mums020 Laymen's Academy for Oecumenical Studies (L.A.O.S.) Records, 1956-1976 Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by Jason Burns, Tim Letteney, and Melissa Watterworth. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA

2003

Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Eric Cartier. 2003-04-22 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 mu43 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Laymen's Academy for Oecumenical Studies (L.A.O.S.) Records, 1956-1976 Finding Aid Manuscript Number 20 Compiled by Jason Burns, Tim Letteney, and Melissa Watterworth October 2001 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Collection Overview Laymen's Academy for Oecumenical Studies (L.A.O.S.) (Amherst, Mass.) Laymen's Academy for Oecumenical Studies (L.A.O.S.) Records 1956-1976 MS 20 22 boxes (11.5 linear ft.) Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst An oecumenical ministry based in Amherst, Massachusetts, that sought to inspire local citizens to act upon their religious faith in their daily lives and occupations, and to reinvigorate religious dialogue between denominations. Includes by-laws, minutes, membership records, news clippings, press releases, treasurer's reports, letters to and from David S. King, correspondence between religious leaders and local administrators, and printed materials documenting programs and organizations in which the Laymen's Academy for Oecumenical Studies (L.A.O.S.) participated or initiated, especially Faith and Life Meetings. Also contains questionnaires, announcements, bulletins, and photographs. English. Historical Note

In 1961, the Reverend David S. King, then Chaplain of Amherst College and later Associate Minister of the First Congregational Church in Amherst, founded the Laymen's Academy for Oecumenical Studies (L.A.O.S.). King proposed that a "new oecumenical ministry" be begun in Western Massachusetts, based in Amherst, that would appeal to local citizens and draw from local religious leadership. Its mission was to inspire people to act upon their religious faith in their daily lives and occupations, and develop programs aimed at reinvigorating religious dialogue and cooperation between denominations. Based on King's belief that "laymen are the missionaries of the future", members were encouraged and trained to lead many L.A.O.S. efforts, particularly "Faith and Life" meetings.

L.A.O.S. was governed by a board of directors, which met monthly in different regional locales. An executive committee met weekly. Annual meetings were held to which all members were invited. In its beginnings, more than 60 laymen and ordained ministers representing 6 denominations (Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist, and United Church of Christ, Presbyterian, and Society of Friends) and 24 western Massachusetts towns and cities, comprised its membership. In the 1960s, faculty from universities and colleges in the region were active in L.A.O.S. administration.

An independent charitable corporation, L.A.O.S. sought money from state and national denominational bodies, individuals and private foundations, rather than from parish churches and councils, to carry out its activities. They were active within the Massachusetts Council of Churches and campus ministry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 1967 and 1968, L.A.O.S was involved in the development of the Amherst United Ministry, a group of clergy and laity representing seven denominational churches in Amherst that held interfaith worship services in an attempt to bring the people of the different faiths closer together.

L.A.O.S. also held meetings for local lawyers, school teachers and various other professions exploring their relationship between the careers and their faith. In 1964, L.A.O.S. received an award from the Adult Education Association of Massachusetts for "breaking new ground in adult education". In that year Associate Director Paul Sanders, a Methodist minister and professor at The University of Massachusetts, established four lay schools of theology in Amherst, Holyoke, Orange, and Westfield. A continuing education program for clergy in western Massachusetts was also formed.

In weekly "Faith and Life Meetings" held in churches and conference centers in Western Massachusetts, L.A.O.S. members tackled issues of religious and social relevance to individuals and families in the local community, such as the role of women in the church, the role of religion on a college campus, civil rights (The March on Boston), ending the Vietnam War (Negotiation Now!), mixed denomination marriages, drug addiction, and civil disorder.

In 1969, David King resigned as Executive Director. Two years later, under the direction of President Mrs. Charles E. Morgan, it was decided that the mission of L.A.O.S. had been fulfilled and that it was time to either disband the organization or find a new mission. Reverend Richard E. Koenig of the Emmanuel Lutheran Church (Amherst) proposed that L.A.O.S. open and sponsor a bookstore in the five college area that would provide theological literature to area religious communities and the general public. Staffed by volunteers, it was felt that the bookstore should have the atmosphere of a library or community center, rather than a retail space, where browsing and spontaneous religious conversation would be encouraged. The L.A.O.S. bookstore opened in 1972 in the Parish House of Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst town center.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Laymen's Academy of Oecumenical Studies (L.A.O.S.) records document the activities, programming and administration of the organization from its founding in 1961 through a period of dynamic growth in the mid and late 1960s, to its change in mission and scope, and eventual decline in activity in the early 1970s. Records are organized into six series: Administration (1960-1976); Financial (1961-1974); Correspondence (1961-1970); Programs (1956-1971); Subject files (1963-1968) and Photographs (1965, N.D.).

Administration records include by-laws, Board of Directors' minutes, personnel committee minutes, annual meeting minutes, membership records, news clippings and press releases. Financial records consist of treasurer's reports, budgets, check registries, and ledgers. Correspondence consists primarily of letters by David King to and from members of L.A.O.S. expressing acknowledgement and thanks for work done. Program records make up the bulk of the collection and contain correspondence (primarily between religious leaders, local administrators and David King or, occasionally, Paul Sanders), handwritten notes, and printed materials that document programs and organizations initiated by L.A.O.S. or in which L.A.O.S. participated. Issues of political interest to the membership and their affiliated churches, and to faith workers nationally, throughout the 1960s are evident in these materials and include McCarthyism, racial unity, school desegregation, pacifism and anti-war activism.

Faith and Life Meeting records are a subseries within the Programs series that contain resource materials and questionnaires used to solicit potential meeting topics from members. Subject files contain announcements, letters, news clippings, bulletins and other reference materials pertaining to current events and issues such as role of women in the church, war relief in Vietnam, civil rights and desegregation (March on Boston, led by Martin Luther King in 1965), and regional ministries. Photographs include few snapshots of L.A.O.S.'s 1965 meeting and several prints and negatives of children (1970s) engaged in what is presumed to be a L.A.O.S.-sponsored program.

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into six series:

Series 1. Administration, 1960-1976 Series 2. Financial, 1961-1974 Series 3. Correspondence, 1961-1970 Series 4. Programs, 1956-1971 Series 5. Subject Files, 1963-1968 Series 6. Photographs, 1965

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Cite as: Laymen's Academy for Oecumenical Studies (L.A.O.S.) Records (MS 20). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Processed by Jason Burns, Tim Letteney, and Melissa Watterworth, October 2001.

Search Terms King, David S., 1927- Laymen's Academy for Oecumenical Studies (Amherst, Mass.)--Archives Christian union--Massachusetts--History--Sources Interdenominational cooperation--Massachusetts--History--Sources King, David S., 1927- Photographs Series 1. Administration 1 1 Proposal for development of L.A.O.S. 1960-1961 1 2 By-Laws [N.D.] 1 3-19 Board of Directors 1962-1976 2 20-29 Annual Meeting 1963-1975 2 30-31 Program and Strategy Committee 1966-1968 2 32 Personnel Committee 1966-1967 2 33 Nominating Committee 1967-1968 2 34-44 Executive Committee 1961-1969 3 45-50 Staffing Correspondence 1962-1967 3 51 Staff Association 1968 4 52-53 Mailing Lists 1968 4 54-60 Membership 1961-1970 5 61 Program Planning 1965-1968 5 62 Bookstore 1971-1973 5 63 Course Registration 1967-1968 5 64 L.A.O.S. News [N.D.] 5 65 Memos to Membership 1967-1968 5 66 Press Releases/Brochures 1967-1968 5 67 News Clippings 1961-1968 5 68 Adult Education Association Award 1964 Series 2. Financial 6 69 Finance Committee 1961-1968 6 70-79 Financial Correspondence 1961-1970 7 80 Treasurers Reports 1961-1971 7 81 Financial Statements 1961-1967 7 82 Expense Account 1968-1969 7 83 Foundations 1963-1964 7 84 Pledge Cards 1970-1971 7 85 Pledges [N.D.] 7 86 Federal Tax Reports 1963-1975 7 87 Fund raising 1966-1967 7 88 Gift of Stock 1968 8 89 Bank Books 1961-1970 8 Check Registries 1961-7193 9 90-91 Ledger 1962-1971 Series 3. Correspondence 10 92-97 Correspondence 1961-1970 Series 4. Programs 11 98 Amherst Unity Mission Study 1961-1962 11 99 Amherst Classroom 1963 11 100 Adult Christian Education 1963 11 101 Amherst Lay School Correspondence 1961-1965 11 102 Amherst Council of Churches 1965 11 103 Amherst United Ministry 1967 11 104 Amherst United Ministry 1968 11 105 Berkshire Committee for Ecumenical Action 1968 11 106 Berkshire County Area Meetings 1969 11 107 Bishops Roundtable 1963-1965 11 108 Brookfield Adult Education 1967 11 109 Central Berkshire Clergy Association [N.D.] 11 110 Christian Family Movement 1967 11 111 Christian Unity Committee 1967 11 112 Christian Higher Education Fund (CHEF) 1960-1961 11 113 CHEF Staff 1962-1964 11 114 Church and City Series 1967-1968 11 115 Church and Society for College Work 1966-1967 11 116 Clergy Conference 1968-1969 11 117 Clergy Study 1962 11 118 Committee of Responsibility 1967 12 119 Continuing Education for Clergy 1964-1965 12 120-121 Continuing Education Project 1969 12 122 Council of Churches of Greater Springfield 1967 12 123 Council of Churches of Greater Springfield 1967-1968 12 124 Dalton Committee for Ecumenical Action 1967 12 125 Daughters of the Heart of Mary 1965 12 126 Diocesan Ecumenical commission 1965 12 127 Drug Addiction Conference 1967 12 128 Emma Willard School 1954-1968 12 129 Episcopal Diocese 1961-1963 12 130 Episcopal Society for Cultural & Racial Unity 1967 12 131 Faculty Ministry 1964-1967 12 132 Faculty Retreat 1966 12 133 Faculty summer School 1964 12 134 Fr. Owen Bennett 1963 13 135 First Congregational Church Amherst, Outreach Board 1964-1965 13 136 First Congregational Church Amherst, Tutorial Project 1964 13 137 Four College Summer Session [N.D.] 13 138 Grace Church Amherst [N.D.] 13 139 Second Congregational Church, Greenfield 1967 13 140 Greenfield Ecumenical Conference 1965 13 141 Gustave Weigel Society 1967-1968 13 142 Hampshire College 1966-1967 13 143 Holyoke Clergy [N.D.] 13 144 Holyoke Lay Center 1965 13 145 Iona Community 1963 14 146-150 Joint Action for Mission 1965-1967 14 151 Lawyers 1961, 1965 14 152 Lay Centers and Training Programs 1961 15 153 Lay School of Religion 1968-1969 15 154 Lay Schools Meeting 1964 15 155 Lay Schools 1968 15 156 Laymen's Institute of Religion, Westfield 1965 15 157 Living Room dialogues 1967 15 158 Lumen Christi 1967 15 159 Marian Retreat House 1968 15 160 MA Conference of the United Church of Christ 1967 15 161 Mass. Congregational Conference 1961 15 162 Mass. Council of Churches 1962-1967 15 163 Mass. Council of Churches, Coop. Planning 1963 15 164 Mass. Council of Churches, Committee On Unity 1964-1966 15 165 Mass. Council of Churches, Western Area 1969 15 166 Mass. Council for Lay Life and Work 1964-1965 15 167 Methodists 1961 15 168 Donna Myers 1965 16 169 National Council of Churches Delta Ministry 1966 16 170 National Council of Churches Special Committee. 1962 16 171 New England Ecumenical Study Conference 1967 16 172 Niemoeller Dinner 1968 16 173 Northampton Adult Christian Education 1967 16 174 Northern Berkshire Council of Churches [N.D.] 16 175 North End Minority 1962 16 176 Operation Dialogue 1967 16 177 Orange-Athol Lay School 1964 16 178 Orange-Athol Lay School 1966 16 179 Orange United Youth Ministry [N.D.] 16 180 Orange School 1963-1964 16 181 Pittsfield [N.D.] 16 182 Pittsfield 1965 16 183 Poor People's March 1968 16 184 Post-Ordination Seminars 1966 16 185 Presbyterians 1961-1962 16 186 Project Equality 1967 16 187 Quiet Day 1968 16 188 Religions Education Association 1966 16 189 Renewal Task Force 1964 16 190 Sanders and Morgan 1962 16 191 Sedlisky Visit 1968 16 192-193 Shadowbrook Retreat 1967-69 16 194 Sjaloon Group 1967 16 195 Speakers Bureau 1966 16 196 Springfield Area Clergy Study 1963 16 197 Summer Meetings 1964 17 198 Summer School 1962-63 17 199 Southern Christian Leadership Conference 1966 17 200 Taize Community 1965 17 201 United Christian Foundation 1963-67 17 202 United Church of Christ 1961 17 203 United Ministry Proposal [N.D.] 17 204 University of Life Pittsfield 1959-62 17 205 Vacation bible School 1974 17 206 Vocational conference 1969 17 207-210 Week of Prayer 1967-1971 17 211 David B. Wells 1967 17 212 Wesley Methodist Church, Amherst 1964 17 213 Western area Church and Council exec. 1968 17 214 Westfield 1963 17 215 Worchester Clergy Association [N.D.] 17 216 World council of Churches 1961 17 217-220 L.A.O.S. Youth Ministry 1968-1969 Series 5. Faith and Life 18 221-229 Faith and Life Meetings 1956-1961 19 230-237 Faith and Life Meetings 1962-1963 19 238 Meeting Evaluations 1963 20 239-255 Faith and Life Meetings [N.D.] Series 6. Subject Files 21 256 Civil Disorder 1968 21 257 Civil Liberties Union of Mass. Hampshire Council 1967 21 258 Holyoke Urban Ministry 1966 21 259 March on Boston 1965 21 260 Mixed Marriages 1967 21 261 National Consultation on Continuing Education 1965 21 262 Negotiation Now 1967 21 263 Religion on College Campuses [N.D.] 21 264 Rabbis 1967 21 265 Religious and Public Education 1963 21 266 Role of Women in the Church 1967 21 267 Science, technology and cultural change 1965 21 268 Social Change 1963 21 269 Southbridge area fellowship 1967 21 270 University of Massachusetts, Amherst 1963 21 271 Vietnam Relief 1967 Series 7. Photos 22 272 Photos of Children [N.D.] 22 273 Photos of Children Negatives [N.D.] 22 274 Meeting Photographs 1965 22 Large Posterboard Photographs [N.D.]