Do you know where your church archives are located and what condition they are in? Unless someone has taken steps to preserve them, they may be deteriorating.
Frances Hamilton, executive director of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission (ABHC), said that churches in Alabama generally tend to pay attention to their heritage but could do more. “There are some excellent church histories out there,” Hamilton said.
The ABHC gets many calls from churches needing help in preserving or reconstructing the past. “Many churches do not have the documentation they need,” she said. “It isn’t because they haven’t made an effort. Ninety-five percent of the time, there has been a fire, flood or tornado, or the church clerk left and took the records.”
What should churches preserve?
“Churches should save anything that is of importance to them. That includes church minutes, including minutes of business conferences and financial records. Also save all scrapbooks, pictures of members and architectural drawings.
“My church had a problem with the elevator,” Hamilton said. “They were able to locate the architectural drawings, which helped them solve the problem.”
Once saved, paper records and photographs will deteriorate if not stored properly.
Carla Hamilton, owner of Four Corners Custom Framing Gallery in Inverness, outlined some tips for caring for photos.
“Get them out of whatever they are in,” she said. “People will run to a store, pick up a frame and pop the picture in it, right next to the glass. If you have a picture or painting of sentimental, historical or monetary importance, it needs to have conservation glass over it or it will deteriorate.”
She also cautioned against storing photos and documents in cardboard boxes. “High moisture content can ruin photos and other documents. We see a lot of staining from excess moisture. Many sources supply photo archival boxes to protect pictures. Also use sheets of acid-free paper between documents.”
Frances Hamilton agreed. “Acid-free is the way to go. Because of the popularity of scrapbooking, these materials are easy to find.”
She has further advice for churches. “It is important for churches to provide archival space — a small room where you can gather your records together.” And, she adds, materials should be placed in fireproof files.
What about documents and photos that have already been damaged? There is hope, according to Carla Hamilton. “Go through the documents and stop whatever deterioration may be happening with proper storage. Then identify pieces that are already too far gone and need immediate attention.”
She suggests prioritizing the importance of documents and spending money for restoration accordingly. A restorer can do a lot for documents or photos in bad shape.
Frances Hamilton encourages churches to preserve their history.
“I would ask all Alabama Baptists whose stories we are preserving. It is the Lord’s stories, not ours. The work we do is to try to emphasize what the Lord has accomplished through Baptists in this state.”
Share with others: