By Glenn Thomas Carson, President
Disciples of Christ Historical Society

An abbreviation of remarks made at the DCHS dinner on July 23, 2005 at the General Assembly of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) meeting in Portland, Oregon

When Alexander Campbell thought of the Apostles, he thought of them--at least in part--as historians. He saw the original members of Christ's community as keepers of a story. He believed that they carefully remembered the life and ministry of Jesus, so that they could pass the information along to other interested persons. Their memory was not cloudy, nor was it ill-informed. Instead, he says that the Apostles gave a perfect testimony.

In his book The Christian Preacher's Companion, Campbell writes:

We speak of a perfect testimony -- of a large number of witnesses having ample and repeated opportunities for examination.

These witnesses (the Apostles) were not small in number. And they did not have a limited time to do their research. It was, Campbell says, a large number of persons, who were able over an extended period of time to meticulously review the evidence set before them. These witnesses -- these historians -- testified about their teacher and set down, first in speech and then in writing, a faithful record to who he was and what he accomplished.

Historians, then, because of their large numbers and because of the measured pace at which they allow themselves to work, have the opportunity to preserve our common heritage in a way that is both clear and accurate. In fact, there is the very real possibility that historians, when working in concert, offer a perfect testimony of what occurred in the past and the meaning it has for us today.

The truly exciting aspect of all of this is that each of us can choose to be an historian. Whether professional or amateur, by vocation or pastime, every person can assume the role of historian. I do not mean the caricature of the occupation -- someone locked away among dusty books, mumbling to himself, and remaining a recluse. Instead, I mean the true character of an historian -- someone who is the keeper of a heritage, a holder of values, and a proclaimer of timeless truth. Each of us is able, at varying levels, to share the stories we have heard, and learned from, so that future generations will understand their relationships with God and the world and one another better than they would have without our having told them.

In his Declaration and Address (1809), Thomas Campbell said that he was not stating propositions as unquestioned doctrine. "They are merely," he said, "designed for opening up the way." He wanted to encourage dialogue about important issues that affect all of us on the path of faith. In the same way, historians hope to open the way with conversations about the past that shed light on the present. We keep records of what has happened in microcosm, in order to better see the whole. We open communication between individuals, and between groups, to show them the common threads that connect them. By design, we hold on to the past while pointing to the future.

In the Stone-Campbell heritage, we have long been troubled by what to call ourselves -- what name to use. Are we Christians, or Disciples? Restorers or Reformers? Free church or denomination? Even though Barton W. Stone (and company) in The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery (1804), declared that they desired to "heartily unite with our Christian brethren of every name," there is still a longing for a particular name. We need a way to distinguish who we are. What if we just call ourselves historians? Surely that is a name we can all agree on. We will be historians. We will preserve the past and we will forge the future. We will insure that the open and welcoming Church which was delivered to us will be available for our children and their children. We will be historians and give a perfect testimony of what has been and what will be. Through careful examination and thoughtful interpretation, we will bring yesterday into today and, then, with our voices united we will announce a message of faith and hope that tomorrow is sure to hear.

How inspiring: Witnesses with a perfect testimony. It is perfect because of our large numbers and because of our precise handling of the stuff of history. We are called to tell our story. And we will -- because that's what historians do.