How to Write and Publish Your Church History

A.J. Pell is editor of the Canadian Evangelical Review and an instructor
of Liturgy, Anglican Studies Program, Regent College, Vancouver.

Long before many communities had local museums and historical societies, Christian congregations were concerned with their histories. This concern for local parish history has quickened in recent years as more and more churches approach their centennial, or even greater, anniversary. As a result, an increasing number of congregations are seeking to create written accounts of their histories, both to celebrate the past and to pass this knowledge of the past to future generations. To date some have been well written and attractively printed, but many more have not. In response to this situation, Ralph Milton, co-owner of Wood Lake Books, has written How to Write and Publish Your Church History, and his publishing firm has combined with Friesen Printers, his firm’s printer, to make it available free of charge.

Milton has produced a short and easy to understand do-it-yourself guide. The five chapters deal with the major tasks most congregations would face in tackling the task — Getting People Involved, Gathering the Story, Writing the Story, Promotion and Sales, and Production and Printing. The second and third chapters are particularly valuable for any reader. These are followed by 11 appendices filled with helpful suggestions on such topics as costing the project, obtaining the use of copyright material, and archival sources for material. The manner in which the book itself is written and published provides some of the examples used by the author. While some advertising of the services offered by Wood Lake Books and Friesen Printers is included in the text, it is not obtrusive and does help illustrate some of Milton’s suggestions.

While the book is intended for use by churches, almost any community group could make use of it in printing its story. Thus not just local congregations, but also public libraries, should be urged to obtain this book.