American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware

Celebrating Church Anniversaries

From: 

Rev. Priscilla E. Eppinger, Ph.D.
Executive Director
American Baptist Historical Society

One of the blessings of working at the American Baptist Historical Society is learning some of the long histories of ABC-affiliated congregations! We affirm the faithful ministry of local congregations across decades of challenges and transitions by offering certificates and letters of congratulations in honor of special church anniversaries.

Congregations may ask that the certificate be sent directly to their church. Please include your mailing address on the Anniversary Certificate Requests, and indicate that we should send the certificates and congratulatory letters to you. The information requested will appear on the certificate and letter, so having current information is very important, including the exact date of the anniversary celebration. We request six weeks’ notice to allow for the preparation and timely mailing of the certificates. Information on local church anniversaries should be sent to the ABHS office by post or e-mail: ABHSoffice@ABHSarchives.org.

The Historical Society’s vision is to advance Baptist identity and promote historical literacy in order to inspire spiritual and social transformation. We invite you to join us in that ministry.

Some of you are already active in promoting Baptist history. Thank you for your efforts—and please, remember to share our story! You can further our mission of preserving, collecting, and sharing Baptist history by

  • encouraging churches to send us their written church histories or historical programs to be added to our collection of local church and association histories;
  • observing Baptist Heritage Sunday in your region;
  • subscribing to the American Baptist Quarterly for your office and encouraging local churches to subscribe for their pastor, church historian, and library;
  • sponsoring a workshop in your region on how to care for church records;
  • including the American Baptist Historical Society in your region’s annual budget.
In many cases local pastors are the caretakers of most church records. Without that quiet kind of ministry, our heritage would be lost to future generations. I thank you for your faithfulness to Baptists now, and to the future.