In 1998 Fred Heuser, the director of the Department of History of the PCUSA wrote, “I remain more convinced than ever that a church that forgets its past loses its future.” In an address delivered at the 1981 annual meeting of the PHSSW William Miller quoted words from a letter of Henry Van Dyke, Presbyterian pastor and man of letters, “the value of history resides not only in the light which rekindles, but also the fire which it brings.”
The Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest was organized in 1978. Beginning in 1979 annual meetings were held with presentations being made at each gathering. Presentations were to be saved and published by the Society. With few exceptions that has been done, even up to the present. In even-numbered years the annual meeting is held in Texas, while in odd-numbered years the Society’s gatherings alternate among the three other states that make up the Synod of the Sun.
One of the features of the PHSSW is that we are not only an agency of the Synod of the Sun, but we also relate to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, so the presentations reflect that tradition’s rich history.
In recent weeks I have had the privilege of typing up the titles of each presentation as well as the names of the presenters. This index provided me with the opportunity to reflect on the powerful witness to the gospel Presbyterians have made in this part of God’s kingdom. From histories of individual congregations to the unique contributions of individuals, men and women, to the stories of missionaries from the four state region to the establishment of institutions like colleges and universities, seminaries, children’s homes, and secondary schools, to the contributions of Native Americans, Latinos and Latinas, African Americans, and Chinese to controversial developments (such as the Central High School integration crisis in 1957 and the 1906 “divorce” in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church) to the stories behind choirs and choir directors, even stories behind stained glass windows and church architecture.
What a rich fabric Presbyterians – Cumberlands and PCUSA – have woven, and continue to weave! If the Lord is willing and the creek don’t rise and the pandemic is no longer a threat, the PHSSW will hold its 2021 annual meeting at First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa where the focus will be on the theme of race, in general, and the 1921 race massacre in the African American community of Greenwood and discrimination against Native Americans, in particular, and what role the church played in responding to discrimination.
The psalmist wrote, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage” (Psalm 16:6). That is certainly true for us Presbyterians. Do you have a story that needs to be told? It could be about the founding of your congregation and the saints who sacrificed much to see it happen? Or perhaps there are individuals “way back when” whose story needs to be told. Maybe there’s a story behind your church’s architecture. Research it, write it down, share it. Send it to me, so that we can let others know about it.
If you would like to be a part of the PHSSW and its work, membership is $20 per individual and $25 per couple per year. If your church would like join, it’s $100 per year. In return, you will receive printed copies of that year’s Annual Proceedings which will have the presentations that were made at that gathering. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at jjcurrie5152@gmail.com or 832-566-9082. My mailing address is: 5525 Traviston Ct., Austin, TX 78738.
