May 16, 2024
Did you know that your church has a very valuable legacy for your community, your descendants and for the wider church? That legacy is your church records. Church records are a vital part of preserving a community’s mission and history. The management of records can unearth unknown histories and ensure that the memories and records are preserved.
The Central Atlantic Conference has resources to help decide which documents are important to keep and which are not. The CAC has recently formed a Legacy Work Group whose work includes helping churches live into a viable and sustainable community of worship that is a vital part of their community. Preserving records is one component of preserving the church’s place in and legacy to the community and the wider church.
As a member of the UCC Historical Council for over 10 years, I continue to be amazed at what a vital role church records play in preserving the amazing work done by church people over the years and with how this history can inform decisions made in the present and future. Recently, we have been actively working on discovering parts of our history that have been in danger of being lost and, with concerted efforts of the caretakers of that history, have been able to begin the preservation process.
If you’d like to be a part of the new Church Legacy Work Group, or would like more information about Church Records management, please contact Rev. Craig Peterson at cpeterson@cacucc.org or 747-888-8349 and he will connect you with the appropriate person.
Rev. Nancy N. Mack is an ordained UCC pastor, retired, and currently serves on the CAC Board of Directors from the Shenandoah Association. She is the chair of the UCC Historical Council, where she has served for the past 10 years.