John Cornelius De Korne Collection, 1910-1951 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: John Cornelius De Korne Collection, 1910-1951

ID: COLL/056

Primary Creator: De Korne, John Cornelius (1888-1951)

Extent: 11.0 Boxes. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Subjects: Missionary Monthly, Missions - China

Abstract

Minister of the Christian Reformed Church, Missionary to China, Director of Foreign Missions, Secretary of Missions, and editor of Missionary Monthly. The collection includes correspondence; speeches; newspaper articles; booklets; essays; sermons; notebook covering 1929-1938 baptisms, confessions of faith, membership listings, communion service dates, and funeral statistics; maps, liturgical forms, secret sects, and writings from China; 1923-1934 account book; scrapbook of working in China, Nigeria, and among the Navaho; and manuscripts entitled "The Fellowship of Goodness," "The Christian Approach to the Heart and Mind of China," and "Chinese Altars to an Unknown God." [See also the Campus Titles Database.]

Biographical Note

The collection reveals a man actively involved in World Missions. From the time, he and Lee S. Huizenga were appointed by the Synod of the Christian Reformed Church in 1918 to evaluate the mission fields of Sudan and/or China, until the end of his life, De Korne worked to advance the Gospel throughout the world.

John Cornelius was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on October 16, 1888. In 1908, he enrolled in Calvin College, after spending a brief period working in an office. He graduated in 1917. While at the seminary, he married Nettie M. Goudwaard in September 1914.

During WW I he was associated with the Army YMCA, 1918-1919, visiting Army camps providing spiritual support to the troops. When the Synod of 1920 approved the China field for mission work, De Korne became part of the staff in China. He remained a member of the China mission staff until 1934 when the work was terminated because of unrest in the Far East. From 1934-1939 he served the Second CRC of Wellsburg, Iowa. In 1939, he was appointed Director of Missions.

Books published include Chinese Altars to the Unknown God, To Whom I Now Send Thee; he edited Navajo and Zuni for Christ and wrote extensively in the Banner and Missionary Monthly.

His correspondence reveals contacts with missionaries and mission organizations within and outside of the Christian Reformed Church.

There are letters and minutes that unfold the tension between members of the staff in the China mission field. There were personality clashes and policy differences that prompted special meetings of the China Missions Board and special reports to the denominational board. Synodical decisions were necessary to resolve some differences.

De Korne, the scholar, studied at the Kennedy School of Missions where in 1934 he received a PhD. A dissertation on secret societies in China was never published but our collection includes his notes and a copy.

His colleagues described him as a true Christian gentleman—"efficient yet tender, determined yet gracious, gifted yet modest, distinguished and still most humble."

J. C. De Korne passed away at the age of sixty-three after suffering a series of heart attacks. His plans to preach an evening service on Sunday, December 9, 1951, did not take place.

Subject/Index Terms

Missionary Monthly
Missions - China

Administrative Information

Repository: Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

Alternate Extent Statement: 6.1 cubic ft.

Acquisition Source: Gift of B. De Korne

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Early Years in the Synodical Committee, 1910-1919],
[Series 2: Synodical Committee 1919-1920. China Mission field 1920-1934],
[Series 3: The China Period, 1920-1935],
[Series 4: The China Period - Jukao],
[Series 5: The China Period - Secret Society Studies, 1917-1934],
[Series 6: Wellsburg Period, 1934-1939],
[Series 7: Correspondence and notes, 1938-1951],
[Series 8: Sermon Outlines, Addresses, Ph.D. Thesis, 1917-1935],
[Series 9: Books],
[All]

Series 1: Early Years in the Synodical Committee --- 1910-1919

Box 1

Folder 1: Mission Class at Calvin, minutes --- 1910-1911

Folder 2: Mission Study Class. Constitution of Mission Society at Coldbrook Christian Reformed Church --- 1910

Folder 3: Mementos, programs --- 1911-1912

Folder 4: Debate: church should have a hymnal --- 1911

Folder 5: Student papers --- 1912

Folder 6

Item 1: Mission address --- 1913
Item 2: Correspondence --- 1914

Folder 7: Correspondence --- 1917

Folder 8: Correspondence and material while serving military personnel --- 1918-1919

Folder 9: Synodical Committee for Mission Extension in Sudan or China. Progress reports and correspondence --- June - December 1918

Folder 10: Synodical Committee for Mission Extension. Reports and correspondence --- January to April 1919

Folder 11: Synodical Committee for Mission Extension. Reports and correspondence --- May to September 1919

Folder 12: Mission Contest responses --- 1919

Folder 13: Diploma, Kennedy School of Missions --- 1934

Series 2: Synodical Committee 1919-1920. China Mission field 1920-1934

Box 2

Folder 1: Synodical Committee for Mission Extension, Reports and correspondence, --- October 1919 to December 1919
Folder 2: Synodical Committee for Mission Extension. Reports and correspondence --- 1920
Folder 3: Call Letter from First Zeeland to be missionary to China --- August 23, 1920
Folder 4: Correspondence and other material. Hartford School of Missions and beginning of work in China --- 1920
Folder 5: Passport to Shanghai, China --- August 4, 1920; November 19, 1918
Folder 6: University of Nanking Department of Missionary Training. Student Roster and class papers --- 1921
Folder 7: Correspondence --- 1921
Folder 8: Correspondence --- 1922-1923
Folder 9: Correspondence --- 1924-1926
Folder 10: Correspondence with First Zeeland Christian Reformed Church --- 1924-1933
Folder 11: Correspondence --- 1927
Folder 12: Correspondence --- 1928-1931
Folder 13: "Circle Letters," No. 13-16 --- 1931-1933
Folder 14: Correspondence --- 1931-1933
Folder 15: Correspondence --- 1932-1934
Folder 16: Material on Sabbath Observance --- 1929
Folder 17: Various papers, including President Chiang Kai Shek's remarks to a group of missionaries --- December 2, 1931

Series 3: The China Period --- 1920-1935

Box 3

Folder 1: Survey of religions and temples in China

Folder 2: Conference of Christian Reformed Missionaries in China: minute note book --- 1920-1923

Folder 3

Item 1: Evacuation from Nanking and Jukao --- March 1927
Item 2: Banner and De Wachter clippings on China Missions (by Selles, Kamps, DeVries, Pousma, and De Korne) --- 1927-1929

Folder 4: Conference of Christian Reformed Missionaries in China. Minutes (incomplete) --- February 1928 to December 4, 1932

Folder 5: Dr. L. S. Huizenga: Minutes of special meeting with notes and diary --- February 1927-May 1927

Folder 6: Reports to Classis Zeeland --- November 5, 1920 - January 1, 1923

Folder 7: Reports to Executive Committee of Christian Reformed Board of Missions --- January 1930-April 1935

Folder 8: Executive Committee of Christian Reformed Board minutes --- May 1933-March 1934

Folder 9: Financial Records of Mission in China (notebooks) --- 1923-1933

Box 4

Folder 1: Correspondence with Kennedy School of Missions (Hartford Seminary Foundation) --- 1920-1933
Folder 2: Divisions of literature in China - Chinese
Folder 3: Tung Shan She - book translation
Folder 4: Wen Tao Chih Nan - book translation --- 1923
Folder 5: Christian Approach to the Mind and Heart of China, paper --- February 27, 1926
Folder 6: Buddhism: articles and notes --- 1926
Folder 7: Confucianism: articles and notes --- 1927-1928
Folder 8: Chinese philosophy lecture notes --- 1927
Folder 9: Chinese religions, class notes and correspondence of Professor Lewis Hodous
Folder 10: Chinese Altars to an Unknown God, pre-publication copies of book

Series 4: The China Period - Jukao

Box 5

Folder 1: Educational divisions - Chinese
Folder 2: Geography and history - Chinese and English
Folder 3: Government organizations material - Chinese
Folder 4: Liturgical forms - Chinese
Folder 5: Maps and material on maps --- 1920
Folder 6: Maps of China
Folder 7: China Mission field map of Kiangsu Province
Folder 8: Chinese newspapers
Folder 9: Survey Committee --- 1930
Folder 10: Shuangten work: Reports and papers - Chinese

Series 5: The China Period - Secret Society Studies --- 1917-1934

Box 6

Folder 1: Chinese Secret Societies - Tracts (mostly in Chinese) --- 1917-1926
Folder 2: Chinese Secret Societies - Data --- 1925
Folder 3: Chinese Secret Societies - Newspaper clippings --- 1927-1930
Folder 4: Chinese Secret Societies - Notes on Minor Societies --- 1928-1931
Folder 5: Reports on Chinese Secret Societies - Chinese and English --- 1931
Folder 6: Chinese Secret Societies - Classification notes, etc. --- 1933-
Folder 7: Research on Chinese Secret Societies, post-grad --- 1934

Series 6: Wellsburg Period --- 1934-1939

Box 7

Folder 1: Record book: baptisms, professions of faith, etc. --- 1934-1939
Folder 2: Discussion group topics --- 1934-1935
Folder 3: Protest of J. J. De Boer vs. Classis Illinois --- 1934
Folder 4: Seventh Day Adventism material --- 1937
Folder 5: Men's Volunteer Club questions for Bible study --- April 1936 - October 1938
Folder 6: Christian Reformed Youth Bible Conferences --- 1938-1939
Folder 7: Wezeman Case committee reports. J. C. D. K. a member --- 1937
Folder 8: Wezeman Case material for Synod --- 1937
Folder 9: Correspondence and notes --- 1935-1936
Folder 10: Correspondence and notes --- 1937

Series 7: Correspondence and notes --- 1938-1951

Box 8

Folder 1: Correspondence and notes --- 1938
Folder 2: Correspondence and notes --- 1939
Folder 3: Correspondence and notes --- 1940-1941
Folder 4: Correspondence and notes --- 1942-1943
Folder 5: Correspondence with/from Executive Committee of Foreign Missions Presbyterian Church in US --- 1942-1949
Folder 6: Correspondence and notes --- 1944-1945
Folder 7: Correspondence and notes --- 1946-1951
Folder 8: Correspondence with Evangelical Foreign Mission Association of N. A. E. --- 1948-1951
Folder 9: Correspondence --- undated

Box 9

Folder 1: Old Testament: Numbers - Song of Songs
Folder 2: Old Testament: Psalms - Nahum
Folder 3: New Testament: Matthew - Luke
Folder 4: New Testament: John - Acts
Folder 5: New Testament: Romans - Titus

Series 8: Sermon Outlines, Addresses, Ph.D. Thesis --- 1917-1935

Box 10

Folder 1: New Testament: Hebrews - Revelation
Folder 2: Catechism Sermons: outlines and notes
Folder 3: Funeral Addresses, notes --- 1917-1935
Folder 4: Addresses, notes, undated
Folder 5: Miscellaneous clippings
Folder 6: Tract, The Bible and Seventh Day Adventism
Folder 7: Psalter, signed
Item 1: PhD Thesis: The Fellowship of Goodness, bound copy --- 1934

Series 9: Books

Box 11

Item 1: V. 1: MacGillivray's Mandarin-Romanized Dictionary of Chinese, 6th edition --- 1992
Item 2: V. 2: Scrapbook of work in China, Nigeria and among the Navaho