07/29/2020
PSP Project Update & Request for Assistance:
Last year, I was approved for a Pastoral Study Project through the Louisville Institute. In short, I was awarded funds to study historic black churches in hopes to offer research which supports the hypothesis that “Historic Black churches established in the 19th century must be willing to make changes to their worship, leadership, and ministry model if they intend to survive in the 21st century.” The plan was to travel to up to six Black churches in the south (Ebenezer in Atlanta, Sixteenth Street in Birmingham, etc.) where I’d interview ministers and members on a wide range of topics, including their use of technology. The global pandemic has halted those plans.
Thankfully, the Louisville Institute allowed for revisions to be made, and now, the plan is to assist older Black churches in Richmond and vicinity with digitizing their history. The end result would be electronic versions of documents you have that can be shared on a website and/or stored on portable media such as flash drives.
This is where I need your help. If your church is:
- At least 50 years old (started in 1970 or earlier)
- Within 1 hour’s drive of Richmond, VA
I'd like to include your church in the study. If you can offer any assistance, here are the things I am seeking:
* Does your church have any documents, artifacts, exhibits, or the like on-site or in somebody's house? Can I schedule a time to visit to see what you have?
* Part of the research included interviews and/or surveys of pastoral leaders, oldest church members, and historians. Would this be something you'd be willing to allow? There are limited funds available for research participant incentives.
* Are you interested in your church’s history being presented on a website?
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to hearing from you. If you are interested in being a part of the research study, send me a message here or at [email protected] and I will provide more details so we can get started.
(For more info on the original project, https://louisville-institute.org/our-impact/awards/pastoral-study-project/14778/)
