Archives and History Commission reports that now is the time to write your church history

Rev. Bill Bryan, chair of the NTC Commission on Archives and History, was apologetic, disappointed and insistent when he presented his 2007 report from the Archives and History Commission.

"The Texas United Methodist Historical Association gave no Kate Warnick Award for local history to any church in the North Texas Conference this year," he reported. "On the other hand, two churches in the Texas Conference received Kate Warnick Awards.

"The bottom line is that NTC churches have to get busy and write some good, prize-winning history," charged Rev. Bryan. As a suggestion, he says that any church founded, merged or built in any of the following years might consider starting work now on local histories that are keyed to the year 2009, when all of them will be having major anniversaries.

Those years are 1859, 1884, 1909, 1934, 1959 and 1984.

"Churches founded, merged or built in any of those years will be celebrating anniversaries of 25, 50, 75, 100, 125 or 150 years in 2009," said Rev. Bryan.

"As an added encouragement, the new NTC Ministry Center will soon contain space, facilities and resources to help local church historians," added Rev. Bryan. "We will have a library of Methodist journals, Reporter newspapers and other local church history volumes to help get your own church history underway."

"Meanwhile, please research and please write: Amen!"