LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 38

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38 SYNODICAL REPORTS

* it seeks to build an appreciation for our Lutheran history and her-
itage by publishing the Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly
and by making its resources available to all who are interested in
studying and understanding our past.

Guided by the witness of the faithful people of God who have
proclaimed the life-giving Gospel of our God and Savior, Jesus
Christ, led by the Holy Spirit and encouraged by the record of how
God’s people have worked together since our Synod was founded,
we strive to carry out our mission with the objective that those
whom we assist will be better equipped to “Tell the Good News
about Jesus.”

II. Completion of Goals and Assignments
Archival Collections

One of the major objectives of Concordia Historical Institute
over the last number of years has been to address the large number
of collections that have never been organized and described in such
a way that they can be used easily by researchers. Thanks to a spe-
cial grant, CHI was able to engage a project archivist, who during
the past three years arranged and described a number of significant
collections, among them the Saxon Immigration collection, the
Franz Pieper, E. G. W. Keyl, and August R. Suelflow collections,
and the Board of Parish Education (1929-1981) and the Board of
Parish Services (1983-1994) minutes, to mention only a few. The
materials from these collections have been placed into acid-free
archival file folders. In addition, finding aids have been prepared
and placed on the World Wide Web. They provide brief biogra-
phies of the persons involved, descriptions of the kinds of materials
included in the collections, and detailed listings of the folders.

In June 1999 the Board of Governors, recognizing the essential
nature of this work of organizing and describing collections, added
the position of full-time archivist to the staff. As more and more
records are transferred from synodical offices to the archives, there
will continue to be a need to provide arrangement and description
services so that the resources will be of benefit to the church.

Museum

Through museum exhibits and special programs, the Institute
seeks to build an awareness and appreciation for our Lutheran her-
itage among people of all ages. Concordia Historical Institute has
made significant progress over the last three years in the develop-
ment of its museum and the creation of new and interesting ex-
hibits, of special note an exhibit containing 43 original woodcuts of
Albrecht Diirer, now open to the public at CHI. Exhibits depicting
the lives of Katie Luther and Johann Sebastian Bach have also been
created. A permanent C. F. W. Walther exhibit has taken its right-
ful place in our museum as well. At the present time, with grants
from Lutheran Brotherhood and other generous donors, Concordia
Historical Institute is developing a Children’s Learning Center ded-
icated to providing elementary school-aged children with an un-
derstanding of the history of their church and an appreciation for
how our gracious Lord protects and provides for those He loves.
During the past three years, the CHI museum has developed into a
truly excellent museum, providing education regarding the history
of Lutheranism and of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

Other Activities

The Institute hosted the 25th Conference on Archives and His-
tory in 1999 at which synodical District archivists and LWML his-
torians from all over North America, as well as other Lutherans and
non-Lutherans, gathered to share ideas and information 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-

2001 Convention Workbook

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.

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 “Tell the Good News about
Jesus.” We help people grow in their appreciation for and under-
standing of our Lutheran history, heritage, and teaching. We serve
the needs of congregations by
* preserving historical materials on congregational life and history

that show how the Gospel has touched the lives of people and
how faithful Christians have proclaimed the Gospel in their com-
munities;

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

* providing biographical information about the pastors and teachers
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 workers,
serving to assist them in preparing conference papers and for their
professional 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 procedures
and practices through our biennial Conference on Archives and
History and the “Archivist’s Corner” of our Historical Footnotes
newsletter;

* encouraging District archivists to help congregations and District
officials with historical information and to promote the preserva-
tion 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.

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;