Muntz,
J. Palmer; 1897-1992
Papers;
1947-1986, n.d.
2 Boxes, Audio
Tapes, Photographs (1.076 cubic feet)
Restrictions
There
are no restrictions on the use of this collection.
Brief
Description
Correspondence,
newspaper clippings, a book manuscript, a film script, tapes of sermons and
speeches, and other items which describe Muntz's early career as director of
the Winona Lake Bible Conference, the early development of the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association and the criticism it received, the careers of Billy
Sunday and other evangelists. There are also several sermons on Christian prophecy
and evangelism to the Jewish people.
Full name |
J. Palmer Muntz |
|
Birth |
March 20, 1897 |
|
Death |
April 29, 1992 in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. |
|
Family |
||
|
Parents |
Rev. John and P. Libbie Landefeld Muntz |
|
Siblings |
|
|
Marital Status |
In 1922 he married Laura E. Wedekindt |
|
Children |
Ernest, J. Richard, Howard O., and Carrie O. |
Conversion |
|
|
Ordination |
Ca. 1921 |
|
Education |
||
|
1917 |
Graduated from State University of New York's College of Teachers |
|
1921 |
Graduated from Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois, USA |
|
1923 |
Graduated with a Th.M. from the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary of Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was one of the first, if not the first, to receive a master’s degree in theology from the seminary. |
|
1927 |
Graduated with a B.A. from the University of Buffalo, New York, USA |
Career |
||
|
1917-1919 |
Instructor at the Black Rock Vocational School |
|
1918 |
Served in the U.S. Navy |
|
1922-1924 |
Pastor of Baptist Church of Chaffee, New York, USA |
|
1924-1963 |
Pastor of the Cazenovia Park Baptist Church in Buffalo, New York, USA until his retirement |
|
1939-1958 |
Director of the Winona Lake Christian Assembly in Indiana. |
|
1949-1950 |
President of the Conservative Baptist Association |
|
1957-1959 |
Vice-president of the American Association for Jewish Evangelism |
|
1957-1959 |
Chairman of the board of directors of the World Evangelical Fellowship |
Other significant information |
||
|
He grew up in Buffalo, New York, and spent many summers at the Montrose Bible Conference in Pennsylvania. |
|
|
Muntz received honorary degrees from various institutions in the United States, including Wheaton College in Illinois, Taylor University in Indiana, Biola College in California, and Asbury College in Kentucky. |
|
|
One of the Muntz’s main responsibilities of as director of the Winona Lake Christian Assembly was to arrange each summer for well-known and respected Fundamentalist and Evangelical leaders to address the assembly. While serving as director, he played a part in the founding of Youth for Christ International in 1944-1945. |
|
|
Served on the advisory council member of the World Radio Fellowship and Child Evangelism Fellowship, as well as many other posts in other evangelistic or missionary societies. |
|
|
After his retirement, he moved to King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. |
|
[NOTE: In the Scope and Content description, the notation "folder 2-5" means box 2, folder 5.]
Series:
I. Paper Records
Arrangement:
Alphabetical by folder title, the titles having been supplied by the Archives
staff.
Date
Range: 1947-1978
Volume:
.8 cubic feet
Boxes:
1-2
Geographic
coverage: United States
Type
of documents: Correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, a book
manuscript, brochures, form letters, and a movie script.
Correspondents:
Gerald Beaven, Leighton Ford, Donald E. Hoke, R. T. Ketchem, Paul Maddox, J.
Palmer Muntz, Walter H. Smyth
Subjects:
Protestant Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism; Winona Lake Christian Assembly;
Billy Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA); Billy and
Helen Sunday; William Bell Riley; Harry Rimmer
Notes:
This series consists of a few folders of material given to the archives by Dr.
Muntz from his private papers. Most of the information in the collection relates
to Billy Graham but there is also data about Helen Amelia "Ma" Sunday, Harry
Rimmer, and William Bell Riley, among others.
Exceptional
items:
Scattered
throughout the collection is a great deal of information about Billy Graham
and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). Some of the most interesting
information is in folder 1-1, which contains articles, letters, and brochures
by Fundamentalist Protestants who were critics of Graham, basically because
of his willingness to accept the help of liberal pastors and Roman Catholics
who were willing to participate in a BGEA crusade. There are copies of correspondence
between BGEA staff member Gerald Beaven and R. T. Ketchem of the Baptist
Bulletin about these complaints, critiques by John R. Rice and Bob Jones,
Jr., several items by G. Archer Weinger attacking the supposedly ecumenical
characteristics of the 1958 San Francisco Bay Cities Crusade, and a paper attacking
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship because of its support of Graham.
Folder 2-4 contains
ephemera such as newsletters or pamphlets from various BGEA crusades, including
the 1950 Atlanta Crusade, the 1950 Greater Portland Gospel Crusade, the 1957
New York Crusade, the 1959 Australia and New Zealand Crusades, and the 1960
African tour. Particularly interesting are the mimeographed notes dated 1956
from BGEA staff members Betty Lowry and Willis Haymaker about how to handle
publicity, finances, prayer, tickets, minister and church participation, auditorium
arrangements, transportation, platform arrangements, etc., for the 1956 Buffalo
rallies. There are numerous photographs of the Buffalo meetings in the photo
file and several newspaper clippings in the clippings file. Also in the folder
are transcripts of talks Graham gave at Wheaton College in 1956. Folder 2-4
also contains some brochures describing the BGEA's early film ministry. More
information on the film ministry, originally called Billy Graham Evangelistic
Films but later changed to World Wide Pictures, can be found in folder 2-4.
Folder 2-5 contains several
form letters from BGEA associate evangelist Leighton Ford which describe his
evangelistic campaigns. Folder 2-3 contains newspaper clippings describing the
1958 "J. Palmer Muntz Day" held in Winona Lake, Indiana, to mark Muntz's retirement
from the post of director of the Winona Lake Christian Assembly. Billy Graham
was the principal speaker. Folder 1-2 has a few letters about Muntz's participation
in the work of the Billy Graham Center.
Folder 2-1 and 2-2
contain a photocopy of a book manuscript by Mignon Brandon Rimmer in which she
describes the life of her husband, Harry Rimmer, evangelist, debater, and Bible
teacher. It includes lengthy excerpts from his letters to her written while
he was traveling.
Folders 1-5 and 1-8 contain
documents about the careers of Billy Sunday and his wife, Helen. Westminster
Films premiered Twenty Years With Billy Sunday in 1956, a film made with
the cooperation of Sunday's long-time co-worker Homer Rodeheaver. Folder 1-5
contains a copy of the director's script for the film and some correspondence
about its origins and purpose. Also in folder 1-8 is a manuscript of a talk
Mrs. Sunday gave in 1947 in which she talked about her husband and his work.
The folder also contains one of her letters giving a portion of her very busy
speaking schedule, an article about her life, and an address preached in her
memory in Buffalo, New York, by Muntz in February 1957.
There are a few other
miscellaneous items of interest in the collection, such as the program for the
funeral service of William Bell Riley (folder 1-7) and reports on the National
Prayer Breakfasts held in Washington D.C. in 1954 and 1973 (folder 1-6). Photographs
in the collection include pictures of R. G. LeTourneau and R. G. Lee, along
with dozens of photographs of various prominent Christian leaders who spoke
at the Winona Lake Christian Assembly.
*****
Series:
II. Audio Materials
Arrangement:
Chronological, with undated material last
Date
Range: 1953-1986, n.d.
Volume:
2.76 cubic feet
Geographic
coverage: United States, Israel
Type
of documents: Audio recordings of sermons, speeches, a dinner, reminiscences
about Billy Sunday
Subjects:
Evangelism, Bible studies, Christian prophecy, evangelism to the Jewish people
Notes:
These were tapes belonging to Rev. Muntz which he donated to the Archives. Many
but not all were from meetings at the Winona Lake Christian Assembly. Several
of the later ones are from the 1986 annual conference of International Ministries
to Israel (formerly the American Association for Jewish Evangelism). The location
record for audio tapes describes the contents of individual tapes in more detail.
Provenance
The
materials for this collection were received by the Center in March 1980 and
March 1981 from J. Palmer Muntz. A list of books from this collection given
to the BGC Library is available upon request.
Accession 80-45, 81-27
February 19, 1981
Robert Shuster
A. Peterson
B. Pietra
November 23, 1981,
revised
Robert Shuster
J. Malone
J. Nasgowitz
June 22, 1993, revised
M. L. Larson
Acc. 93-106
August 29, 2007,
updated
Bob Shuster
K. Haywood
Item# - Reel or cassette, speed, length in minutes, number of sides, contents (title of session, participants) according to the program, date.
# |
R/C |
speed |
length |
Sides |
Contents |
Dates |
T3 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter: The Ephesian Doctrine of the Holy Spirit #1 |
7/25/1953 (?) |
T4 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter: The Ephesian Doctrine of the Holy Spirit #2 |
7/25/1953 |
T5 |
C |
-- |
64 |
-- |
Homer Rodeheaver - 20 Years With Billy Sunday: Tape One |
8/9/1953 |
T6 |
C |
-- |
24 |
-- |
Homer Rodeheaver - 20 Years With Billy Sunday: Tape Two |
8/9/1953 |
T7 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. Walter Wilson: Micah 6:1 Hear What the Lord Says |
8/28/1953 |
T8 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. J. Palmer Muntz: Hallelujah |
823/1954 |
T9 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. Clyde Taylor: Today’s Church Under Fire |
8/28/1955 |
T10 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. Harry Von Bruch: The 7 Story Christian Life |
9/8/1955 |
T11 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. Harry Von Bruch |
9/12/1955 |
T1 |
R |
7.5 |
32 |
1 |
Sermon by Billy Graham, probably at the Winona Lake Christian Assembly. Graham gave a brief description of the upcoming 1957 crusade in New York City and then preached about the Sermon on the Mount. NOTE: The signal on this tape and tape T2 has bled almost completely through to the other side, so in order to make usable copies, the tapes were rewound backwards and inside out on their reels. Thus, when the tapes are duplicated, side two of the duplicated cassettes contains the message. |
1956 |
T2 |
R |
7.5 |
32 |
1 |
Conclusion of sermon on T1 |
1956 |
T12 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. John Walvoord: Lessons From the Upper Room |
1958 |
T13 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. Charles Feinberg: World Upheaval. Conservative Baptist Association |
1958 |
T14 |
C |
-- |
-- |
|
Dr. Lehman Strauss: Prophecy of the Jew |
4/20/1958 |
T15 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. V. Raymond Edman: The Three Crosses |
7/13/1958 |
T16 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr. Herman Hoyt: unfinished message |
7/22/1958 |
T17 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. J. Palmer Muntz Day: Beginning of Program #1 NOTE: Some overlap on each tape |
8/17/1958 |
T18 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
J. Palmer Muntz Day: Hour of Decision Broadcast #2 NOTE: Includes some history of Winona |
8/17/1958 |
T19 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. J. Palmer Muntz Day #3 NOTE: Some overlap on each tape |
8/17/1958 |
T20 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. J. Palmer Muntz: The Preeminence of Christ |
11/1958 |
T21 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. J. Palmer Muntz: Christ the Creator |
11/1958 |
T22 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. Herman B. Centz: Israel |
1/14/1959 |
T23 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Don F. McKechnie: Sir, I Have No Man |
8/26/1959 |
T24 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr. John Walvoord: Judas Iscariot |
8/26/1959 |
T25 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Carl Gunderson: Matthew 5:10-21 |
8/27/1959 |
T26 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter: Pentecost and Today |
10/16/1959 |
T27 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter: Where Are Our Departed Dead? |
10/19/1959 |
T28 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. Lehman Strauss: The Date of Christ’s Death |
1960 |
T29 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. Lehman Strauss: Love One Another |
1961 |
T30 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. J. Palmer Muntz: What We Owe the Jews |
1961 |
T31 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. J. Palmer Muntz: Where Is Heaven? |
9/2/1961 |
T32 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr. Walter Wilson: The Sweet Pea Psalm |
1962 |
T33 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Alex B. Stein: Jesus-Conquered or Conqueror? |
8/1962 |
T34 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr. William F. Kerr: God’s Chosen People-2nd Coming |
8/1962 |
T35 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Rev. Ralph Gade: Whom Say Ye That I Am? |
8/30-31/1962 |
T36 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. William F. Kerr: God Still Loves His Own |
8/30/1962 |
T37 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. Herman Hoyt: 7 Aspects of Daniel’s Prophecies |
8/30/1962 |
T38 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr Nathan Stone: Jehovah Jireh |
8/31-9/1/1962 |
T39 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Myron Augsburger: Not Blotted From the Book of Life |
9/2/1962 |
T40 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr. Nathan Stone: God Heals |
9/2-3/1962 |
T41 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr. Bruce Dunn: The Kingdom of the World |
9/3-4/1967 |
T42 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1:Dr. Herman Hoyt: 42nd Conference, International Ministries
to Israel (IMI) |
8/10-14/1986 |
T43 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
42nd
Conference, IMI: |
8/11-12/1986 |
T44 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
42nd
Conference, IMI: |
8/10-12/1986 |
T45 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
42nd
Conference, IMI: |
8/13/1986 |
T46 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
42nd
Conference, IMI: |
8/14-15/1986 |
T47 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
42nd Conference, IMI: Annual Banquet |
8/15/1986 |
T48 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
42nd Conference, IMI: Dr J. Vernon McGee |
8/16/1986 |
T49 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
42nd Conference, IMI: Side 1: Dr Bruce
Button |
8/17/1986 |
T50 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr. L. L. Grub: Will Israel Have a Day of Atonement? |
n.d. |
T51 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Rev Russell Purdy: Paul Defends His Ministry |
n.d. |
T52 |
C |
-- |
-- |
|
Ernest L. Laycock: Matthew 5:17 |
n.d. |
T53 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr. Walter Wilson: The Person God is Looking For |
n.d. |
T54 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. A.W. Tozer: By the River Chebar |
n.d. |
T55 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. Gerald Stover: Translation of the Saints |
n.d. |
T56 |
C |
-- |
-- |
2 |
Side
1: Dr. R. G. Lee: The Man of God and His Reward |
n.d. |
T57 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. R. G. Lee: Christ’s Seven Sayings From the Cross |
n.d. |
T58 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. R. G. Lee: Things Unthinkable From the Standpoint of the Cross |
n.d. |
|
T59 |
C |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Dr. James McGinley: The Social Gospel Today |
n.d. |
LOCATION
RECORD
Accession:
80-45, 81-27
Type
of material: Photographs
The following items are located in the PHOTO FILE; request by folder title (in bold) at the beginning of each entry below.
ANKERBERG,
FLOYD. 1 b&w.
ARMERDING,
CARL. 2 b&w.
AVALONE,
RONNIE. 1 b&w.
BGEA:
BUFFALO RALLIES: BILLY GRAHAM--BUFFALO, NEW YORK; DEC. 13-14, 1956. 21
b&w.
BOWMAN,
ROBERT. 1 b&w.
BRADBURY,
JOHN W. 1 b&w.
BRITTON,
HOMER. 1 b&w.
BRUSHWYLER,
VINCENT. 1 b&w.
CEAREMAN,
AUGUSTUS S. 1 b&w.
CENTZ,
HERMAN B. 3 b&w.
CODER,
S. MAXWELL. 2 b&w.
COMMONS,
HAROLD T. 2 b&w.
DAVIS,
EUGENE. 1 b&w.
DODD,
M. E. 1 b&w.
EDMAN,
ELNER A. 1 b&w.
ELSNER,
THEODORE. 1 b&w.
EVANS,
WILLIAM. 2 b&w.
FERRIN,
HOWARD W. 1 b&w.
FLEECE,
G. ALLEN. 3 b&w.
FORTNA,
RAY D. 1 b&w.
GOODWIN-HUDSON,
A. W. 1 b&w.
GRAHAM,
WILLIAM FRANKLIN "BILLY". Billy Graham alone and with Lynn An Peterson,
George Wilson, and Grady Wilson; 1956, n.d. 4 b&w.
HARRISON,
E. MEYERS. Eugene Meyers. 1 b&w.
HEPBURN,
HENRY. 1 b&w.
HOUGHTON,
WILL HENRY. 2 b&w.
HU,
BETTY. 1 b&w.
JARVIS,
WILFRED L. 1 b&w.
JOHNSON,
EDWIN L. 2 b&w.
JONES,
ROBERT R. "BOB", SR. 1 b&w.
KEYES,
KENNETH S. 1 b&w.
KING,
ALFRED A. 2 b&w.
LAURIN,
ROY L. 1 b&w.
LEE,
ROBERT GREENE. Robert Greene Lee and J. Palmer Muntz. 1 b&w.
LETOURNEAU,
ROBERT GILMORE. Robert G. LeTourneau and J. Palmer Muntz. 2 b&w.
LINDSEY,
ALBERT J. 2 b&w.
LOCKYER,
HERBERT. 1 b&w.
LOCKYER,
HERBERT JR. 1 b&w.
LOVELESS,
WENDELL P. 1 b&w.
MANNING,
ERNEST C. Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Manning. 2 b&w.
MASON,
CORETTA. 2 b&w.
MASSEE,
JASPER CORNELIUS. 1 b&w.
MCCOMB,
JOHN HESS. 2 b&w.
MCKAY,
DONALD M. 1 b&w.
MICKELSON,
PAUL. 1 b&w.
MUNTZ,
J. PALMER. J. Palmer Muntz alone; with Billy Graham, Buffalo, New York,
NAE Convention, 1957; and with Robert C. LeTourneau. 4 b&w.
NORDLAND,
CHAUNCEY B. 1 b&w.
PARSONS,
ROBERT. 1 b&w.
PEALE,
NORMAN VINCENT. 1 b&w.
PEARSON,
LAWRENCE. 2 b&w.
PENNEY,
JAMES CASH. 1 b&w.
PURDY,
F. RUSSELL. 1 b&w.
ROSELL,
MERVIN E. 1 b&w.
SACHS,
ELMER B. 1 b&w.
SEARLE,
R. RICHARD. 1 b&w.
SEARS,
CEDRIC. 1 b&w.
SKINNER,
HOWARD M. 3 b&w.
SMITH,
JOHN TAYLOR. 2 b&w.
SMITH,
WILBUR M. 3 b&w.
SPENCER
FAMILY. 1 b&w.
SUNDAY,
HELEN AMELIA THOMPSON. Helen A. Sunday alone, with Billy Sunday, and
with J. Palmer Muntz (August 19, 1951). 6 b&w.
THOMAS
WALKER, SR. T. W. Wilson. 1 b&w.
TROUP,
JOCK. 1 b&w.
VOELKEL,
HAROLD. 1 b&w.
WALLIS,
REGINALD. 2 b&w.
WATSON,
ERNEST. 1 b&w.
WHITNEY,
HAROLD J. 1 b&w.
WINONA
LAKE CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY. Scenes around Winona Lake including various
buildings, and photos of meetings at Winona Lake, including the 50-year anniversary
meeting in 1944. 49 b&w.
Box # |
Folder |
Description |
1 |
Correspondence |
|
1 |
Criticisms of Billy Graham; 1951-1957, n.d. |
|
2 |
Hoke, Donald Edwin; January, 1977 |
|
3 |
Madder, Paul J.; February, 1952 - June, 1957 |
|
4 |
Smyth, Walter Herbert; January, 1951 - June, 1960 |
|
5 |
Westminster Films; March, 1956 - February, 1957 |
|
Ephemera |
||
6 |
National Prayer Breakfast; 1954, 1978 |
|
7 |
Riley, William Bell; 1947 |
|
8 |
Sunday, Helen Amelia Thompson; August, 1947 - February, 1957, n.d. |
|
2 |
Manuscripts |
|
1 |
"Fire Inside: A Biography of Harry Rimmer," chapters 1-20; n.d. |
|
2 |
"Fire Inside: A Biography of Harry Rimmer;" n.d. |
|
Newspaper Clippings |
||
3 |
J. Palmer Muntz Day; August, 1958 |
|
Reports and Form Letters |
||
4 |
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; 1950-1968, n.d. |
|
5 |
Ford, Leighton; March, 1957, October, 1962 |
|
6 |
Winona Lake Bible Conference; 1951 |
|
7 |
Youth for Christ International; 1954-1960 |
|