Once upon a time, preserving historical material was fairly easy. Everything was handwritten, printed, duplicated or copied. Originals or copies could be placed in acid-free files and boxes, catalogued and shelved. Photos, negatives, and slides could likewise be preserved in special boxes and stored.

Today, letters and telegrams have been replaced by text messages or emails, scrapbooks and photo albums by Facebook, slides and VHS by DVDs. Committee minutes are shared by email and most likely deleted after reading, if they are read at all. Brochures and newsletters are now on websites along with sermons and Bible studies. The changes in technology mean that it’s no longer as easy as it once was to preserve historical material for future use. It takes much more intentionality to preserve a church’s records and history than it once did.

Options for preservation have some continuity with the past but also are tied firmly to the present and future. It’s always an option to save a printed copy of committee minutes, church business sessions, email correspondence, etc. Unfortunately, many would not take the time to print, file and preserve this material properly. The most consistent option is that the material is transferred into the new technology as computers and technology move into a new generation of products. Many libraries and archives are scanning material and putting it online. Digital preservation is wonderful for its accessibility to many more people. You not only have the original but also the Web copy. The downside of digital preservation is the time and tedious nature of scanning. Microfilm is an option for printed documents. It is estimated that microfilm will continue to be around for many years to come. In addition to microfilm, searchable PDFs can be made from the microfilm. This gives you three different resources for the same material. As always, it is important to store copies of material in at least two different places (on and off site) and have it in as fireproof a place as possible.

The big issue is what to do with material that is created on and for the Web. Material is changing so rapidly that keeping track of what needs to be preserved or saved can be challenging. The best answer is to designate a person who is responsible for the material. In spite of technological advances, a human being still has to process what is — and what is not — a priority to preserve.

One thing is sure, churches and organizations have the legal and moral responsibility to preserve the record of the past for those who are to come. Yes, things will change, but it is hard to escape the teaching of both Old and New Testament Scripture when the children of Israel are told to remember and to tell the stories of God’s protection and provision to their children and their children’s children. Jesus himself commanded His disciples at the Last Supper to “do this in remembrance of me.” The Book of Acts recounts the great stories of the early church and the text of sermons that converted thousands. How can we do any less than preserve the stories of God at work in and through our churches and people?

— Jane Poster is the historical archivist for the South Carolina Baptist Convention.