James Baldwin reminds us that “the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it and [that it] is literally present in all that we do.”  It is because our history is a living, unfolding force that PHS has created a new program, accessible to all online.

Living History is a multimedia project sharing diverse experiences and stories told firsthand by American Presbyterians. Believing that every one of us shapes history in our everyday lives, we aim to educate and inspire through filmed interviews with Presbyterians, asking: how do we make history together? The videos produced for this project are available on our website and social media channels, and we are also preserving them as part of PHS’s permanent collection.

Living History began as a series of conversations with PHS volunteers (former missionaries) in 2011. New material will be continually added, so check the website for stories of people from all areas of the church. Some of the individuals currently featured are Sue Althouse, Don Black and Connie Thurber, who collectively served the church’s overseas missionary program from the late 1940s to the 1980s.

In the words of William Shakespeare, “There is a history in all men's lives.” Our lives today not only draw on the past, but comprise the history of the future. Through the Living History program, we share the stories of those who have shaped, and continue to shape, our church across space and time.

Click here to explore Living History online!

Fred Heuser, Ph.D.