Chase your church’s history P
By Adam Klinker
oring over archival materials at the Lutheran Teological Semi- nary at Gettysburg (Pa.) last
year, Ian Hartfield broke the cardinal rule of libraries. “I shouted,” said Hartfield, direc-
tor of congregational life at Kountze Memorial Lutheran in Omaha, Neb., and a member of its archives committee. “I was shouting in the library.” Archivists would likely excuse
his outburst. He had just discovered the second known photograph of Kountze, one of the oldest and larg- est Lutheran churches west of the Missouri River. Finding the photo that shows
the full church and parsonage, with scribbling on the back in the first pastor’s handwriting, was serendipi- tous, Hartfield said, adding, “You see those things and, yes, you’re shouting in a library.” Tose joys are becoming more
common for the archives committee, which has taken it as a sacred charge to maintain and pass on the history of this 2,000-member downtown church and the community it serves. It’s a mission Chet Worm has seen
firsthand from his earliest days as a member of Grace Lutheran, one of seven local churches Kountze (www.
kmlchurch.org) helped establish. “It takes a lot of time to do the
A church archive, if begun properly and maintained carefully, provides a link to your congregation’s history for future genera- tions. History buffs at Kountze Memorial Lu- theran Church, Omaha, Neb., learned some tips along the way to get you started:
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www.thelutheran.org
• Get leadership backing. Before head- ing into what will likely be an intricate process, make sure pastors and the council are on board. List what records you would like to access and how you want leaders to be involved. If you need funding, have a clear picture of how much you’ll need and how it will be used.
research and we’re kind of all the yeomen doing it, but the feeling you get as you discover the history, you realize how much you can learn from it,” said Worm, now a Kountze member. “Tere were tough times for this church, four or five times when it might have folded. But the hard work of the pastors and the congregation are what got them through. We, today, can take some inspiration from that.” Oſten congregations gather in the
summer to celebrate significant anni- versaries. Kountze’s committee wants to inspire churches to also reconnect with their past by starting or enhanc- ing their archives or history projects.
• Take an inventory. You’re fortunate if your church has held on to documents and other archival materials. Find a system of organization that works for your group and start building an archive. Most churches have fairly intact records of baptisms, marriages and funerals.
• Technology is your friend. Original doc- uments are great, but scan those items to create a digital repository that’s safe from the elements, and easily reproducible and searchable. Photos are especially prone to the ravages of time but are irreplaceable glimpses into a church’s past.
Kountze Memorial Lutheran, Omaha, Neb., in recent years embarked on a thorough history hunt and archiving of church memorabilia, including photos from the mid-1920s and a 1931 photo (at right) of what historians describe as “the largest know Lutheran confir- mation class in the country.”
“We’d love to see as many
people do this as can do it,” said committee member Bob Wood- worth. “Tey’ll find it an extremely rewarding process. … It gets a good conversation going.”
Piles & files Kountze first established a his- tory committee in the mid-20th
• Preserve and protect. Make sure your archive is outfitted with everything it needs to restore and preserve materials. This includes proper storage in acid-free envelopes and containers that seal out air and water. If possible, find a cool, dry place in the church that can serve as the archives room.
• Reach out. Be solicitous of the institu- tional memory of your congregation and the community. You’ll be surprised at how many people may have information on what the congregational composition was at various times.
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