The Need for Local Histories

The Bible includes much historical material and its writers were very history-conscious. In the 32nd chapter of Deuteronomy this history-consciousness was highlighted: "Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations." This concern for the preservation of the historical record continued into the New Testament, especially in such writers as Luke. Thus, our Judeo-Christian forebears included historians who recognized the value of preserving the historical record. We would do well in our day to take steps to see that the past life and events of our local congregation are preserved for future generations.

The history of the local congregation ought to be written when there is a time of particular interest, such as an anniversary or celebration of an important past event such as the organization of the congregation or the building of a church. Any significant event in the life of the congregation may be commemorated with a written history, which thus preserves an analytical record of the events that have taken place in the intervening years. Another appropriate time for the preparation of a history would occur whenever a capable person is available and interested or whenever some group in the congregation, such as a Church School class, is interested in sponsoring the preparation of a history. Finally, someone-perhaps the pastor, moderator, or board chairperson-ought to be alert in determining when the appropriate time has arrived in the life of the congregation for the preparation of a written history.

Securing a Person to Prepare the History

Before looking for the person to prepare the history, recruit a committee of individuals who have a specific interest in the history of the congregation. This committee should prove to be very Valuable in sponsoring the project, including working out details with the writer. More than that, however, it should provide valuable assistance in such ways as locating pictures and drawings, arranging for or conducting interviews, and possibly carrying out research of various kinds. Most important, perhaps, is that with a strong supporting committee it should be easier to secure a writer.

Obviously, securing a writer may be the most difficult part of the whole project, but in most congregations there are individuals who have the ability to carry out such a task; thus an important part of recruiting a person for the job is assuring that person that there is strong support for the project; hence the need for a committee. Also, the congregation ought to be prepared to cover such expenses as travel, photocopying, and secretarial assistance and to provide an honorarium or a salary according to the particular situation.

Gathering Material

The first and most important place to gather materials in preparation for the writing of a congregational history is in the records of the congregation itself, including council minutes, committee, commission and board records, church school records, Sunday worship bulletins, programs of special services such as dedications, newsletters, records of baptisms and of membership, financial records, deeds to property, lists of ministers and ordinations, and records of special interest groups, such as women's fellowship, men's activities, youth programs, and Scouts. Every effort should be made to retrieve church records which may be in the hands of individuals, for they are the property of the church and should be in the church's care.

Cemetery records, including gravestones, may be very helpful, especially in determining when some of the deceased members of the congregation lived; in some situations the cemetery records may be separately maintained because of local and state laws regarding the incorporation of cemeteries. A different perspective on the life of the congregation may be secured from the private diaries and records of both ordained and lay leaders of the congregation, whenever such records are available.

Particularly in cases where local congregational records have not been very well maintained over the years or are not available for some reason, there are many other resources available to the researcher. The District Conference minutes are usually available either in the district office or in the Brethren college in the area; these records are valuable in helping to determine organizational changes in the local congregation. The Brethren colleges, Bethany Theological Seminary, and the Brethren Historical Library and Archives in the General Offices in Elgin, Illinois, have collections of Brethren periodicals; the Gospel Messenger (now Messenger) for many years down to the 1960's included an invaluable section on local congregational reports, which in the case of many congregations provided an interesting insight into the kinds of activities taking place. While checking Brethren source material, be sure to look for the annually issued Directory and Statistics (which were preceded by the Yearbooks and even earlier by the Almanacs), which contain a variety of helpful information including membership statistics, pastoral leadership, lists of all the ordained and licensed ministers in the denomination, and other data.

Many kinds of resources are available apart from Brethren material. Local newspapers, for example, may provide helpful information regarding special meetings and events in the life of the congregation. City and county histories and family genealogies frequently include sections on the religious life of the area, but some of these materials are not very trustworthy and must be used with considerable caution by checking the information against other sources. Histories of other religious groups, especially the Baptists, with whom the Brethren have had similarities, may include valuable insights into Brethren developments in the area of interest Legal records in the county courthouse may be helpful in providing land records locating the early settlers in an area; marriage records also may help to identify early settlers. One problem in using such records is finding the appropriate ones, because in most states the area of a local congregation was located in several different counties over the years. In other words, as the population increased a county was subdivided and that process may have taken place several times. A careful study of the decennial census reports may provide both a general perspective on the Brethren congregations in a county or state and specific information on the location of known Brethren families.

One kind of historical source which should be used with considerable caution is the personal interview. Obviously, interviews with long-time members of a congregation may have considerable value both in providing leads for further research in terms of certain events and in helping to fill in certain details about events which are otherwise obscure. Caution needs to be used, however, because the human memory is prone to modify the recollection of past events on the basis of later developments. For example, if a new kind of financial program was actually undertaken with much optimism and hope for its success and then the program did not work out as expected, the human recollection of the whole development may indicate (after twenty years) that the program should not have been started in the first place because it had very little chance to succeed. Whenever possible, the results of the personal interview should be checked against available written sources, such as minute books, persona] letters or diaries, newspaper accounts, and Gospel Messenger reports-in other words, the records that were made at the time of the event.

Finally, in terms of gathering material for this history, look carefully for toy kind of visual material, including drawings, photographs, maps, and charts. Photographs from the 19th century may add greatly to the over-all appeal of the completed history. It seems desirable that the committee which should be established to supervise this project outline the principles guiding the selection and use of graphics in the history.

Writing the History

Finding and gathering material related to the history of the congregation is of course very important to the success of the entire project; it is also very important that one be able to utilize effectively the material that has been located. Effective utilization involves taking careful research notes. Three ways of taking research notes may be suggested. The first and best is by photocopying. Especially if one is gathering material from a source which cannot be removed from a library, such as an old Gospel Messenger, photocopying guarantees that an exact copy has been made for use at the time of the writing of the history. Rather inexpensive, portable copying machines are now available to make copies when, for example, one is visiting in some elderly person's home and wants to copy a diary which cannot be removed from the home. The second method of taking research notes is by typing. Portable typewriters can be taken and used almost anywhere, even in special rooms in a library. The resulting research note is generally more satisfactory than a handwritten note, which is the third form. Of course, if a photocopier is not available and if the person doing the research cannot type, handwriting will have to suffice. The final important rule to remember is to copy exactly all of the material pertaining in any way to the congregation. In that way there can be no question about the use of the material in the written history.

When doing the research, take a separate bibliographical note on each source used, including as much of the following information as is available: author, title, place of publication, publisher, date, volume, pages, and location. This information will be essential in compiling the footnotes or the bibliography and the completed work ought to have one or the other, if not both. In other words, any writer has an obligation to the readers to provide enough information about the sources to enable someone else to find the material that has been used.

Before the writing can begin, a careful outline should be prepared. Such an outline will probably be based on the organization of the research notes by a chronological or a topical arrangement or by a combination of the two. In most congregations the organization would be divided into time periods covering the years between important events and each time period would include information on a number of important topics relating to activities within those years. In a congregation that has not had a very long life-span, it might be preferable to organize the history topically without attempting to divide the brief period into even briefer intervals.

Once the organization has been structured and an outline prepared, the writing of the history should come easily because the research notes should fall into place according to the outline. Some degree of selectivity usually becomes necessary, since all of the information on every research note cannot be included. Very few history books ever include everything that is known on a given subject, so do not attempt such coverage in a congregational history. On the one hand, include all events that are really important in the life of the congregation, and on the other hand, include enough of the everyday activities to give an element of reality and humanity to the history.

Events and activities in the life of the congregation which might be included in a written history could begin with a consideration of the status of the area in which the congregation was located at the time it was established. Following such an introduction there might be an examination of the first Brethren settlers in the area, including not only their names but also as much as is known about their background and their reasons for coming to the area. Describe the leadership of the group and the transition (if the congregation is old enough) from a free ministry to a professional ministry. Indicate where these early settlers met on Sunday for worship before they built a church, and tell about the building of the first church. The building and remodeling of churches are always important events in the life of a congregation and should be covered. Of related interest is the financing of such programs, as well as the entire stewardship program of the congregation. What is known about changes in the life of the Brethren and their congregation, including, for example, the pattern of dress and the relation of that change to the disciplinary action of the congregational council meeting; in this context, and others, do not hesitate to relate some of the problems that developed and how they were handled, for such problems help to assure the readers of today and of tomorrow that their ancestors were not perfect.

In a wider context, indicate the relationship of the congregation to the society and neighborhood in which it was located. Were there special problems? contributions? controversies? wartime situations? important social developments? relationships with other denominations? In what district and Brotherhood activities was the congregation involved? Certainly, the events and activities listed in the two preceding paragraphs are not to be considered all-inclusive, for in the final analysis the amount of material available, the interests and expectations of the local congregation, and the training and ability of the writer will determine the final result.

It is hoped that what has been said in this "Guide to Preparing a Congregational History" will not make the task seem prohibitive, but rather that it will provide encouragement for more congregational histories to be written.

In the preparation of this "Guide" the following items have been consulted and have provided varying degrees of assistance:

Allbeck, Willard Dow. When You Write the History of Your Congregation. Springfield, Ohio: Archives of the Ohio Synod LCA, Wittenberg University Library, 1956, 1975.

Gingerich, Melvin. The Work of the Local Church Historian. Goshen, Indiana: Mennonite Historical and Research Committee, 1962.

Gotwald, Luther A., Jr. Writing Congregational History (filmstrip, script, and cassette). Davidsville, Pennsylvania: Privately published, 1975.

Muir, Gladdys E. The Historical Function of Local Church Librarians. Elgin, Illinois: The Historical Committee of the Church of the Brethren, 1957.

Prepared for the Brethren Historical Committee by Roger E. Sappington in 1979.

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The Need

Every local church should be keeping a record of its history! Historically, Brethren in general have been little concerned with records. In the early years of our history this is understandable, for there was as little organization as possible. The Brethren were more a movement than a denomination. However, as time went on various individuals undertook to preserve as much Brethren history as they could. Notable among these in the nineteenth century were Abram Cassel and Martin G. Brumbaugh. Other individuals, particularly those serving in the free ministry, kept diaries and other records relating to their church work, which often were handed down in families. Many of these records were inadvertently destroyed. Some are still in existence, and when the present possessors come to realize their importance to the denomination, they frequently deposit them in the Brethren Historical Library and Archives at the General Offices. This is encouraged, for the Historical Committee is eager to preserve these old records.

Dozens of Brethren churches existed in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries for which no known written records are extant. Many active churches do not have records for their early years. Even though each church had its part in the growth and development of the community and of the denomination, the record of that contribution has been lost. This booklet is intended to give guidance to local churches in preserving their history and to encourage them to a sustained effort in this endeavor.

Why preserve records? There are a number of reasons. Knowing about our heritage helps in developing a more complete understanding of the Church and its mission and provides a needed perspective on today's world and its problems. We need to know about other persons who labored before us to bring the Church of the Brethren to the place where it is today. Historians need records in order to write intelligently and accurately. Persons applying for social security often need a baptismal record even though baptism did not take place in infancy. Persons researching their ancestry look to the church for records.

Procedure

1. Select a church historian. Either a person or a committee may be designated to carry the responsibilities for historical preservation. If a church has a librarian, the duties of the librarian may be combined with those of the historian. Most churches have a history buff who would qualify for the duties of church historian because of interest or longtime membership. Persons chosen should have a "sense of history" and an aptitude for organizing materials. Their responsibility includes the collection, dating, organization, and keeping of records and other materials. It should be clearly understood that all materials are the property of the church.
   
   
2. What to keep. It is difficult to prepare a comprehensive list of the kinds of materials to preserve. Not all churches will have everything on the following list, and some churches may have unique items not included here, but the following list should help to give a feel for the kinds of things that should be kept:
   1. Official documents related to the ongoing activities of the congregation
      1. Deeds and other legal documents
      2. Minutes: council meetings, commissions, committees and other active groups within the congregation
      3. Records
         1. of members by name, date received into membership, and date and reason for removal from roll
         2. of ordinations, baptisms, weddings, deaths
         3. of church, church school, Bible school attendance
         4. annual statistical reports, financial statements
      4. Publications
         1. weekly worship bulletins
         2. newsletters
         3. bulletins or programs for special events
         4. directories
         5. announcements of special events
      5. Correspondence that relates to church program or activities
   2. Related information on the life of the church and its members
      1. Photographs taken in connection with special events or collected from members (Be sure to date the pictures and identify the persona and events.)
      2. Clippings (Be sure to date and identify publication in which item appeared.)
      3. Any written or printed history of the church and of any of its activities (Materials gathered in preparation for a history should be saved. Those are primary source material for a historian.)
      4. Information about special achievements or honors attained by the pastor or lay members
      5. Biographical material on the minister and other church leaders
      6. Antiques connected with the history of the church
3. Other materials. The foregoing pertains to materials of purely local interest. There may be records or materials discovered that would have wider denominational significance. In this category are pre-1920 diaries, letters, sermons, pictures, family records, clippings, books by or about Brethren, or other items. The Historical Committee is much interested in receiving these kinds of materials for deposit in the Brethren Historical Library and Archives at the general offices, which the General Board has designated as the official depository for the denomination. The Committee is also interested in building a representative collection of Brethren plain clothing. Before you dispose of these or similar items, write to Gwendolyn F. Bobb, Coordinator of Historical Resources, Church of the Brethren General Board, 1451 Dundee Avenue, Elgin, Illinois 60120.
4. Cataloging and storage. It is important to find a safe place to store the records. Legal documents and older records could be kept in a safety deposit box at the bank. A special place needs to be designated where the other records can be all kept together, free from dampness and excess heat and preferably a fire-resistant file or room. A vault would be best, but not many churches have this kind of facility. If information is desired on how best to catalog and store materials, a local city or college librarian will normally be more than willing to assist.

Prepared for the Brethren Historical Committee by Herbert Hogan and Gwendolyn F. Bobb in 1979.

Members of the Committee are: David B. Eller; Herbert Hogan; Donald F. Dumbaugh; Ann M. Carper; Galen Heisey, staff liaison. The Committee is sponsored by the General Services Commission, Church of the Brethren General Board, 1451 Dundee Avenue, Elgin, Illinois 60120.