Archives & History – Local Church Historian
Purpose:
The duty of the conference Commission on Archives & History is to collect and preserve the
historically and legally significant records of the Annual Conference and its agencies, including
data relating to the origin and history of the conference and its antecedents. The commission also
works to encourage local congregations in documenting and preserving their history in the
context of their local communities.
Team Leader Contact:
Rev. Harry B. Spurrier
bhsmrs@owensboro.net
Resources
The role of the local church historian and instructions on how to write your church’s history can
be found in the Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation: Church Historian. This booklet can
be ordered from Cokesbury. (www.cokesbury.com)
Links from the General Commission on Archives & History http://www.gcah.org/news.htm
Of special note from that source:
Heritage Sunday http://www.gcah.org/AC_Manual/Heritage_Sunday.htm
Retention Schedule Guidelines (answers the question: How long should we keep a
particular document or record?) http://www.gcah.org/RetSched.htm
Do You Know Where Your Church Records Are? http://www.gcah.org/where.htm
Guidelines to help local congregations celebrate their Methodist heritage
http://www.gcah.org/COUMH/ResourcePkt.htm