General Commission on Archives and History

• GCAH

• Religioso
• Internacional

Established in 1968, the General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH) is a general agency of The United Methodist Church focused on promoting and preserving UMC history. GCAH's expansive repository is located on the campus of Drew University in the United Methodist Archives & History Center in Madison, N.J.

GCAH offers assistance to local churches and Annual Conferences through online courses, publications, workshops, research services, and other programs. The Commission maintains relationships with the five Jurisdictional Commissions on Archives and History, the Central Conferences, the World Methodist Historical Society, the World Methodist Council, the Historical Society of the UM Church, and the Charles Wesley Society.

GCAH offers online courses, a podcast, and other resources to assist individuals, congregations, small groups, and others to better understand the heritage of United Methodism. GCAH offers support to researchers and students through annual awards and grants and supports United Methodist Heritage Landmarks and Historic Sites.

The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2024

¶ 1703. The purpose of the commission shall be to promote and care for the historical interests of The United Methodist Church at every level. It shall gather, preserve, and hold title to library and archival materials, and it shall disseminate interpretive materials on the history of The United Methodist Church and its antecedents. It shall cooperate with other bodies, especially the Historical Society of The United Methodist Church, the African American Methodist Heritage Center, the World Methodist Historical Society, and the World Methodist Council in areas of mutual concern. It shall maintain archives and libraries in which shall be preserved historical records and materials of every kind relating to The United Methodist Church and shall see that such holdings are available for responsible public and scholarly use. It shall provide guidance for the proper creation, maintenance, and disposition of documentary record material at all levels of The United Methodist Church (see ¶ 1711.1b). It shall provide support, direction, and encouragement for the work of annual conference and jurisdictional historical agencies and organizations by developing and making available historical, interpretive, and training media. It shall develop policies and resources for the designated United Methodist Historic Sites and United Methodist Heritage Landmarks. It shall provide general supervision for the observance of Heritage Sunday (see ¶ 264.1). It shall engage with other Wesleyan, Methodist, or Evangelical United Brethren-related denominations in lifting up our joint heritage.

The commission shall be accountable to the Connectional Table for all programmatic assignments.

The commission shall have responsibility for and supervision of its archives and historical libraries and other depositories of similar character, if any, established by The United Methodist Church.

The commission shall promote collection and dissemination of information and materials concerning the historic witness made individually and collectively by women, racial and ethnic peoples, and other constituencies not covered extensively in traditional historical documentation in the worldwide life of The United Methodist Church and its antecedents.

The commission shall develop and make available interpretive materials such as handbooks, services of worship and celebrations of historical events, training films, and other media helpful to annual conferences and local churches.

Once each quadrennium, the commission may hold a historical convocation, to which may be invited members of jurisdictional and annual conference historical agencies and organizations; appropriate faculty and students in institutions of higher education related to The United Methodist Church; members of the Historical Society of The United Methodist Church; members of other Wesleyan, Methodist, and Evangelical United Brethren-related historical organizations; and such other persons, groups, or organizations as may be interested.

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