ABT Archives Information

The Rev. Gary Nickel has agreed to act as our Synod Archivist and Necrologist. If you have items to be placed into the archives, please contact Pastor Gary at 780-998-3963, or if you are looking for information already placed in the archives, contact the Provincial Archives of Alberta  at 8555 Roper Road, Edmonton. (780-427-1750)

Please note: the Synod office does not keep or have a copy of any person’s baptismal record, nor can we access these records. All such records are kept in the congregation where a person was originally baptised. If the congregation has closed, the records will be at the Provincial Archives.

The Provincial Archives are interested in records that document the core functions of business or organizations. They reflect the way organizations develop and grow – they document essential activities, decisions, legal obligations and responsibilities. Organization records of particular interest to the Archives include:

  • Policies and procedures
  • Meeting minutes
  • Legal agreements
  • Correspondence
  • Architectural plans
  • Records and assets
  • Maps and photographs

In addition, the following items should be preserved, according to the American Lutheran Church:

  1. The parish registers (usually a large, red binder) of official acts, especially for birth, baptism, confirmation, marriage, burial and accession, transfer and release of members (Recording of births is now the provenance of hospitals.);
  2. Copies of all constitutions, past and present;
  3. The list of charter members;
  4. Copies of title deeds and legal description of church properties, leased, surveys, etc.;
  5. Original copies of mortgages. (These should be retained even after they have been retired. It is advisable to use a photocopy for a mortgage burning ceremony.);
  6. Minutes of the meetings of the congregation, church council, church committees, and church organizations;
  7. Copies of reports of all official church committees as found in Annual General Meeting Reports, including the treasurer’s annual report;
  8. All official correspondence of the church;
  9. Written histories of the congregation. It is also important to keep photographs and oral histories, especially of older members of the congregations. When going through any pictures and photos, please remove all items from frames, after marking dates and details (what event/who they are) on the back, and donate the frames to your local thrift/reuse store.

Please do not send the following items:

  • miscellaneous lists, receipts and personal notes/cards/bookmarks;
  • office supplies; unused binders, organizers, paper, file folders, office machines;
  • Commemoration plaques, plates/mugs;
  • Bibles, story books, congregational resource and theological books. Currently, there is a space alloted for these books to be displayed at the Biennial Synod Convention where people are encouraged to look through and take items of interest to them. Any left over resources are donated to other organizations (such as the Seminary) who find them useful.
  • hymnals and song books

A congregations historical records are archival material. They include anything that throws light on the history of a congregation/parish that answers the question of who, what, when, where and why. So please bring your past set of books, reports, and papers to the archivist; he will deposit them for you in the Provincial Archives.

– written by Asgeir Ingibergsson
(Synod Archivist/Nechrologist 1996-2006)