Oscar Haynes Exhibit Hall Readied for Opening

The excitement was building at the Historical Society as our new exhibit cases were being installed. These modern display cases, designed by Miriam Owen of Owen Design, Nashville, TN, were handcrafted by Randy Cochran of Wood Studio, Decatur, AL. There will be four stations of exhibits and one video station. The newly refurbished exhibit space was dedicated as the Oscar Haynes Exhibit Hall on Tuesday, July 29, 2008. Our first exhibit, entitled Under The One God, will chronicle the history of the African-American Disciples of Christ in the formation of the National Christian Missionary Convention (1917-1969) and the National Convocation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (1969-present). We are looking forward to your visit!

 

Cleveland Christian Home Transfer Historic Records to DCHS
by Sara Harwell

They came from all over the United States and several European countries. Small and vulnerable, many of the residents of the Cleveland Christian Home (CCH) relied on their dedicated caregivers for the only love and nurture they had ever known. The CCH recently celebrated its 100th year of service to children in need of a loving home. Its history represents the finest ideals of living out the social gospel.

Recently I had the privilege of visiting the CCH and working with Director of Development Jim Runyon and his staff to survey CCH's historic records. It was a hot June day in Cleveland, but we had a lot of fun, looking through old photographs, financial and donor records, and records of transactions with local grocers, dairies, doctors, and other service providers. These historic documents will soon be housed and preserved in the archives of Disciples of Christ Historical Society.

The CCH records tell a touching story. There are detailed reports on all the children through the decades, their health, progress, education, spiritual growth and general well-being. It is clear that they were loved and cherished by devoted Christians, blessed with the true hearts of servants. Many thanks to CCH and especially to Jim Runyon for assuring the long-term preservation of these valuable records.

Stalcup Seminar for Local Church Historians

The Historical Society will again this fall host the Joe and Nancy Stalcup Seminar for Local Church Historians. The two-day workshop is designed to cover the basics of congregational history from identifying, collecting, preserving your historical documents and artifacts to celebrating a special event or anniversary. We will devote attention to the digitization of photographs and utilizing technology (especially the internet) to tell your church’s story. Our staff will also guide you in honing your research skills and strategies. The seminar will be held at the historic Thomas W. Phillips Memorial Archives, home of the Historical Society, September 25 - 27. Registration forms and an informational flyer will be available online soon.

One Church

Though penned in 1809, Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address has been the source of thought, reflection and inspiration for every successive generation of believers in our heritage. As the bicentennial of its initial publication draws near, a new volume of essays has been published to celebrate this milestone anniversary. True to our history, Campbell’s document is again probed for the meaning it might hold for our churches and for the message our churches have for the Christian world. Thomas Campbell initiated a conversation — indeed a movement — with his Declaration and Address. As the conversation continues, we encourage you to celebrate with us this bicentennial and think with us what our history has to contribute to our world.
Order your copy of One Church here.

New Discipliana Unveiled

Discipliana has had several incarnations over the years. Begun as a single mimeographed sheet of paper (no doubt cranked out by our first Archivist, Claude Spencer, himself) in 1941, it has evolved both in content and style as the years passed. The heart of the journal has always been to stimulate interest in our history, foster and encourage research, and keep our friends abreast of the activity at the Society. We unveiled a fresh look for the journal in April. We hope it will be easier to read and we think everyone will appreciate the return of photographs and illustrations. Research and publication remain central to our mission. Discipliana is one way we pursue the mission.

Ketcherside Scholars Present Papers

Seasoned professors, historians and authors had to start somewhere. Each one of them was a young graduate student just beginning their professional career.

At the Society we're committed to encouraging younger scholars and graduate students to pursue Stone-Campbell history. The Ketcherside Scholar program fosters just this sort of encouragement. Coinciding with World Convention, we hosted an afternoon lecture at the Historical Society on Saturday, August 2, with three promising scholars presenting the fruit of their research. The presenters were:

Chris Cotten (MDiv. student at Lipscomb University) who spoke on the Churches of Christ in East Nashville,

Megan Severns (MDiv. student at Vanderbilt Divinity School), on the History and Work of Week of Compassion, and

Raymond Patton (PhD. candidate at Trinity Divinity School in Chicago), on the 19th century theologian and minister Benjamin U. Watkins.

There was something here for everyone: subjects from each stream in both 19th and 20th centuries, from local church history to global mission efforts.

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