publications |
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Reports |
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Videocassettes |
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Occupation Terms
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Educator |
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Added Names - Persons
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Allen, Maxine |
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Caldwell, Gilbert H. |
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Caldwell, Kirbyjon H. |
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Edelman, Marian Wright |
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Felder, Cain Hope |
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Harton-Dalton, Geneva |
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Holmes, Zan Wesley |
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Kosh, Kevin |
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May, Felton Edwin |
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McClain, William Bobby |
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Moore, Elijah |
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Shockley, Grant Sneed |
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Stewart, Carlyle Fielding |
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Thompson, Barbara Ricks |
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Titus, Phylemon |
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Waters, Lydia |
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White, Woodie Walter |
Series: Black Methodists for Church Renewal - BMCR
Sub-series: National Organization
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2411-4-8:
1 |
11th Annual Meeting - Jackson, Mississippi |
1978 |
| 2411-4-8:
2 |
12th Annual Meeting - Detroit, Michigan |
1979 |
| 2411-4-8:
3 |
13th Annual Meeting - Atlanta, Georgia |
1980 |
| 2411-4-8:
4 |
14th Annual Meeting - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
1981 |
| 2411-4-8:
5 |
15th Annual Meeting - Saint Louis, Missouri |
1982 |
| 2411-4-8:
6 |
16th Annual Meeting - Los Angeles, California |
1983 |
| 2411-4-8:
7 |
17th Annual Meeting - Cleveland, Ohio |
1984 |
| 2411-4-8:
8 |
18th Annual Meeting - Greensboro, North Carolina |
1985 |
| 2411-4-8:
9 |
19th Annual Meeting - Dallas, Texas |
1986 |
| 2411-4-8:
10 |
20th Annual Meeting - Boston, Massachusetts |
1987 |
| 2411-4-8:
11 |
21st Annual Meeting - Oakland, California |
1988 |
| 2411-4-8:
12 |
22nd Annual Meeting - Chicago, Illinois |
1989 |
| 2411-4-8:
13 |
23rd Annual Meeting - Nashville, Tennessee |
1990 |
| 2411-4-8:
14 |
25th Annual Meeting - Las Vegas, Nevada |
1992 |
| 2411-4-8:
15 |
26th Annual Meeting - Cincinnati, Ohio |
1993 |
| 2411-4-8:
16 |
27th Annual Meeting - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
1994 |
| 2411-5-1:
1 |
28th Annual Meeting - Charleston, South Carolina |
1995 |
| 2411-5-1:
2 |
29th Annual Meeting - Saint Louis, Missouri |
1996 |
| 2411-5-1:
3 |
30th Annual Meeting - Chicago, Illinois |
1997 |
| 2411-5-1:
4 |
31st Annual Meeting - Oakland, California |
1998 |
| 2411-5-1:
5 |
32nd Annual Meeting - Baltimore, Maryland |
1999 |
| 2411-5-1:
6 |
33rd Annual Meeting - Winston-Salem, North Carolina Folder 1 |
2000 |
| 2411-5-1:
7 |
33rd Annual Meeting - Winston-Salem, North Carolina Folder 2 |
2000 |
| 2411-5-2:
1 |
33rd Annual Meeting - Winston-Salem, North Carolina Folder 3 |
2000 |
| 2411-5-2:
2 |
34th Annual Meeting - Houston, Texas Folder 1 |
2001 |
| 2411-5-2:
3 |
34th Annual Meeting - Houston, Texas Folder 2 |
2001 |
| 2411-5-2:
4 |
35th Annual Meeting - Indianapolis, Indiana Folder 1 |
2002 |
| 2411-5-2:
5 |
35th Annual Meeting - Indianapolis, Indiana Folder 2 |
2002 |
| 2411-5-2:
6 |
36th Annual Meeting - Los Angeles, California Folder 1 |
2003 |
| 2411-5-2:
7 |
36th Annual Meeting - Los Angeles, California Folder 2 |
2003 |
| 2411-5-3:
1 |
37th Annual Meeting - Atlantic City, New Jersey Folder 1 |
2004 |
| 2411-5-3:
2 |
37th Annual Meeting - Atlantic City, New Jersey Folder 2 |
2004 |
| 2411-5-3:
3 |
37th Annual Meeting - Atlantic City, New Jersey Folder 3 |
2004 |
| 2411-5-3:
4 |
38th Annual Meeting - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
2005 |
| 2411-5-3:
5 |
39th Annual Meeting - Dallas, Texas |
2006 |
| 2411-5-3:
6 |
40th Annual Meeting - Cleveland, Ohio |
2007 |
| 2411-5-3:
7 |
41st Annual Meeting - Los Angeles, California Folder 1 |
2008 |
| 2411-5-3:
8 |
41st Annual Meeting - Los Angeles, California Folder 2 |
2008 |
| 2411-5-3:
9 |
42nd Annual Meeting - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
2009 |
| 2411-5-3:
10 |
43rd Annual Meeting - Jacksonville, Florida |
2010 |
| 2411-5-3:
11 |
44th Annual Meeting - New Orleans, Louisiana |
2011 |
| 2411-5-4:
1 |
46th Annual Meeting - Itasca, Illinois |
2013 |
| 2411-5-4:
2 |
47th Annual Meeting - Saint Louis, Missouri |
2014 |
| 2411-5-4:
3 |
48th Annual Meeting - Orlando, Florida |
2015 |
Sub-series: Northeast Jurisdiction
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2411-5-4:
4 |
NEJ BMCR Annual Meetings |
1979-1987 |
| 2411-5-4:
5 |
NEJ BMCR Annual Meeting |
1988 |
| 2411-5-4:
6 |
NEJ BMCR Annual Meeting |
1989-1999 |
| 2411-5-4:
7 |
NEJ BMCR Annual Meetings |
2000-2003 |
| 2411-5-4:
8 |
NEJ BMCR Annual Meeting |
2004 |
| 2411-5-4:
9 |
NEJ BMCR Annual Meeting |
2005 |
| 2411-5-4:
10 |
NEJ BMCR Annual Meeting |
2006 |
| 2411-5-5:
1 |
NEJ BMCR Annual Meetings |
2007-2010 |
| 2411-5-5:
2 |
NEJ BMCR Annual Meeting |
2011-2014 |
| 2411-5-5:
3 |
NEJ BMCR Documents |
Undated |
Sub-series: Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2411-5-5:
4 |
BAC BMCR Annual Meeting |
1980 |
| 2411-5-5:
5 |
BAC BMCR Annual Meetings |
1982-1989 |
| 2411-5-5:
6 |
BAC and BWAC BMCR Annual Meetings |
1990-1999 |
| 2411-5-5:
7 |
BWAC BMCR Annual Meetings |
2000-2003 |
| 2411-5-5:
8 |
BWAC BMCR Annual Meetings |
2004-2015 |
Sub-series: Audio and Audiovisuals
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2411-5-7:
26 |
Africa University: Graduates in Action |
Undated |
| 2411-5-7:
27 |
Igniting Ministry General Conference |
2004 |
| 2411-5-7:
28 |
Welcome to UMC.org |
Undated |
| 2411-5-7:
29 |
The Black College Fund: Instruments of Change |
Undated |
| 2411-5-7:
30 |
Enlightenment: Because Knowledge is Power |
2008 |
Series: Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference Connection
Sub-series: Annual Conference
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2411-5-5:
9 |
BAC Annual Meetings |
1980-1988 |
| 2411-5-5:
10 |
BWAC Annual Meeting |
1993 |
| 2411-5-6:
1 |
BWAC Annual Meeting |
1997 |
| 2411-5-6:
2 |
BWAC Annual Meetings |
1998-2006 |
Sub-series: Locust United Methodist Church
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2411-5-6:
3 |
Locust UMC Documents |
1981-1995 |
| 2411-5-6:
4 |
Locust UMC Documents |
1999 |
| 2411-5-6:
5 |
Locust UMC Documents |
2000-2004 |
Series: Miscellany Records
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2411-5-6:
6 |
Teaching Career |
1980-2004 |
| 2411-5-6:
7 |
Publications |
1987-2012 |
| 2411-5-6:
8 |
Local Churches |
1983-2001 |
| 2411-5-6:
9 |
Photograph |
Undated |
| 2411-5-6:
10 |
Ephemera |
1971-2004 |
| 2411-5-6:
11 |
Artifacts |
Undated |
