New Jersey pastor delights in introducing church groups to America’s Presbyterian past, present and future at the Presbyterian Historical Society
by Emily Enders Odom | Presbyterian News Service
Visiting tour group from the Point Pleasant (N.J.) Presbyterian Church. (Contributed photo)
PHILADELPHIA — For Eileen Lindner — a longtime Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) pastor, mid council and denominational leader — October 31 has always been much less about celebrating Halloween than it is about observing Reformation Day.
And while Lindner, who holds a Ph.D. in church history, would never have missed out on distributing Halloween candy to her two grandchildren this year, she also found October 31 to be the perfect time to launch a monthlong, adult education study of Presbyterian history.
And where better to do it than at the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS)?
Organized in 1852, PHS is the oldest denominational archives in the United States and serves as the national archives for the PC(USA) and its predecessor denominations.
“Because I served churches in the Philadelphia area, I have always taken groups to visit PHS,” said Lindner, who in retirement serves as a parish associate for Adult Education at the Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church, Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. “I consider PHS to be one of our very best Presbyterian treasures. As an historian, I have used their collections for research and find the staff absolutely the best — helpful, well informed and tireless in helping track down various sources.”
On Oct. 29, Lindner drove a group of 14 members of her adult education class to Philadelphia, where they toured PHS, had lunch and a discussion with staff members, and made a quick visit to the adjacent Old Pine Street Church. The Rev. Molly Ramsey, the church’s pastor, joined Lindner in leading the group.
During the visit, Ramsey also took advantage of another PHS service, Records Deposit, in which PC(USA) congregations and mid councils are encouraged to deposit their records with the society at no charge.
“We delivered some of our earliest church documents, had an educational tour of the facilities and outstanding collections and broadened our understanding of what it means to be a connectional church,” said Ramsey. “It was a wonderful visit.”
Church members Craig and Jane Lambi couldn’t have agreed more.
“Even though I was born in Philadelphia and raised in a Presbyterian church here, I had no idea the Presbyterian Historical Society existed,” said Jane Lambi. “It was very interesting to see the role Presbyterians played in American history. I had no idea that 12 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Presbyterians!”
Also helping to lead the tour were PHS staff members Jennifer Barr and Sonia Prescott, both of whom serve as reference and outreach archivists.
“As stewards of Presbyterian history, we welcome the opportunity to share our archives and collections with members of the denomination and the greater community,” said Luci Duckson-Bramble, PHS’s director of development. “Our staff is always eager to host groups like confirmation, adult education or new member classes for discussions and tours.”
Because the history of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is deep, rich and important, PHS retains a devoted staff of archivists, communicators, administrators and fundraisers to ensure its collections are cared for and accessible.
Duckson-Bramble said that raising funds for such a time as this is especially important because the significance of scholarships and access to research materials has never been more critical.
“This year for #GivingTuesday,” said Duckson-Bramble of the annual, global day of giving, which falls on Dec. 3, “we set a goal to raise money to support four Research Fellowships in 2025. In the 20 years that PHS has had a research fellowship program, we have hosted 55 Research Fellows, thanks in part to generous donations from our supporters.”
And, in 2024, thanks to a generous challenge gift from an anonymous donor, all donations up to $5,000 will be doubled.
As Lindner looks forward both to pursuing her own research projects and planning a future visit, she fully expects to find another class of research fellows hard at work when they return.
“I hope that our church’s experience will serve to spark even greater interest in the PHS,” she said, “both in new groups requesting tours and in Presbyterians giving generously to support PHS’s work.”
Because many of Point Pleasant’s members were so impressed by the breadth and depth of the PHS collection, they are eager to come back.
“We left feeling a greater sense of pride in our Presbyterian heritage,” said Joe and Robin DeRosa, “and the ways in which our church has been engaged in the world.”
Click here to give now in support of the PHS’s #GivingTuesday effort to fund its Research Fellowship program!
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