Churches, Denominations and Religions: Fall 2020 Presbyterian Heritage

Monday, October 19, 2020

Fall 2020 Presbyterian Heritage

New Direction

PC(USA) Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson II named Nancy Taylor the Executive Director of PHS in early April, just as Covid-19 had begun to profoundly reshape American life. In this edited interview Nancy discusses the Society’s response to the pandemic, its history work on behalf of racial justice, and what excites her most about the future.

How has the national archives of the PC(USA) changed during the past six tumultuous months?
Because we serve an international constituency, we have lots of experience providing services remotely. But the coronavirus pandemic pushed us to think even more creatively about how to connect our collection materials with a virtual world. Documenting these last six months in the life of the church has meant expanding our capacity to take in and preserve videos and other digital content that will help tell the story of this time 50 years from now.

The building was closed to researchers most of the spring and summer. How did PHS staff continue to help patrons during that time?
425 Lombard Street was quiet, even for an archive! But there remained a buzz of activity as staff members helped remote researchers with the hundreds of questions we received via email and over the phone. We also created freely accessible, online resources that people can use to connect the complex history in our collection to today’s PC(USA). We continued to receive church records for deposit plus donated personal papers and other materials. And our digitization team has been busy scanning and describing records, images, and audio-visual materials for use by researchers remotely through our Pearl digital archive.

After the killing of George Floyd, historians, archivists, and Presbyterians renewed their calls for racial justice. How has PHS responded?
PHS staff issued a Black Lives Matter statement in June with six commitments to guide our racial justice work going forward. In the ensuing months, the staff and board have talked repeatedly about increasing equity and justice in our internal practices. We also lifted up historical resources in our collections to assist PC(USA) congregations and mid councils in the self-study and corporate repentance called for by this summer’s General Assembly. We emphasized the intentional collecting of materials documenting African American Leaders and Congregations. And we put out a call for sermons and other worship material that speaks to this moment in the life of our church.

Continue reading Nancy's full interview at www.history.pcusa.org/NewDirection

Photo courtesy of Princeton Theological Seminary

Collecting During COVID

Since April we’ve made considerable progress collecting materials for our featured 2020 collecting initiative, “African American Leaders and Congregations,” including personal papers of Katie Geneva Cannon. We’ve also launched new initiatives focused on Easter 2020 worship services and social justice work around the country.

Learn how to contribute materials and financial support at www.history.pcusa.org/AALC or email dstaniunas@history.pcusa.org

Bridgett Cannon dropped off some Katie Geneva Cannon papers in August.
Learn about these records and watch recently digitized video of Rev. Cannon.

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My parents...had to make serious sacrifices in order to live and be as Presbyterians. Sometimes people don't realize that it's not that easy for people of color, even as people of color of faith in a denomination. So I think it's very important to find those stories, find those photos, whatever may be existing out there because as many of the African American Presbyterian churches are shutting their doors, the stories are going to be lost.

--PHS supporter Zandra Maffet on collecting AALC history

PHS responded to the start of the pandemic by collecting 2020 Easter Sunday worship services and sermons from PC(USA) congregations and other worshiping communities. Click above for a video sample.

PHS Webinars

Our recently launched webinar series connects history fans and researchers with how-to sessions by PHS staff members and friends. It’s a great way to connect with other history enthusiasts, explore PHS collections materials, and help us plan future presentations.

In the coming weeks we’re hosting webinars on Black Theology, Historic Bibles from our Rare Books collection, and Korean Presbyterian mission history. For the full PHS Live schedule and to access past recordings visit https://www.history.pcusa.org/phs-live-schedule

Watch a PHS LIVE session that looks at the history of Presbyterian mission work in China. Click above to see Reference Archivist Jenny Barr discuss PHS collections that document this fascinating topic.

Heritage Preservation Grants for Churches

Is your congregation older than 50 years and smaller than 250 members? Apply to our Heritage Preservation Grants program, where your worshiping community can receive free digitization services. This year PHS is raising money to support additional HPG grants for historic African American congregations. Find out more about grant and digitization opportunities at www.history.pcusa.org/hpg

Preserve Your Records at PHS

By themselves records of congregations, mid councils, and national church agencies reveal aspects of individual ministries. Preserved together alongside over 300 years of archival materials at PHS, they tell the collective history of Presbyterians in America and mission co-workers overseas. Learn how PC(USA) groups can deposit records for free at PHS at www.history.pcusa.org/preserve

“„

It is our obligation and desire as Presbyterians to preserve the rich history of our ministries so we might tell our story for future generations. Having seen disaster strike and deprive a local ministry of their entire historical library I encourage everyone to preserve your story through the services of PHS.

--Kevin Veldhuisen, Stated Clerk, Presbytery of South Dakota

Reformation Sunday: Zwingli's Plague Song

Download this year's church bulletin insert, which responds to General Assembly 224's call for the “whole church to commit to continuous discernment of how to meet the social justice, economic, and spiritual challenges of the pandemic.”

The Plague Song's English translation on page 2 comes from The Latin Works and the Correspondence of Huldreich Zwingli…vol. 1, 1912.

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Every gift, no matter the amount, helps us reach our fundraising goal. Thank you in advance for your support!

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