This building will, we trust, hereafter be the depository of all the records of Methodism which we desire to hand down to future generations, the depository of all its history. We trust it will be the historical center of Methodism.
Such was Dr. John McClintock's vision of Drew's library, expressed at the opening of the newly-founded seminary in November, 1867.
Today the United Methodist Archives and History Center at Drew contains the largest collection of Methodist materials in the world, and certainly the most comprehensive of all such collections. It is rich in the manuscripts of John Wesley and his associates and in the letters and papers of early bishops, theologians and circuit riders of the several branches of the Methodist family of churches around the globe. The collection is particularly strong in the documents of global Methodism.
Methodist studies at Drew
From the beginning until now Drew's theological faculty has aimed to put these resources to good use by educating lay and clergy leaders about Methodism's historical legacy and contemporary dynamics. Generations of scholars have shared their findings with members of congregations and church governing bodies as well as with the academy.
Our orientation
- United Methodist. Though the United Methodist Church and its predecessor bodies have a certain prominence, the school supports study and research dealing with the African Methodist churches and the Methodist churches that emerged out of the holiness movement in the nineteenth century.
- Global. While there is emphasis on the American context, the program deals with the world-wide family of churches in the Methodist tradition.
- Multicultural. The program is committed to studying and documenting the interaction among varied Methodist constituencies and urges participation by women and racial/ethnic scholars with a focus that includes a minority point of view.
- Interdisciplinary. Courses and research proposed by the program examine Methodist materials and traditions in their social and cultural settings.
Our program of study
You can learn more about Drew's Methodist Studies at Drew by visiting these links:
- Foundation courses certifying candidates for ordination in the United Methodist Church.
- Advanced seminars on special topics and themes for upper-level seminarians and graduate students; for example, on American and British Methodism, the theology of John and Charles Wesley, and worship in the Methodist tradition.
- Lectureships, conferences, publications, exhibitions, and acquisition, cataloging and preservation of important collections documenting the three centuries of Methodist experience.
The Florence Ellen Bell Center for Methodist Studies
The Center was founded in 1995 by a generous gift of Dr. William A. Tieck, TS class of 1942, honoring New York area Methodist laywoman Florence Ellen Bell. The Center's goal is to support and encourage research and scholarly publication in Methodist studies, and to educate lay and clergy leaders.
Each year the Center appoints a distinguished scholar-in-residence to undertake research in the Methodist Archives and to teach an advanced seminar in Methodist studies.
Kenneth C. Rowe
Professor of Church History and Methodist Librarian
The Theological and Graduate Schools
Drew University