Archives & History
Welcome to the Arkansas Conference Commission on Archives and History. The purpose of the Commission is to promote and care for the historical interest of the United Methodist Church in Arkansas, as outlined in the Book of Discipline. The Commission coordinates and oversees the activities of:
- the Arkansas United Methodist Church Archives on the Hendrix College campus;
- the United Historical Society of Arkansas; and
- the United Methodist Museum of Arkansas, located in First United Methodist Church, Little Rock.
As part of the Arkansas Conference, the mission of the Commission is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ equipped to transform the world with excellence and passion.” Supported by our Wesleyan heritage, the Commission embraces the four core measures in its work and uses them as reference points for ongoing evaluation:
- Rooting all we do in our understanding of Scripture and personal and social holiness so that we revitalize our connection and our ministry…
- Establishing the mission field as the primary place for our attention and resources…
- Equipping laity and clergy for shared outcomes of transformation with excellence…
- Organizing our ministry around the unique geographic, cultural, demographic, and ethnic context in our designated mission fields…
All the agencies under the umbrella of the Arkansas Conference Commission on Archives and History—the Archives, the Museum, and the Historical Society—strive to tell stories of faith and grace as God’s witnesses in Arkansas. They not only focus on stories of historical interest, but they also collect stories on present issues for future generations.
The Arkansas Annual Conference Commission on Archives and History is made up of volunteers selected by the Conference Nominations Committee from congregations throughout Arkansas. These persons serve multi-year terms on the Commission and are often historians in their local churches and communities.