Papers of James Edward Lesslie Newbigin

Papers of Lesslie Newbigin comprising personal and family correspondence, 1936-1998; official correspondence, 1919-1998; correspondence and papers relating to publications and research of Newbigin and associates of his, 1935-1997; sermons, 1955-1997; addresses, lectures and associated papers, circa 1952-1996; floppy discs, 1995-1998; print outs from floppy discs, 1995-1998; photographs, 1934-circa 1970s; audiocassettes made/acquired by Newbigin, 1979-1998; press cuttings, 1961-1996; artefacts, 1938; printed pamphlets and printed editions of papers, addresses and lectures of Newbigin, circa 1955-1997; and audiocassettes associated with the life and work of Newbigin, 1996-1998.

The papers relate to the personal and professional affairs of Newbigin, and contain material relating to his experiences as a Church of Scotland missionary in Southern India, the establishment of the Church of South India (CSI) in 1947, and his subsequent CSI appointments, his Secretarial positions on the International Missionary Council and the World Council of Churches, his academic career at Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham, his ministry at the Winson Green United Reformed Church, Birmingham, and his publications. The correspondence relating to the personal affairs of Newbigin includes material relating to family matters, and the personal affairs of Newbigin's associates.

James Edward Lesslie Newbigin was a Presbyterian Church of Scotland missionary in Madras (Chingleput and Kancheepuram) from 1936-1946. He played a formative role in the establishment of the Church of South India in 1947 and on its foundation was appointed Bishop of Madras and Ramnad. From 1959-1965 he was General Secretary of the International Missionary Council and then the World Council of Churches, before returning to episcopal work as Bishop of Madras, 1965-1974. From 1974-1979 he taught and researched at Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham. He was also Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church. He was the author of a substantial number of publications.

Reference: University of Birmingham, Online Archive Catalogue ( http://calmview.bham.ac.uk/ ). Accessed April 2002.

The collection is arranged into the following series: personal and family correspondence, official correspondence, correspondence and papers relating to the publications and research of Lesslie Newbigin and associates of his, sermons, addresses, lectures and associated papers, floppy discs, print outs from floppy discs, photographs, audiocassettes made/acquired by Newbigin, press cuttings, artefacts, printed pamphlets and printed editions of papers, addresses and lectures of Newbigin, and audiocassettes associated with the life and work of Newbigin. Thereunder files are largely arranged chronologically .

Open. Access to parts of this collection is restricted. Some files contain embargoed items and these have been removed form the files: see relevant series and file level records in the catalogue at http://calmview.bham.ac.uk/ for further details. All papers held at the Orchard Learning Resources Centre will be viewed at the Birmingham University Information Services, Special Collections Department. Please contact the University Archivist for further information.

The main deposit of papers was made by Lesslie Newbigin in July 1992. A later deposit was made by his son in November 1999 after his father's death.

Please see online catalogue for further details.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the University Archivist, Special Collections. Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Following the merger of the Selly Oak Colleges and the University of Birmingham in 1999 the custodial ownership of collections belonging to the Selly Oak Colleges and held at the Orchard Learning and Resource Centre (OLRC) was transferred to the University. These collections now form part of the University's Special Collections Department and are available for consultation at the Main Library on the University's Edgbaston Campus.

The collection contains a large quantity of publications. These are now stored and catalogued separately.

The University of Birmingham, Special Collections Department holds a rich collection of archives relating to missions, charities and other religious and ecclesiastical organisations and individuals.These include the papers of Rev Michael Hollis, which contain material relating to the affairs of the Church of South India (GB 0150 DA52).

Geoffrey Wainwright, Lesslie Newbigin: A Theological Perspective , published by Oxford University Press, 2000