We are excited to share the adoption of a new Collection Development Policy for the Historical Society—a document that guides how and why we collect historical materials.
At its heart, this policy is about storytelling. As our mission affirms, the Historical Society exists “to preserve and proclaim the story of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) within the context of the broader Stone-Campbell tradition.” This new policy redirects our collecting practices toward this mission in service to researchers and the church.
We invite you to read through the policy on our website to learn more about our work at the Historical Society and how our collecting priorities and practices help us live into our mission to preserve and proclaim our church’s story.
Why a policy? And why now?
Since 1941, we have faithfully received materials offered by congregations, pastors, laypeople, regions, and ministries as an act of trust. That generosity and trust built a remarkable collection that has served researchers and the church for 85 years—but that growth also created some real challenges. Space is finite. Preservation requires time, staffing, expertise, and resources. A collection can outgrow an institution’s capacity to preserve and manage it.
Our staff and Board of Trustees recognized the potential threat this could pose for our mission and ministry. A more passive collecting approach worked well for a long time during a period in our denominational life when congregations would send important historical documents as part of their ongoing ministry. However, in recent decades, the rhythm, method, and volume of donations have changed significantly. Whereas in the past many congregations had an individual who served as the church historian and routinely identified material to send to us, this is increasingly not the case today. This has resulted in fewer ongoing donations of self-selected items and the accumulation of congregational materials. Another hard truth that has exacerbated the problem is that passive collecting was not designed for a denominational situation in which increasing numbers of congregations are closing their doors. Like other Mainline Protestant denominations, Disciples are experiencing a growing trend of congregational closure. Unlike in the past, today we now receive large donations of unorganized and un-inventoried materials from an increasing number of closing congregations. Simply put, our passive collecting approach, which had worked well in the past, was becoming unsustainable.
Recognizing this, our Board of Trustees initiated a year-long project to produce a new Collection Development Policy in response to these changes in congregational and denominational life. It appointed a working group that included Dr. James Gorman (trustee and church historian from Christian Churches/Churches of Christ), Rev. Dr. Yara González-Justiniano (trustee and theologian), Rev. Dr. Lisa Barnett (trustee and church historian), Dr. Edward Robinson (trustee and church historian from Churches of Christ), Joel Wurl (trustee and retired archivist), Dr. Joel Brown (DCHS President and Historian), Colleen McFarland Rademaker (DCHS Senior Archivist), and Erin Anderson (DCHS Associate Archivist). This group reviewed DCHS legacy policies, examined collecting policies from other institutions, consulted with stakeholders and connected repositories, and then began outlining and eventually drafting the policy. The Board adopted the policy at its September 2025 meeting, effective January 1, 2026. Additionally, the Board also created a new Collections Committee, to be chaired by Joel Wurl. This committee will oversee the implementation of the policy and conduct regular reviews of the collection’s curation.
This new policy marks an intentional shift—from a passive collecting approach to active, mission-driven curation. It provides our staff and Board shared criteria for decision-making, sets clearer expectations for donors, and ensures that the materials entrusted to us can be preserved and made accessible for generations to come.
Curating a Collection that Tells the Stories
We recognize that for some, this more intentional collecting approach may be concerning. It can raise understandable questions (see the FAQ on the policy page): Does the Historical Society still want our materials? Does our story matter?
The answer is an emphatic yes—your story matters, and we want to preserve your materials… but maybe not all of them and maybe somewhere else.
What this policy changes is how we work together. Rather than simply accepting everything offered, we want to collaborate more closely with congregations, ministries, and individuals to identify the materials that best tell their unique story within the broader story of the church and the Stone-Campbell movement. In some cases, it may mean selecting a portion or sampling of records rather than all of them. In others, it may mean helping to identify a more appropriate repository closer to home. In every case, our goal is faithful stewardship—not rejection.
Grounded Theologically in a Commitment to Care, Justice, Healing, and Wholeness
This policy names storytelling as a sacred practice—one that we believe can foster healing and wholeness, especially when it brings forward voices and stories that too often have been overlooked or marginalized in telling Disciples history. It affirms diversity, equity, and inclusion as expressions of a rightly-ordered faith. And it frames curative collecting as a covenantal responsibility, dependent on mutual accountability and trust across the life of the church.
To care well for the church’s memory requires that we take seriously the labor, resources, expertise, and discernment necessary to preserve it. Saying yes thoughtfully—and sometimes saying no—is part of honoring that trust.
What This Means For Donors
This new Collection Development Policy gives us better tools to serve you, researchers, and the whole church. It allows us to be clearer, more transparent, more intentional, and more collaborative as we work with donors and our partner ministries and collecting institutions. Perhaps most importantly, it helps to make sure that the materials and stories entrusted to us can truly be preserved and shared—supporting research, inspiring faith journeys, and helping the church discern where God is calling it into the future.
On the policy page, we have included an FAQ, sharing answers to some common questions about what this policy means and how it is put into practice. We also invite you to reach out to us directly if you have additional questions. We remain grateful for your support and partnership in this ministry, and we look forward to how this policy will help us better serve you and God’s church.