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Coming
A P R I L 2 5
Church Anniversaries Workshop
New Life from
Old Stories
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Trinitarian
Congregational Church
Concord, MA
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Workshops include:
Managing social media
Writing your own history
Records Stewardship
Planning worship services
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Visit Us
In Person or Online!
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Open to the public
Monday-Friday, 9:00-4:00
14 Beacon St.
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Give the gift of
to someone special
or to yourself!
For more information, call
617-523-0470 ext. 230
or e-mail
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I N H E R O W N W O R D S
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In relations of faith, eight 18th-century women add depth and nuance to the story of colonial America
1782: the Revolution dragged on into its final year, women lived their lives, made mistakes, and sought redemption in the congregational church. Hand-scripted documents from the Middleborough Collection at the Congregational Library & Archives offer a glimpse into the minds of women living at that time.
"I ask the forgivness [sic] of this Church, &...desire the
prayers of this Church, that I may have grace, no
more to offend.."
[1]
The process of individuals joining a congregation leaves behind a wealth of personal writing. A would-be Congregationalist was required to confess her sins, relate her faith awakening, and publically express her reasons for joining the church. These extraordinary auto-biographic admissions take us into the minds of people in the past, telling us why each person chose conversion to a religious life.
"I have, ever since my remembrance, been under concern for my endeavoring & striving to get a righteousness of mine own; but soul, at times; but about fifteen months ago, I obtained a hope. I had, before this, seen myself exposed to destruction, & had been all in vain."
[2]
Women's words were rarely recorded, and that is what makes these relations so special. The relations show us what early American women did, what they thought about, and what mattered to them.
"I think I was willing God Should have all the glory, and was willing; to take Shame and disgrace to my self."
[3]
The relations reveal moments of deep introspection, sometimes self-conscious, and sometimes profound. The confessions offer readers a glimpse into the minds of these women: their thoughts, their regrets, and their hope.
"I saw that there was nothing good in my heart, & that I had no desire of returning to God: This sense of my depravity led me to despair of salvation, or any favor from God, on account of mine own righteousness. In this of state I continued for some time; when it pleased God to cause me to see, that He was a just God & a Saviour."
[4]
The voices of women are often lost in the historical narrative of wars and great men. These relations give us an untold story from the perspective of everyday people. After 200 years, the Congregational Library & Archives makes sure these women's voices are heard in their own words.
[1] Ruth McFarland Barrow relation, in the Middleboro, Mass. First Congregational Church records,1707-1832. RG4919. The Congregational Library & Archives, Boston, MA
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JOHN DEMOS AT THE LIBRARY
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Join us at the Library on Wednesday, March 25 at 3:00 PM for a special presentation by nationally renowned historian and author, John Demos.Demos will present his latest book The Heathen School: Hope and betrayal in the Early America Something or other. The book tells the story of a Christian school that ignited a national controversy, and ultimately led to the Trail of Tears.
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NEW LIFE FROM OLD STORIES
|  Get all the tools you need to successfully celebrate your church anniversary at the Church Anniversaries Workshop. Learn to write your church's history, organize your archives, and promote the anniversary online and in your community.
Rev. Nancy Taylor of Old South Church will deliver the keynote, on the theme of using a church anniversary to pass the baton of history from one generation to the next.
April 25, 9:00 AM- 2:00 PM
Trinitarian Congregational Church, Concord, MA
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