LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 42

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42 SYNODICAL REPORTS

detailing the 150 years of LCMS history, was developed for exhi-
bition at the Great Commission Convocation in the summer of
1997 and then transferred to the CHI Museum, where it has been
enhanced and is now on display.

Other Activities

The institute hosted the 23rd and 24th Conferences on Archives
and History in 1995 and 1997 at which synodical District archivists
and LWML historians from all over North America, as well as
other Lutherans and non-Lutherans, gathered to share ideas and in-
formation in the field of Lutheran archives and history.

Our efforts to gather the records of disbanded congregations for
permanent preservation have continued, We have been grateful for
the cooperation and support of District archivists and District pres-
idents in this effort, as well as pastors and laypeople connected with
congregations that disband.

We regularly advise synodical departments and offices as well
as other organizations on the types of records that need to be trans-
ferred to the archives for permanent preservation and have gener-
ally received fine cooperation. Several meetings have been held to
begin developing comprehensive records management among the
units at the International Center,

III. Services

The institute has a significant role to play in the life of the
Synod at all levels helping the members of the church to carry out
their mission as people sent by God to the ends of the earth. We
help people grow in their appreciation for and understanding of our
Lutheran history and heritage. We serve the needs of congregations
by
* preserving historical materials on congregational life and history
and show how the Gospel has touched the lives of people and
how faithful Christians have shared the good news with their
communities;

helping parishes learn to appreciate the context in which they
work;

providing biographical information about the pastors and teach-
ers who have served in our congregations;

Suggesting meaningful ways to observe anniversaries to help the
people of God move into the future by building on what has been
accomplished in the past;

offering guidelines for the preservation of vital records of con-
gregations.

The institute also supports the Synod in meeting its initiatives to
recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other professional church
workers and provide opportunities for their continuing growth by

* making our vast collections of resources available to college and
seminary students for research that deepens their understanding
of our heritage;

assisting graduate students in gathering information on such top-
ics as the doctrine of the ministry in American Lutheranism, wor-
ship and Communion practices in the parishes of the church, or
the role of women in the church:
providing historical resources and information to church work-
ers, serving to assist them in preparing conference papers and for
their personal growth.

We work closely with District archivists in a mutual effort to
build awareness of our precious heritage by
* providing suggestions for preserving the records of the synodical
Districts;

.

exchanging materials needed in our various collections;

offering training and technical information on archival proce-
dures and practices through our biennial Conference on Archives
and History and the “Archivist’s Corner” of our “Historical Foot-
notes” newsletter;

encouraging District archivists to help congregations and District
officials with historical information and to promote the preser-
vation of the records of God’s blessings in all areas of the church.

The institute supports the worldwide mission effort of the
Synod by
* preserving over 500 cubic feet of records that document the far-
flung mission activities of the Synod from its beginning to the
present day;

providing information from these records to support the current
efforts of outreach;

assisting partner churches in the preservation of their records,
such as the Lutheran Church in Korea, which recently established
an archives committee and appointed an archivist;

assisting with special projects such as that begun recently to or-
ganize the records dealing with the history and work done in
black congregations of the Synod;

working with the Institute for Mission Studies of Concordia Sem-
inary, St. Louis, to gather additional resources on the Synod’s
mission efforts.

As the official archives of the Synod, the institute seeks to work
closely with its boards, commissions, and other departments and
their staff by

* preserving records of permanent historical value:

* locating information from those records when needed for current
operations;

* helping develop schedules for proper retention and destruction
of records.

IV. Historical Collections

The institute serves the Synod’s purposes and helps it fulfill its
mission as God's faithful people sent to the ends of the earth with
the proclamation of His never-ending love in Christ Jesus by con-
tinuing to gather and preserve a vast collection of resources that
tell the story of what God has done through His people to bring the
good news of the Gospel to the world. Our holdings include

* more than 7,500 cubic feet of records in the archives, including
documents and papers from the confessional Lutheran emigra-
tions of the 1830s and 1840s down to the most recent minutes of
synodical boards and commissions:

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records of congregations, educational institutions, auxiliary or-
ganizations, and other groups, making us the largest depository
of information on the ministry and life of Lutheranism in Amer-
ica;

papers of significant leaders of the church such as C. F. W.
Walther, Francis Pieper, John W. Behnken, Theodore Graebner,
Walter A. Maier and J. A. O. Preus II:

a historical library of more than 58,000 books, pamphlets, and
periodicals published by or about Lutherans in America and Eu-
rope, including histories and publications of the ELCA and it pre-
decessors, the Wisconsin Synod, and other Lutheran church bod-
ies;

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more than 180,000 feet of microfilm of manuscripts, periodicals,
dissertations, and congregational records, a collection developed
through the support of the International Lutheran Laymen’s
League for more than 40 years;

* a museum collection of artifacts and documents that focus on the
history of God’s amazing goodness and care toward His people
dwelling in a land and culture that is growing further and further
away from its Creator and Savior:

* museum exhibits which present treasured historical objects re-
lated to the Synod and its leaders, Reformation coins and medals,
altar paraments, vesments, communtonware, church furnishings,
tools of early pioneer life, and artifacts from missionaries all over
the world;

historic sites at Frohna, Perry County, Mo. (the Saxon Lutheran
Memorial, a log cabin complex that recalls the faith and dedica-
tion of some of the Synod’s founders), and Friedenberg, Mo. (the

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