Cherish and protect your church history

By Norris Dearmon
For the Kannapolis Citizen
It appears that as we grow older, history has a lot more meaning to us than when we were much younger. I find it interesting that people can suddenly become interested in a particular piece of history.
Church history for our local congregations seems to be very popular these days. It may be because some have been around for 100 years or more now and are celebrating their centennial. Some have become concerned about their archives and the possible loss of those important records.
Those records are very important for future generations. Many do not realize just how important they are until they suddenly need some information from them. So often they do not exist. Some churches tend to glorify the pastors, who are important, but the most important aspect of a church is the people. It is where researches can find the best stories.
Our church, Kimball Memorial Lutheran, began a history room on June 11, 2002. A committee was formed and training began. Part of the committee visited other church history rooms to get some ideas. It was a learning experience, but it was noted that there was not enough emphasis on the records. Artifacts are important to see and preserve, since they also tell a story.
The first project was finding a space to put some of the things we knew we already had. Rooms were almost non-existent. There was a small area on the second floor, about 10 feet by 10 feet, which could be partitioned off for a room. After getting permission from church council, the committee decided to contract with Kannapolis Glass and Glazing to build a glass partition with a glass door for viewing since the room would have very limited access. They knew there were some oak panels from the organ in the original church, installed in 1932, so the layout was made to accommodate the panels at the bottom of the glass wall. When it was completed, our work really began.
The panels were refinished along with an arch used to cover the pipes of the organ. The panels were installed under the glass, and the arch was hung on the wall. As word of the history room construction spread in the congregation, members began bringing in items they had saved over the years to offer donations for the room.
Those people really contributed a lot of important material and financial support for the room.
Dr. Charles Ridenhour had the forethought to save the stained glass window, which was over the front door of the original church. On Oct. 8, the window was installed on the front of the glass wall with a light fixture behind it — again, from the original church — donated by Melba Triece Perkins.
Two glass door book cases, donated by Dr. and Mrs. Julian Busby, were placed on the back wall. Two floor glass cases were refinished and put in the room. An original pew, donated by Mr. and Mrs. John Triece, was placed under the arch. The committee was amazed by the artifacts of the old church and the current church which began surfacing.
Soon, more room was needed. The room next to the beginning room was extra large, so it was decided to include eight feet of that room as part of the new room. It gave an 8-by-12-foot addition with good wall space. It began filling up fast.
The committee has been working hard ever since, organizing the records, meeting weekly. Fortunately, Kimball produced a yearly report of about 20-30 pages, beginning in 1946. Many of the reports contained the names and addresses of members. The reports were set up in five-year increments and bound. Many pictures were found. Some were reprinted in a larger format so they could be hung on the walls. Others were put on archival paper and put in notebooks. Two large glass, lighted cases were purchased and put in the new addition. They were able to display more items for others to see. A fireproof cabinet and safe were added to better protect some of the most important vital records.
The entire project has been a labor of love. Kimball now has an excellent history of the church for anyone who may be interested. History never stops. Researchers can come to find who were members in 1914 until today. The organizations changed over the years within the church. It tells a new story of how the members were able to cope with the changes. It is God’s business and how people carry on his business.
If your church does not have a place to accumulate artifacts and records, I urge you to do so. The display can be a great way for new members to see how the church began and how it functioned. Be on the lookout for old records to disappear, since E-bay now is hot for the sale of old records of all kinds.
They are small but important museums.
Norris Dearmon is a local historian and member of the Kannapolis History Associates. He is also a volunteer in the Hinson History Room at the Kannapolis Branch of the Cabarrus County Public Library.