The Archives and History Center

Past Archives Director, Jessamine Younger, shows Meredith and Hannah Ward
some of the treasures in the Archives.

Statement of Mission
The purpose of the archives of Highland Park United Methodist Church shall be to gather, classify, preserve, and publicize material of enduring and significant historical value to the church.

The scope of the archives encompasses all aspects and levels of church life. Its major focus shall be to care for the historical records (as defined in The Book of Discipline, 2000, paragraph 246.5.a) that give evidence of what God has done through the life and witness of this congregation.

The activities and projects of the archives shall attempt at all times to serve as a vital connection between memory and vision, between tradition and future planning, so that the congregation knowingly upholds its heritage and remains faithful to God’s mission for the church.

Those who serve in the archives shall try at all times:

• To relate creatively to the life and mission of the church today;
• To find ways of engaging the interest of the congregation in the church’s history;
• To determine in what way the church needs its history;
• To provide material from the archives that will enable the members to have a deeper understanding of what God has done through them in establishing the church; and
• To seek ever-new opportunities to use the collection so that it nurtures the spirit of the church in its daily life.