United Society of Believers, Mount Lebanon, New York, Central Ministry Records, 1804-1943

Scope and content

Records include drafts of covenants and related discussions by Thomas Damon, Giles B. Avery and Harvey Eades (1860 1887); general circulars issued by the Ministry on debt and finances (1864 1870); and correspondence from Pleasant Hill and South Union, Kentucky (1862), and Union Village, Ohio (1872). Included in the financial records are Ministry accounts; records on Sodus Bay, Mount Lebanon, and Watervliet, New York; and legislative petitions, correspondence and real estate records pertaining to the closing and sale of Harvard and Shirley, Massachusetts, Watervliet, New York, Whitewater, Ohio, and South Union, Kentucky (1910 1920). Historical and theological works include testimonies about Ann Lee, a biography of Lucy Wright by Calvin Green, and theological treatises by Calvin Green, Seth Y. Wells and Giles B. Avery. Visions from the period of Mother Ann's work are recorded in volumes and booklets collected by or copied for the Ministry (1837 1856). Six of the booklets contain drawings attributed to Eleanor Potter. Other records pertaining to the Mount Lebanon Ministry are located in the Mount Lebanon Church Family Trustees' records and the Canterbury, New Hampshire, Ministry’s records. Organization: The records are divided into the following series: 1) Journals 2) Covenants and regulations 3) Correspondence 4) Legal and financial records 5) Shaker history, biography and theology 6) Visions

Historical notes

Father Joseph Meacham established the first Shaker Ministry at New Lebanon , New York, in 1788. The Lebanon Ministry was the ultimate source of authority in the government of the Shaker Church. Meacham and his successors appointed subordinate local Ministries to supervise the formation of new Shaker communities and to attend to their well being. Each Ministry had one or more communities under its care. Communities united under a Ministry constituted a Bishopric. Ministries established rules and regulations. They appointed the primary family leaders and maintained a general oversight of both temporal and spiritual affairs. In addition to supervising the local Ministries, the Lebanon Ministry had direct care of the communities of the New Lebanon Bishopric — the societies at New Lebanon and Watervliet, New York, and when the Ministry at Groveland, New York, was disbanded in 1859, it too became part of the New Lebanon Bishopric. The Lebanon Ministry was composed of two men and two women. The primary leaders were referred to as “Elder” and “Eldress” and their assistants as “Brother” and “Sister.” The first leaders were Father Joseph Meacham and Mother Lucy Wright. When Eldress Rosetta Stephens was released from the Ministry of February 12, 1846, the Mount Lebanon closed. The Central Ministry moved to Hancock, Massachusetts, and in 1957, to Canterbury, New Hampshire. The Central Ministry was dissolved with the death of Eldress Bertha Lindsay on October 3, 1990.