Questions About Donating Items to the Archives

What will happen to those old church minutes in the attic?

Answer: Your children will throw them away after you are gone.

Do those old things have any value to anyone?

Answer: They are extremely valuable to researchers who rely on materials such as these to understand what our forefathers thought and did.

What should I do with them?

Answer: Send or take them to the Missionary Church Archives.

Where are the archives located?

Answer: The archives are in the lower level of the Bethel College Library.

How will these materials be handled in the archives?

Answer: They will be inventoried and stored in acid-free files and boxes to prevent further deterioration. They will be housed in a room where temperature and humidity are strictly controlled, and where they are protected from excessive light and heat. They will be made available to any qualified persons who wish to peruse them for their research.

Will these materials be lost to my family?

Answer: Not at all. any of your family members may come to the archives at any time to read them. Minutes of business meetings of the church are more accurately the property of the denomination rather than of a family. In the archives, they will be preserved and made available for a wider audience than a single family, yet family members will never be excluded from their use.

How can I know if the archives want these old things I have?

Answer: Write or phone the curator, Lois Luesing . She will tell you if they should be housed in the archives. some things that people think are trivial are actually quite valuable. Let the curator make that decision. In addition to minutes, many other things related to Missionary Church history are valuable.

How can I contact the curartor or archivist?

Answer: Write a letter addressed to:

The curator of the Missionary Church Archives is Lois Luesing. She may be reached at the following address:

Lois Luesing
Bethel College
1001 West McKinley Avenue
Mishawaka, IN 46545

Or phone her at: (574) 257-3404.

Or e-mail her at luesinl@bethelcollege.edu

The archivist of the Missionary Church Archives is Tim Erdel. He may be reached at the following address:

Bro. Timothy Erdel
Bethel College
1001 West McKinley Avenue
Mishawaka, IN 46545

Or phone him at: (574) 257-2570.

Or e-mail him at erdelt@bethelcollege.edu

updated 4/7/2006