LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 65

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 65

And to one hope she presses With ev’ry grace endued.
(LW 289: 1-2)
Phillip Campbell, Executive Director

R2-05

Concordia Historical Institute
Department of Archives and History

I. Introduction

Picture in your mind these recent snapshots of life at Concordia

Historical Institute (CHD):

a. The presiding bishop of a Lutheran church in Kenya holding
the 1580 Book of Concord in the CHI archives, as if he were
cradling a child in his arms. After the photo is taken, he walks
away saying quietly, “Imagine! I just held the original Lutheran
Confessions in my own hands!”

b. Two German pastors of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran
Church (S.E.L.K.) in the CHI Reading Room enthusiastically
reading and discussing auf Deutsch original, unpublished
letters and manuscripts from one of their missionary leaders
over a hundred years ago.

c. The seminary dining hall filled to overflowing with high-
spirited guests at the annual CHI awards banquet. At the center
of the hall is a distinguished group of presidents and leaders of
the International Lutheran Women’s Missionary League,
honoring their venerable archivist-historian as she receives the
CHI “Distinguished Service Award.”

d. Two grade-school girls, daughters of a Lutheran theology
professor from Brazil, dressed up in mid-nineteenth-century
clothing and posing in a horse carriage at the Saxon Lutheran
Memorial Fall Festival in Perry County, Mo. Their mother
says, “Smile for the camera!” while their father grins bemused.

All these images and more come to mind when we think of how

Concordia Historical Institute helps people connect to their past,

their families and their beloved church. In the twenty-first century,

as these snapshots depict, the connections are truly global in scope
and import! They demonstrate that through many generations

Lutherans around the world have been of One Mission—Ablaze/

II. Mission

As a ministry of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, CHI
has committed itself to:

‘Bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to serve the
members of His church by promoting an interest in, appreciation
for, and understanding of the history of Lutheranism in America,
particularly of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod as the story
of our Lord’s gracious dealing with His people, by collecting and
preserving articles of historical value, stimulating historical re-
search, and publishing its results.

In addition to these functions, Bylaw 3.205 states that CHI shall
“serve as an advisory and correlating agency for historical interests
within the Synod” and “provide guidelines for the establishment of
an archive-historical unit by each District, seminary, synodical col-
lege, university, and other agencies.” CHI may also “serve as the
official depository for such other groups as designate the institute
as their depository.”

III. Collections

CHI is unlike any other synodical agency in that one of its chief
purposes is to collect things. The holdings of the Institute at last
count:
¢ 2.5 million manuscripts, papers, and records

¢ 58,000 books, periodicals, and other publications

© 180,000 feet of microfilm

e 7,500 museum artifacts

e A large collection of photos, audio-visual, and other media

¢ Two historic properties in Perry County, Mo., including the
buildings, equipment, and grounds of the Saxon Lutheran Memo-
rial in Frohna and the Hill of Peace church in Friedenberg

IV. Services

CHI is like most other synodical agencies in that one of its chief
purposes is to provide services. The ongoing historical and archival
services of CHI include the following:

e A free public museum located on the campus of Concordia Sem-
inary, St. Louis, providing inspiration and education regarding
the history of Lutheranism and The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod

¢ Archiving of the most significant information about every con-
gregation and church worker in The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod, including all of its entities, schools, and agencies, and
their publications

e A research department providing public access to, and assistance
with, the archives, books, periodicals, and microfilm in the CHI
collection, as well as digital imaging of photos, manuscripts, and
rare books

e An annual national conference on Lutheran church history, the
Pieper Lectures now in its ninth year, featuring noted scholars on
topics of current interest, with the papers published in monograph
form

¢ A biennial national conference of LCMS District archivists and
ILWML archivists, the Conference on Archives and History,
meeting together since 1945

e The CHI Awards Program now in its 30th year, a banquet and
festivities to recognize the most significant work and persons in
Lutheran history each year, whose awardees are chosen by a ju-
ried committee of experts

¢ A quarterly journal in its 76th continuous year, the Concordia
Historical Institute Quarterly, providing Lutheran historians with
a venue for publishing their research and offering the public a re-
source for broadening and deepening their knowledge of the
Lutheran churches in America

e A quarterly newsletter, Historical Footnotes, which provides cur-
rent news about the Institute and Lutheran history, practical ad-
Vice in historical and archival topics, opportunities for input and
financial support, as well as related resources

e A Web site (http://chi.lcms.org) making some of the Institute’s
resources available online, as well as a daily e-mail newsletter
“Today in History” (see LCMS e-News at http://www.lcms
.org/enews) and a managed news list “CHINews” (see the CHI
Web site)

¢ A series of essays on archival and historical topics, the CHI Ser-
vice Bulletins, including information about establishing and main-
taining a congregational archive, available free of charge

¢ Consultation services in the disciplines of archives and records
management for congregations, Districts, schools, and agencies,
as well as for partner churches and other Lutheran organizations
upon request

e Assistance with the microfilming of congregational and agency
records ,

¢ Consultation for research in the history of Lutheranism

¢ Correlating of resources and talent for publications and projects
related to Lutheran history

¢ Serving as the final depository for the records of disbanded
LCMS congregations

¢ Gleaning of historical information about LCMS congregations
and pastors through anniversary mailings, at 100, 125, and 150
years for congregations, and 25 and 50 years for pastors, includ-
ing suggestions for anniversary celebrations

V. Board and Staff

A Board of Governors consisting of nine members establishes
policy for the Institute. The Institute membership elects five, and

2004 Convention Workbook