The Archives of the Episcopal Church is pleased to announce that the papers of Dr. Charles Radford Lawrence II and Dr. Margaret Morgan Lawrence are now open for research by appointment.

Charles Lawrence was the 27th President of the House of Deputies, serving from 1976 to 1985. He holds the distinction of being the first and only African American elected to this position. In his secular work, Lawrence was a distinguished professor of sociology.

The papers span a crucial period of turmoil and challenge in The Episcopal Church. They provide an important perspective on the radical adjustments in the institutional life of the Church during that era, and also of the remarkable influence of lay leadership, the voice of an influential scholar, and the practical experience and know-how of a church leader.

Lawrence served as a member of a number of General Convention committees, commissions, and boards. His most influential appointment was as Chairman of the House of Deputies Special Committee on the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood and Episcopate. He also served on the Executive Council's Special Advisory Committee on Church in Society, which he co-chaired with Bishop Paul Moore, Jr. Lawrence was a staunch advocate for women's ordination and included among his papers are source materials relating to the subject.

Both Lawrence and his wife, psychiatrist Dr. Margaret Lawrence, were influential in the study of race in America. Margaret's work centered on the long-term effects of racism on the health of black families, particularly children.

The 14 cubic foot collection was donated by Charles’s wife Dr. Margaret Morgan Lawrence and their three children, Dr. Sara Lawrence Lightfoot, Dr. Charles R. Lawrence III, and the Reverend Paula Lawrence-Wehmiller.

The Archives has prepared a set of recommendations for local churches in developing a policy on making name and gender changes to Episcopal Church records.  These guidelines for policy development accommodate individuals’ requests to align name and gender entries with usage they have legally adopted in civil jurisdictions.  Name and gender identity in records is particularly sensitive in instances where individuals seek to safeguard their privacy, protect themselves from harm, or simply to revise records that do not accurately represent their identity. 

The guidelines were prepared at the request of General Convention (2018-A088) and approved for distribution by Executive Council at its October 9–11, 2020 meeting.  The Executive Council’s resolution and an additional bibliography of resources are available under the website’s “Text Center” tab above.  The Guidelines for Policy on Amending Church Records for Name and Gender Changes are available in Spanish.  The Church archivists welcome questions and comments on the guidelines.

On August 14 the Archives and the Seminary of the Southwest announced the opening of an exhibit to mark the anniversary of Jonathan Daniels' death.  Entitled Jonathan Daniels: Called to be Fully Present, the exhibit draws on the Archives collections received in part from the recent acquisition of the Episcopal Divinity School Archives.  The exhibit features original source material and a narrative of Daniels' early life, his awakening, and death.  Special acknowledgment goes to intern archivist, Noble Brigham, who led the production and design team.  Noble is a senior at Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, PA.  The exhibit is part of an extended online exhibit, The Church Awakens, telling the story of African American Episcopalians from an historical perspective. Visit The Church Awakens to learn more about the life of Jonathan Daniels.

The Episcopal Church has selected Cielo Property Group to partner in the development of a church-owned city block in downtown Austin that will incorporate space for The Archives of the Episcopal Church as the future home of its repository and research center.  The Archives will be part of a lively downtown area and will incorporate an adjoining mixed-use project.