2021 Annual Report

Dear friends,

As we write this in the early Spring of 2022, we live in hope that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is behind us.

Reflecting on last year, we remember that 2021 was indeed shaped by COVID-19—both by the promise of widespread vaccinations and the prevalence of the Delta and Omicron variants that tempered our return to “normal.” At the Presbyterian Historical Society, we leaned heavily on creativity, flexibility, and perseverance to continue our work. As the national archives of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we advance the church’s witness through gathering and sharing a common history that speaks with honesty to the denomination and the world today.

In 2021, PHS focused its communications on historical narratives that had received too little attention in the past. We also continued the intentional collection of materials missing or underrepresented in our archives so that a fuller history may continue to be told in the years to come. Through our monthly PHS LIVE programs, staff members and featured guests highlighted these aspects of the PHS collections in a webinar format open to all. During the second year of the pandemic, we grew our Zoom presence at virtual Presbytery meetings, with staff and Board members encouraging congregations and mid councils to take advantage of PHS services such as records deposit, digitization, and curated collections in our digital archive, Pearl.

Throughout the year, the Board maintained a focus on racial justice through its Racial Justice Working Group—inspired by the Black Lives Matter staff statement of June 2020. And, PHS continues its work to document the lives, work, and witness of Black Presbyterians through the African American Leaders and Congregations collecting initiative.

Thank you so much for supporting our ministry with your engagement, donations of historical materials, and gifts of financial support. None of this is possible without you.

Sincerely,

Nancy J. Taylor, Executive Director

Susan Aggarwal, Chair of the PHS Board of Directors

Click here to read the Spring 2022 issue of Presbyterian Heritage and the 2021 Annual Report.