Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2019 · 67th Convention, Tampa › Page 105
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 105

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
are found in the first constitution of the LCMS in 1847, which
directed the secretary of Synod to chronicle the denomination’s
history and also collect and preserve documents and artifacts of
historic value. Officially incorporated as a nonprofit institution
in 1927, CHI continues to retrieve, catalog, preserve, and share
with church and community the historical treasures entrusted
to its care while serving as a resource for observing major anniversaries of Synod leaders, entities, congregations, and events.
As the official department of archives and history of the
LCMS (see 3.6.2 in the LCMS Handbook), CHI continues to
search out and organize historical records that not only chronicle the history of the Synod (its congregations, institutions,
leaders, and events) but also document the history of a church
body that, under the mercy and grace of Christ and His Word,
has not only survived crises but also has grown and flourished.
As Synod’s department of archives, Concordia Historical
Institute is charged with managing what has become the largest
Lutheran archival collection in North America—a collection
that includes documents, publications, rare books, photographs,
audio/visual media, artifacts, and fine art.
The Lord of the Church has been gracious to Concordia
Historical Institute over these past three years. Striving to make
CHI the premier provider of Lutheran historical resources in
North America, the CHI staff, volunteers, and board are thankful for the prayers, encouragement, and support of LCMS districts, congregations, and individuals as we continue to serve the
advancement of the history of the LCMS.
CHI actively manages
••

over 15,500 linear feet (3 miles) of archival material
in environmentally controlled rooms;

••

two high-quality museums (a permanent exhibit on
the Reformation and history of the Synod at the
LCMS headquarters in Kirkwood, Missouri, and a
museum with changing exhibits at CHI, located on
the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis);

••

the newly updated and expanded Concordia
Historical Institute Quarterly (the longest-running
journal of Lutheran history in North America);

••

professional archival and research services that organize, catalog, and provide access to the millions of
archived items in the CHI collection;

••

an annual awards program that recognizes excellence
in publishing books and articles on the history of
Lutheranism in North America;

••

a large archival collection of historic photographs,
motion picture film, audio and video tapes, artifacts
from the mission field, as well as fine art connected
with the Reformation and the Lutheran Church in
North America;

••

a completely redesigned website:
concordiahistoricalinstitute.org;

••

two historic sites spotlighting the life and faith of the
first Lutheran settlers in Perry County, Missouri (the
Saxon Lutheran Memorial in Frohna, and Hill of
Peace Lutheran Memorial in Friedenberg).

Over the last three years, CHI has presented to the church
and community historic treasures entrusted to its care in new
and exciting ways. “Pressed into Service by the Word of God”

105

chronicled the effects of the Lutheran Reformation over the last
500 years through rare books and coins. (A full-color catalog,
with introductions by President Harrison, Dr. Robert Kolb, and
Dr. Cameron MacKenzie, is available for those not able to visit
the CHI exhibit on the campus of Concordia Seminary in St.
Louis.) The next exhibit in the CHI building will be “The Mercy
of Christ Freely Given: The First Twenty-Seven Years of Missouri Synod Mission Work in South India.” This exhibit will
open August 2019 and document the beginnings of LCMS mission work among the people of India 125 years ago.
Concordia Historical Institute is dedicated to enhancing its
service to the LCMS in the next triennium. We are pleased to
report that for the first time, catalogs of (a) the CHI reference
library collection, and (b) the CHI archive collection are now
available and searchable online. This greatly enhances the “discoverability” of the historical treasures available for viewing by
researchers around the world.
Specialized research projects continue and expand. Research on the Walther League continues as the entire Walther
League journal, The Messenger, is being digitized and made
searchable. Research on the Walkout at Concordia Seminary
continues as faculty-interview tapes are digitized and a comprehensive bibliography of published and archival resources related
to Seminex and the Walkout is released.
Additionally, CHI has initiated a MELIM Online project
to document the beginnings of LCMS mission work in India.
Tens of thousands of photographs have now been digitized and
metadata (critical information about the photograph) attached
to each image file.
In connection with this initiative, CHI is now partnering
with the IELC in India—particularly the principal and faculty
of Concordia Theological Seminary in Nagercoil—to digitize
and make available approximately 15,000 historical documents
spanning the entire 125-year history of MELIM/IELC. This
project is one of the ways CHI is honoring the first LCMS missionaries sent to share the Gospel with the neglected people
groups of India and further historical research on this important element of Missouri Synod’s mission history.
Another area that will receive CHI’s full attention is a complete revision of the LCMS Records and Archives Retention
policies and procedures to ensure historic documents generated
by LCMS church leaders are identified and preserved for future
historical research. This revision is especially critical in our age,
when more and more documents are generated and distributed
digitally. Contrary to popular thought, digitally borne documents and images are more vulnerable to accidental deletion
and, as software changes, more difficult to open and access.
By the grace of God, Concordia Historical Institute will
continue to solicit historically valuable documents and artifacts,
increase the value of its services, products and events, while reducing risks associated with collecting, organizing, preserving,
publishing, and exhibiting the historic treasures of the Missouri
Synod. CHI is committed to developing even closer relationships with sister church bodies around the globe in a common
desire to both treasure and trumpet the history of God’s grace
among us.
With joy, Concordia Historical Institute continues to serve
the LCMS, that generations to come might not only better understand the fascinating history of our Synod but also more
clearly understand the redeeming work of Christ in the life of
2019 Convention Workbook