Oral History Project: Preserving the Testimonies of God’s People
Editor’s Note: Every year at General Assembly the PCA’s committees and agencies provide an informational report to the Assembly. This year, byFaith explores a few of the more interesting stories from these reports, hoping to keep all PCA members informed and engaged in the work of our denomination.
A young nurse meets a missionary in church one Sunday, and soon finds herself on the mission field in Africa. She spends most of her adult life delivering babies by kerosene lanterns, sharing Christ with mothers and patients, and even survives a brutal attack while abroad.
But that isn’t the most interesting part of Eileen Hicks’ story, according to oral historian Dee Heilner.
“It’s fascinating to look backward over Eileen’s life and take the big-picture view to see the story God has written,” said Heilner. “How does God find a young girl and take her from the pew to Africa? And how does God sustain and motivate her through trials?”
Probing for the answers to these questions is the benefit of oral history, says Heilner, who interviewed the retired Mission to the World missionary for the PCA Historical Center’s oral history project. “There would be a great sadness if we only collect the chronological facts from people in the PCA, and not these nuggets of wisdom—the story between the lines.”
A young nurse meets a missionary in church one Sunday, and soon finds herself on the mission field in Africa. She spends most of her adult life delivering babies by kerosene lanterns, sharing Christ with mothers and patients, and even survives a brutal attack while abroad.
But that isn’t the most interesting part of Eileen Hicks’ story, according to oral historian Dee Heilner.
“It’s fascinating to look backward over Eileen’s life and take the big-picture view to see the story God has written,” said Heilner. “How does God find a young girl and take her from the pew to Africa? And how does God sustain and motivate her through trials?”
Probing for the answers to these questions is the benefit of oral history, says Heilner, who interviewed the retired Mission to the World missionary for the PCA Historical Center’s oral history project. “There would be a great sadness if we only collect the chronological facts from people in the PCA, and not these nuggets of wisdom—the story between the lines.”
“Christ Truly Changes Lives”
Part of the impetus behind the PCA Historical Center’s oral history project is the age of the denomination.
“The 240 pastors who were the founding fathers of the PCA in 1973 are now anywhere from 60 to 80 years old,” said Wayne Sparkman, director of the PCA Historical Center. “Of these there are at least 130 surviving, but many are deceased.”
Due in part to a $5,000 grant from the Harris-Harper Family Foundation, the PCA Historical Center recently purchased five broadcast-quality digital recorders to complete its oral history project goal—interviewing 50 people by the end of 2008.
“At its core, everything we do [at the Center] is about preserving the life testimonies of God’s people,” said Sparkman. “And it all comes down to the fact that Christ truly changes lives—these oral history interviews are the evidence of that.”
In addition, the interviews provide a personal peek at revered pastors and leaders. Sparkman recounts an anecdote about the venerable John Gresham Machen by Cornelius Van Til.
“Machen was known for being a sharp dresser and having a consistent stylish look,” said Sparkman. “Well, after he died they found 20 or 30 exact copies of the same suit in his closet! It’s little things like that that add humanity to the man. It’s not just facts on a page, but a reality of who they were as a person.”
To get to that level of detail, Sparkman encourages oral history interviewers to practice good listening skills. “I tell them, ‘Let your interest guide you,’” he said. “Terry Gross of NPR is a good example of an oral history interviewer. She has the ability to ask the odd question that causes a person to think and reflect a bit.”
“These interviews show that one Christian isn’t a carbon copy of another,” said Sparkman. “Christ calls people of all stripes and abilities.”
Preserving a Legacy of Faith
The PCA Historical Center, a ministry of the stated clerk’s office since 1985, resides on the Covenant Theological Seminary campus in St. Louis, Mo. It houses the records of six conservative Presbyterian denominations and their agencies, the personal manuscripts of more than 100 individuals connected with those denominations, and a small research library.
“We regularly have visitors to the Historical Center—book researchers, historians, genealogists, family members, academics,” said Sparkman. “We hope these oral history interviews will round out our archives. They offer helpful insight not offered in the collections themselves.”
In fact, the interviews often have an unexpected impact on the interviewer.
“Eileen mentioned that when she first left for the field in Africa she raised her support in a matter of weeks—something unheard of in missionary circles,” said Heilner. “As an interviewer hearing her tell that story, I got to bask in that example of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. It was truly amazing.”
She also relates the story of interviewing George Clark, a former PCA missionary and pastor. “George grew up as a missionary kid on a Native American reservation in Arizona,” Heilner said. “When he was sent East for college, he realized, ‘I am an Indian.’ He was quieter and more thoughtful than his peers. He didn’t see himself as an individual, but as part of a group. And that tension of being an outsider in his own country helped him later when he was a missionary to Lebanon during the Golan Heights conflict.”
Clark’s story illustrates the purpose of the oral history project, says Heilner. “Listening to these people’s stories, you see the beautiful fabric God weaves in our lives when we don’t even know we’re being prepared.”
To recommend an interviewer or interviewee for the PCA Historical Center’s oral history project, email wsparkman@pcanet.org or call (314) 469-9077. To view a number of PCA resources online or to learn more about the Historical Center, visit www.pcahistory.org.
Part of the impetus behind the PCA Historical Center’s oral history project is the age of the denomination.
“The 240 pastors who were the founding fathers of the PCA in 1973 are now anywhere from 60 to 80 years old,” said Wayne Sparkman, director of the PCA Historical Center. “Of these there are at least 130 surviving, but many are deceased.”
Due in part to a $5,000 grant from the Harris-Harper Family Foundation, the PCA Historical Center recently purchased five broadcast-quality digital recorders to complete its oral history project goal—interviewing 50 people by the end of 2008.
“At its core, everything we do [at the Center] is about preserving the life testimonies of God’s people,” said Sparkman. “And it all comes down to the fact that Christ truly changes lives—these oral history interviews are the evidence of that.”
In addition, the interviews provide a personal peek at revered pastors and leaders. Sparkman recounts an anecdote about the venerable John Gresham Machen by Cornelius Van Til.
“Machen was known for being a sharp dresser and having a consistent stylish look,” said Sparkman. “Well, after he died they found 20 or 30 exact copies of the same suit in his closet! It’s little things like that that add humanity to the man. It’s not just facts on a page, but a reality of who they were as a person.”
To get to that level of detail, Sparkman encourages oral history interviewers to practice good listening skills. “I tell them, ‘Let your interest guide you,’” he said. “Terry Gross of NPR is a good example of an oral history interviewer. She has the ability to ask the odd question that causes a person to think and reflect a bit.”
“These interviews show that one Christian isn’t a carbon copy of another,” said Sparkman. “Christ calls people of all stripes and abilities.”
Preserving a Legacy of Faith
The PCA Historical Center, a ministry of the stated clerk’s office since 1985, resides on the Covenant Theological Seminary campus in St. Louis, Mo. It houses the records of six conservative Presbyterian denominations and their agencies, the personal manuscripts of more than 100 individuals connected with those denominations, and a small research library.
“We regularly have visitors to the Historical Center—book researchers, historians, genealogists, family members, academics,” said Sparkman. “We hope these oral history interviews will round out our archives. They offer helpful insight not offered in the collections themselves.”
In fact, the interviews often have an unexpected impact on the interviewer.
“Eileen mentioned that when she first left for the field in Africa she raised her support in a matter of weeks—something unheard of in missionary circles,” said Heilner. “As an interviewer hearing her tell that story, I got to bask in that example of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. It was truly amazing.”
She also relates the story of interviewing George Clark, a former PCA missionary and pastor. “George grew up as a missionary kid on a Native American reservation in Arizona,” Heilner said. “When he was sent East for college, he realized, ‘I am an Indian.’ He was quieter and more thoughtful than his peers. He didn’t see himself as an individual, but as part of a group. And that tension of being an outsider in his own country helped him later when he was a missionary to Lebanon during the Golan Heights conflict.”
Clark’s story illustrates the purpose of the oral history project, says Heilner. “Listening to these people’s stories, you see the beautiful fabric God weaves in our lives when we don’t even know we’re being prepared.”
To recommend an interviewer or interviewee for the PCA Historical Center’s oral history project, email wsparkman@pcanet.org or call (314) 469-9077. To view a number of PCA resources online or to learn more about the Historical Center, visit www.pcahistory.org.
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Gail Peterson
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