The Wisconsin Conference UCC emerged in the years following the 1957 founding of the United Church of Christ, itself the result of a merger of several Protestant traditions. Today, those UCC ancestors remain present in the names of many of our churches and in the varied traditions of local congregations.  

Howard Kanetzke Historical Display: Read more here >

Resources for Churches

Archives and Research

The State Historical Society of Wisconsin Archives house historical material of the Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of Christ including:

• Congregational Church
• Evangelical and Reformed Church
• United Church of Christ
• Church history
• Church records

The records were generated by many different church agencies and include minutes, correspondence, reports, scrapbooks, programs, directories, financial records, constitutions and other materials dated from 1839.

If you are interested in researching your church or the United Church of Christ, contact them at:

Address: 816 State Street, Madison WI 53706-1482
Phone: 608-264-6400
Web addresses: Library catalog includes books, pamphlets, broadsides, newspapers and periodicals madcat.library.wisc.edu

Archive catalog includes church records, papers of individuals and records of organizations. The American Missionary Association (AMA)

Historical Publications

Narrative Directory of Congregations in the Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of Church.
Availability: Each church in the conference has received one copy of the book in July 2013. Click here for a copy.

That All May Be One: Historical Essays on the Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of Christ, edited by Barbara Dotts Paul, traces the history of the Wisconsin Conference from initial discussions in the 1940s and formation in 1962 through the first forty years under conference ministers Clarence McCall, Ralph Ley and Frederick Trost. Authors of the chapters include James D. Mohr, Richard L Christensen, Gerald W. Bertsch, Cynthia E. Bertsch and Justus F. Paul.
Availability: This book is available for postage from the Conference office.

The United Church of Christ: Ordained Ministers of Wisconsin by J.D. Peterson and Harvey Kandler is a listing of all UCC clergy who have been ordained in Wisconsin. They are listed according to the church where they were ordained and their year of ordination. This booklet is available from the Conference office.
Availability: A copy has already been mailed to each UCC church in Wisconsin .

Reflections on the Roots and History of Camps, Conferences and Youth Work in the Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ (In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the United Church of Christ) compiled by Harvey Kandler. The managing directors and others who helped shape our two Wisconsin camps offer their reminiscences of the Wisconsin Conference’s camping and youth program during the past fifty years.
Availability: This book is available for postage from the Conference office.