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Discussion List

This is a list for Annual Conference Archivists and Conference Commission on Archives and History members. We are also inviting appropriate and interested library staff from our major United Methodist seminaries and universities to be members. The purpose of the list is to be a forum for discussing issues related to managing and operating a conference archives. To that end all questions and comments relating to the management of the archives as well as the function of the commission are appropriate. Click here to join the UMCAH-list by sending an e-mail to the list manager.

Preparing Memoirs for the Conference Journal

The Secretary of the Annual Conference is usually responsible for assigning and collecting memoirs. However, the Annual Conference Commission on Archives and History can help ensure accurate and historically valuable memoirs by urging the Annual Conference to adopt official guidelines for memoirs. These guidelines may then be published in the Annual Conference journal or circulated to authors of memoirs.

What is a Memoir?

A memoir is an account of each deceased individual who has served the church as a clergyperson, clergy spouse, or lay member of the Annual Conference. The account must be accurate without being dry, and both brief and comprehensive.

The memoir is not designed to be either a eulogy or a memorial sermon. Yet, when created skillfully and sympathetically, this brief and specialized biographical account can be a document suitable both as an historical record and a synoptic portrayal of personality and spirit.

Once the memoir is published, persons will use it as an historical resource. They will expect it to be authentic and accurate.

Sources of Information:

• The family is the most important source. An interview in person or by letter can provide the most detailed and interesting data. Be sure to verify dates and places as necessary.
• Another source is the newspaper account. An obituary is especially valuable if the deceased has died in a retirement area far from the Annual Conference.
• The Conference Secretary or the Annual Conference office may have pertinent information on file about conference clergy members.
• Conference journals from past years generally contain lists of appointments for all clergy members, along with academic and honorary degrees earned by the deceased.
• The conference or general church Board of Pensions may have information.
• If the deceased lived in a retirement home, the office will have biographical information as well as names and addresses of family members.
• Friends of the deceased may be able to give information; however, this material should be used selectively, with careful attention to accuracy.

When the memoir is completed, it is wise to ask the next of kin to verify the contents before publication.

The Substance of a Memoir:

The following items are usually considered essential elements of the memoir. Although the order of these items may vary, the arrangement presented does suggest that there is reference value in having a basically uniform pattern.

1. Personal (early period)
The complete name of the deceased; date and place of birth; the name of father and mother (including mother's maiden name in parentheses).

2. Educational
a. Schools and colleges attended with the appropriate years noted.
b. Degrees and honors received with the date of each.

3. Ecclesiastical
a. Dates of baptism, conversion, first church membership, call to ministry.
b. Dates of ordination.
c. Appointments served, with names of cities, states, and conferences as necessary for clarity.
d. Special areas of service and responsibility; notable accomplishments and recognition given; service on conference and community boards and agencies.
e. Retirement date (if deceased had retired); residence following retirement; unusual services rendered following retirement.

4. Personal (late period)
a. Date of marriage; name of spouse (including maiden name); names of children (including married names and addresses); date of spouse's death if widowed; address of surviving spouse or nearest relative.
b. Special lifelong interests and avocations.
c. Date and circumstances of death.
d. Date and place of funeral; place of burial; names of officiating clergy.

The Style of a Memoir:

*The style of every memoir should reflect proper English usage. Simplicity and good taste are essential. There is absolutely no place in the memoir for sentimentality, triteness, the so-called "flowery style," sermonizing, or an excessive use of adjectives.

*The completed memoir should be typed, double spaced on good quality paper. The name of deceased, as commonly known, should appear at the top of the page in capital letters and underscored once. The original copy should go to the conference Secretary. Give one photocopy to the printer of the conference journal; another to the family; and a final copy should be retained by the writer for his or her own file. The memoir should be completed in final form and all copies sent to the proper places within one month after the death of the subject. Immediacy helps accuracy!

*If the conference necrologist or historian writes the memoirs, his or her name should not appear as author because that person's position and responsibility are a matter of conference record. However, if a family member, pastor, or friend writes a memoir, it should be signed by the writer, whose name should appear immediately following the memoir in the journal.

*A good quality black and white photograph should be given to printer to be published in the conference journal. The local source for the photograph is the family or the church where the deceased worked. The best place for the photograph is next to the memoir. If another arrangement is used, there should appear, directly below the photograph, the name of the deceased and a notation indicating the page number of the memoir. If the treasured photograph has been loaned by the family, take care to return the photo, unharmed, as soon as possible after the journal is printed.

Historic Sites

Historic Sites of The United Methodist Church

An Historic Site is a location or structure associated with an event, development, or personality deemed of strong historic significance in the history of an Annual, Central, or Jurisdictional Conference. Historic Sites are designated by formal action of the Annual, Central, or Jurisdictional Conference within whose region the site is located.

The effort to designate an Historic Site is not a casual one. The case for historicity, maintenance, and use must be well established. The General Commission on Archives and History counsels that the designation be bestowed sparingly, after careful investigation and research. Inquiry should be made into such pertinent factors as present ownership, maintenance, and accessibility for those who may wish to visit.

The commission further recommends that a painstaking effort be made to collect and preserve substantive proof of the site's history, such as books, pamphlets, maps, pastoral and church records, journals, letters, periodicals, photographs, and personal memorabilia. Copies of these materials should be deposited in the conference archives.

The Process

A local church, a group, or an individual may initiate the process, but the Annual Conference Commission on Archives and History (or equivalent) must become involved at an early stage. Only the Annual Conference commission can make the formal recommendation to the Annual, Central, or Jurisdictional Conference.

1. Download an application and the guidelines in PDF or request an application form for registering a United Methodist Historic Site from the General Commission on Archives and History, P.O. Box 127, Madison, NJ 07940. The completed application should be sent to the chairperson of the Annual Conference Commission on Archives and History.

2. Study each proposed site objectively and in a scholarly manner. This not only involves gathering data and materials, but developing a clear understanding of the site's significance to The United Methodist Church (or its antecedents or components) and various factors relating to its preservation, interpretation, and use.

3. The Annual Conference commission should review the application carefully. A site visit is highly desirable. If there are any questions, the application should be returned to the preparers for additional data. If the commission endorses the application, it is ready for Annual Conference action.

4. The Annual Conference commission then presents the completed form, with the commission endorsement and supported by available evidence, to the Annual, Central, or Jurisdictional Conference. The conference should vote on the application.

5. Once approved by a conference, no United Methodist Historic Site is official until it has been registered with the General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church. This requires submitting the application form, with proper signatures attesting to the favorable action of the conference. Upon payment of a registration fee, an official United Methodist Historic Site numbered marker will be issued. The registration fee is $75.00.

6. After formal registration of the Historic Site, there should be an appropriate ceremony, with representatives from historical societies as well as church groups, to mark the dedication and public presentation.

7. The General Commission requests descriptive material pertaining to the dedication of the Historic Site and later events. Programs, clippings, photographs, historic information, and other memorabilia should be forwarded regularly.

Historic Site Dedication Resources

It is customary to have a special dedication service for a site which have been approved as a United Methodist Historic Site by its respective annual conference and the General Commission on Archives and History.

The General Commission often receives requests for an order of worship for these special services. We are happy to announce that we can now offer these resources online. Following the appropriate links will connect you to options for calls to worship, hymns, and litanies which might be appropriate for a dedication service. Please adapt these resources to reflect the specific contributions your historic site has made to the history of The United Methodist Church.

Landmarks

Heritage Landmarks of The United Methodist Church

A Heritage Landmark is a structure or location specifically related to significant events, developments, or personalities in the overall history of The United Methodist Church or its antecedents.

Heritage Landmarks must have distinctive historic interest and value for the denomination as a whole, as contrasted with local or regional historic significance. Only those buildings, locations, or structures previously registered as United Methodist Historic Sites are eligible for consideration as Heritage Landmarks.

To aid in the understanding of the requirements for Heritage Landmark status, you may see a complete listing of current Heritage Landmarks in Par. 1712.2.

The Process

1. When the decision is made to nominate an Historic Site for status as a Heritage Landmark, the Annual, Central, or Jurisdictional Commission on Archives and History (or equivalent) should request an "Application for Heritage Landmark Status" from the General Commission on Archives and History, P.O. Box 127, Madison, NJ 07940 or download an application and the guidelines in PDF from this website.

2. The completed application should be sent to the General Commission. Each application will be carefully reviewed by the General Commission's Committee on Heritage Landmarks. Applications are to be received by GCAH by June 1st, two years preceding the year of General Conference.  For 2016, applications are to be received by June 1, 2014.  

3. If approved, the General Commission will recommend that the Historic Site be named a Heritage Landmark by the ensuing General Conference. General Conference approval is required for all Heritage Landmarks.

4. Upon General Conference approval, the General Commission on Archives and History will contribute, if needed and requested, a one-time gift of $500 for publicity and promotion of the Heritage Landmark within the first year of designation (including a proper marker or plaque).

5. All Heritage Landmarks which receive official designation should be accessible to research and visitation, adequately maintained, and responsibly interpreted by an appropriate group in the local area in cooperation with the Annual, Central, or Jurisdictional Commission (or equivalent).

6. Each Heritage Landmark is expected to seek funding for maintenance, interpretation, and promotion from its Annual, Central, or Jurisdictional Conference as well as from appropriate constituencies in and out of the church. Each year, the General Commission on Archives and History provides very limited financial support for specific projects, solely on the basis of demonstrated need. Applications for funding are provided by the General Commission to all Heritage Landmarks. Applications must be completed and returned before the announced deadline; they are reviewed by the Committee on Heritage Landmarks of the General Commission on Archives and History.

When should a Historic Site be considered for status as a Heritage Landmark?

It is better to have a few Heritage Landmarks well qualified, maintained, and interpreted rather than a large number which include some of doubtful validity, poor maintenance, and inadequate interpretation. Therefore, every Heritage Landmark must have historical integrity, including authenticity, conscientious validation, sound maintenance, and responsible interpretation.

Specific Considerations

A place's significance to the history of The United Methodist Church or its antecedents is of utmost importance. This may be augmented by other factors of interest and value to cultural, military, architectural, archaeological, and other fields of history.

A fleeting association with historical figures or important events does not qualify a site for major recognition. For example, the fact that Francis Asbury preached at the Lovely Lane Meetinghouse in Baltimore is not of overwhelming significance, but the fact that the Methodist Episcopal Church was founded there is one major reason for its status as an Heritage Landmark of The United Methodist Church.

Likewise, a series of related events occurring within an approximate vicinity may qualify for recognition as a cluster Heritage Landmark. Examples of a cluster Heritage Landmark are John Wesley's American Parish in Savannah which includes several locations connected to Wesley's stay in the Georgia colony; and the United Brethren Founding Sites cluster in Washington and Fredericks counties in Maryland.

Heritage Landmarks are often associated with specific persons important to the history of The United Methodist Church and its predecessors. Old Otterbein Church in Baltimore is associated with Philip William Otterbein, a founder of the United Brethren in Christ.

While certain individuals merit special consideration, not every prominent person can be recognized by designation of an associated Heritage Landmark. Nevertheless, an occasional representative person may be selected to epitomize a whole category of contributors to the life of The United Methodist Church. The Deadwood Cluster in Deadwood, South Dakota commemorates the life of Henry Weston Smith, murdered on his way to preach on August 20, 1876. Smith exemplifies hundreds of frontier preachers who risked their lives to spread the Gospel.

Many Heritage Landmarks note a "first." The Green Hill House in Louisburg, North Carolina, was the site of the first Annual Conference session held after the Christmas Conference establishing the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, New York was the first hospital built by American Methodists. Yet the meaning of a place's priority must be broadened by its relation to subsequent events, persons, organizations, and ideas. Being first is not enough to merit designation as a Heritage Landmark.

The historical value of past events may be reinterpreted with further passage of time. An event once deemed of the highest importance may deservedly fade in significance as years go by. In order to avoid the dangers of premature designation of Heritage Landmarks the accepted policy of the General Commission on Archives and History is that an Heritage Landmark must be associated with an event or person whose major contributions were made prior to the most recent half-century.

Heritage Landmarks and the General Commission on Archives and History

As noted above, applications for Heritage Landmark status are reviewed by the Commission's Heritage Landmarks Committee, which then makes recommendations to the General Conference. Heritage Landmarks are then eligible to apply for limited funds from the Commission each year for special projects. The General Commission also supports the work of Heritage Landmarks through its publications and programs, and occasionally offers workshops and other training opportunities.

While the General Commission has no direct control over the administration, interpretation, and preservation of Heritage Landmarks, it is most concerned that each place be properly maintained. The Commission is ready to answer questions, offer advice, and serve as an information clearinghouse.

There is a provision in The Book of Discipline for reclassification of a Heritage Landmark. There are at least three circumstances which could lead the General Commission to recommend such a step to the General Conference:

1. A Heritage Landmark's physical structure is changed in a way that irrevocably damages its historical authenticity.
2. The owners deliberately and permanently deny public access to the Heritage Landmark.
3. It is discovered that the Heritage Landmark does not have the historical significance originally claimed for it.

The General Commission offers the following guidelines regarding changes to the physical structure of a Heritage Landmark:

1. The change should not significantly alter the appearance (and thus the authenticity) of the Heritage Landmark.
2. Any restoration or repair work should be historical sensitive (for example, in the choice of paint colors). The General Commission objects to using unauthentic materials in restoration and repair work.
3. No ancillary buildings (restrooms, visitor's center, etc.) should be built so as to affect the Heritage Landmark's appearance on its site. Sensitivity should also be used regarding plantings; for example, trees should not be planted so that they will eventually obscure the structure.

Note: The General Commission publishes A Traveler's Guide to the Heritage Landmarks of The United Methodist Church, which also includes a list of registered Historic Sites. Contact the General Commission for further information.