Writing Your Congregation's History

Every congregation has an interesting history. It only needs to be discovered and written. A well-written congregational history is a blessing to the congregation and a fascinating adventure for the writer.

The preparing of a congregational history is usually motivated by some significant event in the life of the church. It may be a special anniversary or the dedication of a new building. Whatever the event, it will be more meaningful and remembered longer if a published history is one of the features of the celebration.

Any congregation, no matter how small or how limited the budget, can have a congregational history. Many excellent histories have been typed and run on copying machines. Committees have had fun collecting the sheets, putting them in an attractive cover and preparing by hand inexpensive church history books. But whether the story is to be mimeographed, photocopied or printed, certain principles should be followed.

First Steps

The project should be planned several months in advance of the date of publication. A history publication committee should be appointed. It could be a separate committee or a part of the general committee in charge of preparing for the celebrated event. The committee, usually appointed by the board chairperson who has consulted with the minister, should include one of the respected old-timers, a teacher, a businessperson, a faithful deacon and deaconess, a young person and persons familiar with the outreach programs of the Christian churches. Among these should be persons who have had experience with the educational program of the congregation, youth activities, women's work, choirs and the stewardship life of the congregation. If the congregation is organized in functional departments, they should be represented. The purpose of the committee is not to write the history, but to choose a writer, render help when needed, act in an advisory capacity and finally arrange for promotion, financing and publishing of the book.

In preliminary meetings the committee should consider the type of history desired, financial limitations, possible sources of historical information and qualifications needed by the writer to be chosen. Sample history books from other congregations would make helpful study material. Disciples of Christ Historical Society will loan several history books produced by other churches. Some of the church colleges and seminaries have a file of these books and the librarians are usually glad to accommodate borrowers.

Who Will Do the Writing?

Once the framework of the proposed history is planned, the committee should select someone to do the actual writing. Many congregational histories have been written by ministers, but it must be remembered that the minister is a very busy person. If he or she is serving a large pastorate, this task could easily be a burden. Unless the proposed author has a special interest in writing this history, the person should not be asked.

In every congregation there usually is a right person for the task. Selecting the right person is of vital importance. The writer should not be chosen on the basis of a long membership and acquaintance with the past, or as a reward for faithful years of service. Such a person, unless he or she has other qualifications, may only produce a book of reminiscences.

The writer should be one who has demonstrated some writing ability, is fair-minded and of good judgment, loyal to the congregation and the whole church, and capable of doing research. The author, if he or she is the right person, does not necessarily need to know a great deal about the history of the congregation. A responsible person will learn this in the process of research. It is a great honor to be chosen to write the history of the congregation.

The co-authorship plan is sometimes used, but this can easily result in one author doing all the work--or thinking that way--with the consequence being an unhappy situation. The joint-authorship plan by which different persons are made responsible for writing about the various organizations within the church is sometimes used, but it is seldom effective. Under this plan it is necessary to have an editor. The danger of the joint-authorship scheme is that the completed work often lacks unity and coherence, is repetitious, and historical events are thrown out of proportion. An enthusiastic former member of the defunct Busy Bee Society might turn in several pages of manuscript and expect it to be printed word for word, even if it overshadows a valuable one-page report of the Christian Women's Fellowship.

Assuming the Writer Has Been Chosen

The author should not rush to type the narrative. Much needs to be done before the actual writing begins. Background reading should not be overlooked. Journey in Faith by William E. Tucker and Lester McAllister is the most recently published history of Disciples. People of the Chalice by Colbert Cartwright, A Search for Identity by Robert Friedly and Duane Cummins, and A Handbook for Today's Disciples by Duane Cummins are also recommended reading. These books can be purchased from the Christian Board of Publication, P. O. Box 179, St. Louis, Missouri 63166. If a good regional history of Disciples is available, it also should be read. The background reading is done primarily to get the "feeling" for the task ahead and to provide the framework of the movement of which the writer's congregation is a part. The congregational historian is not expected to write a history of the whole church or an exposition of the doctrines and practices of the Stone-Campbell movement. The story should not begin with the Acts of the Apostles or the Protestant Reformation and the contribution of the Campbells, Scott and Stone as this information is readily obtainable in published books. A congregational history should have a local savor and serve as a grass-roots supplement to the more general works.

Gathering Material

As the author does the background reading he or she can also be making notes on matters that relate directly to the congregation. Most writers find the use of 3 x 5-inch standard note cards very helpful for this purpose. Excerpts from old newspapers, county histories and atlases, old brotherhood periodicals, back issues of congregational bulletins, obituary notices, diaries, year books, congregational minute books, and personal interviews and correspondence with older members and former ministers can be noted on these cards. The subject and proper date should be at the top of each card and the exact source of the information (person, book title, page number) should be at the bottom. It is not advisable to depend too much on the memories of older members. Their stories are often unwittingly exaggerated and prejudiced and should be documented as much as possible. Information often comes from unexpected sources and in strange ways. Leads which at first seem insignificant often are interesting bits of forgotten history. Once engrossed in a special feature of research the writer becomes intrigued with sleuthing and would not give it up for anything. Hunting for congregational history material is a satisfying experience--sometimes frustrating--but eventually rewarding to the persistent and persevering investigator.

A good congregational history will include human interest stories about the founders, what motivated them to organize and the early struggles and hardships endured. If the congregation is not the first one organized in the county or community, perhaps the writer will want to show the roots of the movement in another congregation or as far back as a yearly meeting or district convention. If the congregation is a mother-church of other congregations, this should be recorded. For the most part, the congregations followed a common pattern in their founding, but there are unique features in the origin of every group. Every congregation has a special story. The writer must discover it and tell it.

A list of ministers who have served the congregation, with the significant events of their pastorates, often provides good clues to the life of the congregation. Some were evangelists, some were church builders, other were pastors; each has a human interest message. Readers are interested in these ministers-colleges attended, degrees held, books or tracts they have written, parts they played in church life and contributions made to the congregation and community. Many congregations have produced recruits for the pastoral ministry, missionary fields or the educational ministry. Their stories should be a part of the history of the congregation. It is not unusual for an open-country, cross-roads congregation to inspire their young people to make names for themselves in business and the professions. Their stories should be told. The writer should not forget the lesser-known but faithful Christians who taught Sunday school classes for years, slaved in the church kitchen, or were spiritual giants among the people. In many instances a poor, unlettered lay member has meant more to the life of the congregation than others who gained distinction. Biographical data should be balanced, however, so that too much attention is not given to any one person or family. The writer must be discerning.

The congregational history should answer questions on the growth, origin and development of such organizations within the church as the Women's Fellowship, Men's Fellowship, Youth Fellowship, church school classes, Scouts, choirs and other music groups. If these groups are rooted in the Ladies' Aid, Men's Club, Christian Endeavor Societies, Women's Missionary Societies or similar organizations, the full account should be given. The development of congregational polity from rule by elders and deacons to the more modern structure with functional committees or departments should be recorded. These organizations can be treated separately, but they can be skillfully woven into a single pattern and unified narrative.

There are exciting highlights in the life of every congregation. Search out the special evangelistic meetings, the dedication of new buildings, the installation of new ministers, ordinations, the time the congregation entertained the Regional Assembly, or the special occasion when a famous person spoke from the pulpit. Most congregations have celebrated many anniversaries: the tenth, the twenty-fifth, the fiftieth, or the centennial. These make good stories. Incidentally, the newspaper accounts of such occasions usually contain a wealth of historical information. The conscientious historian will calculate the dates of such events and check newspapers and periodicals of corresponding dates for the complete record. Unfortunately, minute books are not as rewarding to the investigator as might be believed. Church clerks, for the most part, have not done a very good job keeping records. Minutes are often sparse, sometimes with gaps of several years. In spite of this, it is sometimes possible to discover a note in the minutes that will highlight the total story. Often the writing of a congregational history will point up the need of keeping better records. Authors have found that scrapbooks kept by sentimental souls in the congregation are more rewarding as research material than the actual minutes of the board meetings.

Beware The Pitfalls!

Every congregation has had its troubles. Dissension and strife is no stranger to the unity of the church, but there is a danger in probing too deeply into old wounds. Unless these unfortunate situations can be treated diplomatically and in the spirit of love and understanding, perhaps they should not be discussed at all. In the case of a division of the membership as a result of a congregational quarrel and the dissenting group forming a new congregation, the writer can scarcely avoid recognizing the situation. In doing so, the explanation should be limited to the principles at issue in the controversy and give an honest statement of the opposing views. In a congregational history, it would be dangerous to connect personalities with principles, even libelous, unless the charges could be proven in a court of law. The writer should avoid hurting the living or the memory of the deceased. There is no need of pointing out the weaknesses or mistakes of past ministers or lay members of the congregation. The history is not a scandal book.

Ready to Write

The preparing of adequate notes sometimes takes weeks and often several months. When sufficient data has been obtained, the author can organize it in preparation for writing. The pattern of the book, with chapters, divisions and subject headings, should emerge and these will form the outline or framework of the narrative. Notes that are not relevant can be discarded. Notes that treat the same subject matter or are close together in time can be combined for further study. Lengthy statistics, lists of names, copies of programs or documents, quotations of several sentences, constitution and bylaws, or any such material that should not properly appear in the text or main body of the writing, should be in the appendix. If included in the text, such material often destroys reader interest. The usual procedure is to use a footnote calling attention to the page in the appendix where the desired detail information may be found.

For manuscript copy it is advantageous to use standard 8 x 11-inch bond paper. The lines should be double-spaced, typed only on one side of the paper, with at least one-inch margins all around. Quotations of over two lines should be indented and single spaced. Voluminous footnotes are not necessary in a work of this kind but important sources of information should be documented. There are many manuals of form and style for writers which contain typographical rules and other information profitable as a guide for the format, writing style and punctuation. In most cases, it is possible to obtain a manual on a loan basis from the public library. The writer must use accurate spelling, especially of proper names. The constant use of a dictionary is a must. Much of this work may be done on the computer.

One writing of a manuscript is never sufficient. After the author goes over the first writing carefully, he or she will see the need of revising and polishing the manuscript. At this point the history committee should meet with the writer and make suggestions and criticisms. A second or third writing may be necessary before the manuscript is ready for the printer. In revisions the author can delete matters of repetitious nature, rewrite paragraphs to avoid redundancy, and correct errors or grammar, spelling and punctuation. The final manuscript for the printer should be a clean, clear transcription. It is much easier and cheaper to make revisions and corrections on the typed manuscript than on the printer's proofs. When the copy goes to the printer it should be perfect.

Pictures and Illustrations

Pictures are often better windows for seeing history than words. Well-chosen pictures and illustrations enhance interest in any book. In the congregational history the pictures should have a local flavor. Pictures used may be those of former ministers as they appeared at the time they served the congregation, the pioneers, the organizers and faithful members of other days, the various buildings, "then and now" community scenes, music organizations, Sunday School classes, ordinations, missionaries who have gone out from the congregation, missionaries partners and other significant events and personalities in the life of the congregation.

Candid camera snapshots of youngsters singing in a children's choir or listening to their teacher make delightful reproductions and are often more appreciated than posed ones. Pictures of large groups are not too desirable because when reduced in size to fit the page of the average book it becomes impossible to distinguish the individuals. If funds are limited, the choice of pictures must be very selective. In many cases it will be possible to have only exterior and interior views of the building and perhaps a group picture of the staff.

In choosing pictures for use in a history book, glossy photographs with contrast make the best halftone cuts. For the most part, pictures taken from newspapers, magazines and books will not reproduce satisfactorily. The photoengraving is made by photographing the picture through a fine mesh screen which reduces it to a succession of fine dots, the density of which controls the tone value of the final picture. A halftone cut made by screening an image that has already been screened will result in a distorted product. There are rare cases where it is impossible to obtain an original photograph and the committee thinks that the picture is of sufficient importance to warrant its use, even if reproduction is unsatisfactory.

If a number of pictures are used throughout the book it is better to have the text printed on a machine-finished, hard paper. Halftone cuts will not reproduce on soft, rough paper. If the congregation is fortunate enough to have a member who has the artistic ability, etchings can be used effectively, especially for the cover design. The picture problem is sometimes solved by the photo-offset method of printing. The printer should be consulted on these matters.

Identification of photographs and the size to which the photo must be reduced or enlarged should be indicated on the back with a pencil. Photographs of ministers, missionaries and other persons can be made into cuts of a similar size at approximately 1 inche across at the base and 2 inches high. This will provide a large enough image for a standard 9 x 6 inch book. Information on the width of the type line can be obtained from the printer, and the larger pictures of groups, buildings or special scenes should have a base line width the same as the type line so the picture will not overhang the text.

The collecting of the pictures for use in a history book can be delegated to the history committee. To expedite the printing, these photoengravings can be ordered in advance after consultation with the printer on the quality of the paper to be used and the dimensions of the cuts.

In the Hands of the Printer

The printer can advise the committee on the size and style of type to use for the text, subject headings, footnotes, etc., and it should be remembered that larger type is preferable. Ten point type, two point leaded, is a good minimum standard for the body of the text. When the printer has the manuscript in hand and knows the size of type desired, the photoengravings to be made, and the quality of paper and cover stock to be used, a good cost estimate of the job can be given, depending on the quantity desired. If there is to be an index and other undetermined additional pages, a per-page estimate of additional pages can be given. It is desirable to have an understanding on the approximate cost of the project before it is started. The expense will probably be more than the committee estimated, but the slogan, "The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten," is a good one to bear in mind.

The first proofs of the book, galley proofs, should be read carefully by the author and committee so that all errors in spelling, punctuation and printer's mistakes can be corrected. When the galley proofs are corrected the printer will set the book by pages, lock it in a form and submit page proofs. The proof readers should check these page proofs to see that all errors noted on the galley proofs have been corrected and that all material has been included. This is the last opportunity for correction and the printer cannot be held responsible for errors the proof readers did not find.

With the page proofs in hand, the writer can now design his title page, make a table of contents and index if an index is desired.

The short title, name of the author and proper illustration should appear on the cover of the book. The short title should again appear on the first page and this page should be blank on the back. The title page follows with the full title, name of the author and some such notation as, "A Fiftieth Anniversary Publication of the First Christian Church at Your Town, 1949-1999." On the reverse of the title page there should be the copyright mark c, date and name of person or group copyrighting the book with the following notation: All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without the publisher's written permission. Address: (address of church). If there is a dedication, it should appear next. The preface or foreword, which is the author's statement concerning the purpose of the book and his or her acknowledgements, follows. The table of contents comes next and should list the chapters or divisions of the book, the location of material in the appendix, the index page number and all such matter as follows the title page.

How to Make the Index

An index is not entirely necessary in a small book but it makes the work more valuable for quick reference. It is somewhat difficult to make but a very interesting project. Small slips of paper or 3 x 5-inch cards can be used for index notations. Simply read through the entire book and record the names of all persons, last names first, on separate cards, with the page number opposite the names. Do the same for the important places mentioned. Next study each page of the text for subject headings as evangelistic meetings, newsletters, missionary work, choirs, financial reports, anniversaries and meeting houses; note these separately and place the page numbers opposite. When this has been done there may be two or three hundred cards which should then be arranged alphabetically. If the same entry appears on several cards, take the one with the lowest page number and transfer the page numbers from cards with similar entries to it. Cards with more than one page number might then read, "Smith, John C., 16, 22, 43." or "Baptisms, 3, 14, 26." When all the cards are in alphabetical order they should be typed in one column on standard sheets of paper and submitted to the printer. Indexing work can be done with much greater ease on the computer.

Proofs for the title pages, preface, table of contents, index and cover should be checked carefully before printing.

Financing and Distributing the Book

The author should not have to promote, sell, or distribute the book. This is the work of the committee.

Printed copies should be ordered for each family or member in the congregation and additional copies provided for new members and other uses. It would probably be best if this project were considered as a legitimate budget item and copies distributed free. A good congregational history makes excellent promotional material and helps to make members appreciate the church and be loyal to it. If the project cannot be financed from the congregational budget it is usually possible to find sponsors who will make substantial gifts in order that every member may have a copy. Selling the book at a fixed retail price, even to earn money for the church, is usually not successful. Selling advertising space in the book cheapens the quality and is distasteful. The book realizes its fullest value only when all members have a copy.

Announcements concerning the book should appear in the weekly newsletter from time to time prior to publication. The congregation should be fully aware of the project so members will anticipate the publication. The author and committee should receive special recognition for their work. With the appropriate publicity the book will become something each member will desire and treasure. By all means, copies should be sent to Disciples of Christ Historical Society for the archives, to the various church college and seminary libraries, to the public library, to local and state historical societies and to former ministers, members, contributors and friends of the church. Copies should be submitted to the church periodicals and to the local newspapers. The home newspaper editor usually is glad to have such material for feature articles or a book review. This publicity is good for the congregation.

If the author and history committee have done thorough research much historical material will have been accumulated as a result. This material should not be discarded but should be cataloged and saved for future reference. Many churches have a continuing history committee to monitor material already on hand and to gather and file reports, clippings, photographs, bulletins, newsletters and important documents as they are received. The gathering of historical material should continue after the publication of the book. There is always another big day in the future.

Every congregation has an interesting history. It needs only to be discovered and written. A well-written congregational history is a blessing to the congregation, the community and the whole church.

 

This article was written by Henry K. Shaw. It has been revised and edited by Dudley Seale for this publication.