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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251107T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251107T140000
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CREATED:20260209T142337Z
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SUMMARY:The Archives Edit: A Workshop in Arranging Your Church’s Archive
DESCRIPTION:One of the core principles of archival theory is arrangement\, the process by which archivists create physical and intellectual order out of a collection. Led by the CLA’s archivists\, Zachary Bodnar and Billy McCarthy\, this workshop introduced participants to the concepts of physically and intellectually arranging a church’s archive through a combination of instruction\, demonstration\, and hands-on activities. \nWhile intellectual and physical arrangement are separate tasks with different outcomes\, they are inextricably linked together and form the backbone of archival processing and accessibility. Physical arrangement is the process of safely housing\, labeling\, and ordering physical materials\, while intellectual arrangement is the process of creating an inventory that maintains connections among objects and logically orders them into a hierarchical list. \nThe workshop was designed for those tasked with keeping\, preserving\, and making accessible a church’s valuable records. Zachary and Billy discussed core archival principles in detail and give examples of how those concepts may be applied to church records collections of all shapes and sizes. Topics covered included how to arrange a collection of seemingly disparate materials into useful broad categories\, how to identify relationships among various items in your collection\, and how to identify or recreate a collection’s original order. \nParticipants left the workshop with an understanding of the principles of arrangement and concrete next steps for how they may apply those principles to their own collections. \nThis program was part of our Church Stewardship Initiative (CSI). Find the videos of past virtual workshops and free resources on our CSI webpage. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nZachary Bodnar graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University\, with a concentration in archives management\, in 2018. Prior to his work at the CLA\, Zachary worked at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden archive\, the Vassar College Special Collections\, the Harvard Law School Library\, and the Harvard Botany Libraries. Zachary joined the CLA as an Archives Assistant in 2017\, helping to prepare materials for digitization through the New England’s Hidden Histories program. In 2018\, he took on the title of Archivist. His professional interests include metadata collection and management\, digital archiving\, audio/visual preservation\, and archives management. \nBilly McCarthy graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Simmons University with a concentration in Archival Management. He started working at the CLA through a graduate internship and was hired full-time as an Archivist in 2018. Billy is the Head of Reader Services\, helping the CLA’s visitors with reference requests and facilitating in-person research. Billy also serves as the collection manager for the archives\, working with CLA’s offsite vendor to protect and maintain the organization’s archival records. Some of his professional interests include increasing access\, collection management\, processing of complex materials\, and facilitating research.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/archives-edit-f25
LOCATION:Congregational Library & Archives\, 14 Beacon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02108\, United States
CATEGORIES:Archives,CSI
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T140000
DTSTAMP:20260226T101019Z
CREATED:20260209T142517Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T101019Z
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SUMMARY:Armenian Congregationalism: Past\, Present\, and Future
DESCRIPTION:In this virtual talk\, Rev. Dr. Haroutune Selimian explored the historical and theological foundations of Armenian Congregationalism\, with particular focus on how the community has persevered through crisis. Drawing from church archives\, the Armenian Evangelical press of the 19th and 20th centuries\, and his own experience as pastor of the Bethel Church in Aleppo\, Selimian reflected on the enduring convictions that have shaped Armenian identity: congregational polity\, the authority of Scripture\, local witness\, and the call to faithful resilience. \nArmenian churches have walked through genocide\, exile\, war\, and systemic marginalization. Yet\, the values at the heart of their Congregational tradition\, freedom of conscience\, covenantal fellowship\, and Christ-centered service\, have not only survived but deepened. Selimian shared how these values continue to sustain his ministry in Syria today\, especially amid the overlapping crises of displacement\, economic collapse\, and regional instability. \nThis talk also looked forward. How can a small\, war-torn church continue to be a living theology of presence? How can they remain rooted in their biblical convictions while adapting to the future needs of their people and region? Selimian hoped to offer not only historical insights\, but also a theological framework and practical testimony that resonate with Congregationalists around the world. \nThis event was co-sponsored by the Theological Commission of the International Congregational Fellowship. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nRev. Dr. Haroutune Selimian is a scholar-pastor who has led the Armenian Evangelical Bethel Church of Aleppo since 1993. He serves as President of the Armenian Protestant Community in Syria and holds a PhD in historical sciences from Yerevan State University. His academic work focuses on the 19th-century Armenian Evangelical movement\, and he actively engages in interfaith and ecumenical dialogue across the region. A graduate of Near East School of Theology and McCormick Theological Seminary\, he is Moderator of the International Congregational Fellowship and a key voice for peace building\, theological reflection\, and bridge-building amid displacement and crisis.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/armenian-congregationalism
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Congregational Story,Contemporary Congregationalism,Diverse Voices
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251113T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251113T180000
DTSTAMP:20260226T101552Z
CREATED:20260209T142724Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T101552Z
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SUMMARY:Sacred Rebellion Virtual Exhibition Tour
DESCRIPTION:Back by popular demand\, this encore virtual tour of the Congregational Library & Archives’ new in-person exhibition\, Sacred Rebellion\, was hosted by Executive Director Dr. Kyle Roberts and New England’s Hidden Histories Project Director and Sacred Rebellion curator Dr. Tricia Peone. \nBy the time the American Revolution began\, many Congregationalists had embraced a theological justification for war and revolution. They believed that God favored them and that their cause was a morally justified\, sacred rebellion. Through sermons\, books\, poems\, songs\, and letters\, Congregationalists shared their stories\, reflected on their moral obligations to each other\, and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. But consensus was elusive\, and implementation proved difficult and unsatisfactory to many\, especially those on the margins. \nThe interactive tour was hosted on Zoom\, with registration limited to a small group of attendees. Participants viewed Revolutionary-era treasures from the collections; heard stories about how Congregationalists experienced the period leading up to\, during\, and immediately following the war; had opportunities to ask questions; and reflected on what this pivotal event means 250 years later. \n  \nSPEAKER BIOS \nDr. Kyle Roberts was appointed the Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives in 2022. He received his BA in American Studies from Williams College and his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to the CLA\, he was Associate Director of Library & Museum Programming at the American Philosophical Society and Associate Professor of Public History and New Media and Director of the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities at Loyola University Chicago. \nA scholar of Atlantic World religion\, print\, and library history\, he is the author of Evangelical Gotham: Religion and the Making of New York City\, 1783-1860 (Chicago\, 2016)\, the co-editor\, with Stephen Schloesser\, of Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits\, Women Religious\, American Experience 1814-2014 (Brill\, 2017) and\, with Mark Towsey\, of Before the Public Library: Reading\, Community\, and Identity in the Atlantic World\, 1650-1850 (Brill\, 2017). \nKyle is an accomplished public historian and digital humanist whose collaborative projects include the Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project\, the Maryland Loyalism Project\, and Dissenting Academies Online: Virtual Library System. In addition to being the consultant for numerous digital and public history projects\, he sits on the executive committees of the American Catholic Historical Association\, the New England Historical Association\, the Urban History Association He is on the editorial and advisory boards for American Catholic Studies\, Early American Studies\, and portal. \nDr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA\, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities\, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials\, early New England\, and public history\, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science. \n  \nFunded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/sacred-rebellion-virtual-exhibition-tour-f25
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories,Sacred Rebellion
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T140000
DTSTAMP:20260226T101811Z
CREATED:20260209T142915Z
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SUMMARY:“The Just and Good Governor of the World:” John Hancock’s Congregationalist Roots and Religious Commitment
DESCRIPTION:This talk was given by Dr. Jeffrey M. Griffith\, editor of the upcoming multi-volume Papers of John Hancock\, a publication of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts\, as well as the curator of thousands of letters authored and received by John Hancock on the publication’s companion website\, JohnHancockPapers.com. \nIn his talk\, Dr. Griffith focused on John Hancock’s Congregational roots and how he invoked religious traditions throughout his life. The Governor’s grandfather\, father\, and uncle were all Congregational ministers and – until tragedy befell the family – the third generation John Hancock would likely also have been a town minister. \nAfter John’s uncle and aunt adopted him\, the burgeoning social leader built upon their life-long commitment to various meetinghouses. Whereas his guardians fulfilled specific needs for individual congregations\, John envisioned his contributions on a scale that impacted entire communities. By providing land\, bells\, and building materials\, meetinghouses across New England emerged and stood as a testament of Hancock’s devotion to religion. \nAs Hancock emerged as a political leader on the local and continental stage\, he promoted and participated in religious traditions ranging from Election Day Sermons\, to Days of Fasting\, and Days of Thanksgiving. Each of these events anchor current events that sought to tout God’s role in both his personal life and the community’s circumstances and efforts. \n  \nSPEAKER BIO \nDr. Jeffrey Griffith wrote his dissertation on Massachusetts Election Sermons from 1763-1793\, which studied how ministers used the annual tradition to interpret the events that pushed Massachusetts from a loyal colony to a free-and-independent Commonwealth. Named the editor of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts’s upcoming multi-volume Papers of John Hancock publications\, which will curate thousands of letters authored and received by John Hancock across four decades\, and which are currently spread across over dozens of repositories and collections.
URL:https://congregationallibrary.org/events/just-good-governor
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Revolutionary Stories
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