District Heritage Team approved

The district’s 300th Anniversary Committee, as an outgrowth of the district’s Historical Committee, began with a request from the Leadership Team to create a group to guide our district’s observance of this historic event. As part of our work we presented at the ‘07 District Conference, a visual and oral presentation of Brethren historical sites by Nevin Dulabaum. A dramatization featuring the lives of George and Anna Wolfe, the first Brethren family in the territory to be Illinois was presented along with the singing of hymns from our heritage. A table display was arranged to include historical clothing, pictures, and printed material in the exhibits.

For the 2008 Annual Conference we prepared a display for the heritage area in the exhibit hall. This included an inter-active timeline on paper, covering the 200 years of our district’s history from 1808, on which people could make entries of their own. A display on Elder George Wolfe featured a replicated gravestone and iron graveyard fence, his picture and brochures. We also offered buttons and stickers bearing the Union County Seal depicting Brother Wolfe and another minister shaking hands in “unity.” In addition were some rare artifacts from our missions in China, as well as from congregations in our district. A digital picture frame displayed historic images of the China Mission. Over a dozen story pages on key historical figures in our district’s history, and a 100 slide PowerPoint presentation of images and district history were included as well. This display was also presented at the 2008 District Conference in Peoria.

Having completed our assignment, a few members of the committee met to review our anniversary activities and consider the need for further efforts to emphasize our unique heritage into the future. Out of this grew the following recommendation to the Leadership Team: That our district appoint a Heritage Team, with the mission to focus interest on Church of the Brethren core values and foundational beliefs. The District Leadership Team approved the proposal at their September, 2009 meeting. As approved, the specific tasks of the Heritage Team will include the following:

1. Provide heritage resources for congregations and pastors using a variety of media for training as well as worship and sermon resources.
   
2. Maintain a heritage page on the District Website.
   
3. Arrange for heritage articles in the District Newsletter.
   
4. Arrange for the preservation and display of historical artifacts from and for the district.
   
5. Produce an updated District History book to pick up from previous volumes (Northern Illinois and Wisconsin, 1941; Southern Illinois, 1950).
   
6. Collect and compile comments from and interviews with members of different age groups on the meaning they find in their involvement within district congregations and institutions.
   
7. Study evangelism and church growth patterns within our denomination and district to determine how growth took place in particular periods of our history.
   
8. Occasional bus trips or excursions to heritage sites within our district.

A major challenge for the Heritage Team will be to find additional people to be involved with these significant tasks that have an interest and will be committed to continuing and supporting our Brethren heritage. We are seeking persons who are willing to be active, working members on the team, as well as others who will volunteer as resource people for occasional assignments or for consultation. If you feel you would like to be a part of this adventure or know of someone who would, please contact Martin Stauffer and Patricia Stauffer (stauffer@essex1.com), or Willard Dulabaum (wnpduly@aol.com).