The beginning of 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the Seventh Day Baptist Historical Society. Three years ago, as part of the process of celebrating the upcoming centennial, the Historical Society kicked off a capital funds campaign which was meant to increase endowments dedicated to the preservation of the unique history and heritage of Seventh Day Baptists.
In April, the Historical Society officially handed off its work to the Council on History, a new part of the General Conference which has the same mission and vision, to continue the work. But our celebration of the one hundred years of successful labor of the Society is just beginning. On Sabbath afternoon, August 6th, at our General Conference sessions, we will celebrate the Society’s work with a special program at 2:45pm. Though the official work of the Society is completed, the work of preserving and promoting Seventh Day Baptist history continues!
We invite local churches to celebrate with us, not only at General Conference, but through resources available on the SDB history website. A complete series of eleven bulletin inserts are now available which take a decade-by-decade look at the Society’s work. The first five inserts are available in Spanish as well, with the rest of the series still in production. In addition, a video will be unveiled at General Conference which can be used in celebrations. Finally, more information about the Centennial Fund can be found by downloading the campaign brochure. Local churches and organizations have permission to use the materials and redistribute them, providing they do not alter the content in any way.
Help your church recognize and celebrate their own story through reflecting on the contributions of the Historical Society for the past 1oo years!