[vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_column_text]While The All Christian Archive (ACA) site has some digital images from the digital archive, the purpose of this whole site is for nonprofit EDUCATIONAL purposes, in accord with the US Copyright Law. Much of the information on this site is for teaching (especially the Information page content). And this site emphasizes the historical facts of Christian heritage, not creative works, although there may be some Christian art displayed on the site.

The All Christian Archive (ACA) is a private archive.  It is a Christian ministry to the Body of Christ and for any researchers and seekers of information.

The founding Archivist was first theologically trained and served as a pastor when he discovered his passion for preservation as well as Christ’s mission. Later, he got some experience working in a state archive, a Christian archive, and a Big Ten public university archive.

After these experiences and recommitting his life for Christ’s work on earth, the All Christian Archive concept was birthed and the website launched a couple years later in 2021. His collections going back to the 1980’s were now a part of it. And he rapidly expanded the collections to Christian heritage in all forms once the ACA vision and mission statement was articulated.

The founding Archivist was also an Adjunct Professor of Religion before going to the Big Ten university for his MSLIS degree.

The founder, going back to the 1980’s, was keeping everything Christian, ephemeral (e.g. church bulletins), curriculum, course notes, conference binders, Bible seminars, evangelism trainings, magazines, newspapers, records, etc.

In seeking a domain in 2020, “all” was not on his scope but ended up adding the “all” to “ChristianArchive” because it was available.  AllChristianArchive.org site was initially launched in 2021. Reflection, subsequentially on “all” led to expanding the scope of the collections for the ACA very broadly.

The founder was also worked to establish a Christian Information and Resource Center (CIRC). In the fall of 2021, he decided to dedicate some pages for the CIRC on the ACA site as an ongoing project of the ACA.

May this site by very informative to many and a blessing to many in the household of faith.

Pa*l Wheelhouse

Pa*l Wheelhouse, Founding Archivist

Degree and Certificate Qualifications:

  • MSLIS Degree with Special Collections Certificate (2 Archival courses), 2016
  • Museum Studies Graduate Certificate, 2014
  • Biblical Geography and History Certificate, Jerusalem University College, Israel, 1997
  • Master of Divinity Degree, St. Louis, MO, 1994
  • Bachelor of Arts in Education, Chicago, IL

This site is the online presence of the All Christian Archive (ACA) and also ACA’s Christian Information and Resource Center (CIRC). Both have their distinct purpose. The ACA’s express purpose is to preserve Christian heritage in all forms from individuals, families, churches, and organizations. The CIRC’s purpose is to provide information and resources to Christians everywhere, almost all for free, and thus is for “educational” purposes. May thousands of people be blessed and benefit from the information, the resources, and the Archive records and exhibits.

To submit something for the ACA Archive, please go to the Submissions page. To submit information or a resource for the CIRC, please to the Submissions page. To contact us, please go to the Contact us page. Thank you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes”][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”14981″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]To God be all glory, honor, and praise through His Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah to Jews and Gentiles, the “Savior of the World” (John 4:42)[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Use of this website constitutes your agreement to the Terms of Use and Agreement of the All Christian Archive and its Christian Information and Resource Center (CIRC), summarized here. You are to use this site in good faith, not to harm and nor destroy others nor any of the content or resources on this site, nor to disrupt its publishing nor use malicious means of any means including codes.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This applies mostly to the CIRC: You will not hold the All Christian Archive nor its agents, administrators, or managers responsible or guilty of any adverse thing that may or could happen as a result of any information you saw or obtained from the site including clicking on any links to other resources. All the contents and each piece of information is intended to build up and support believers and seekers.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The ACA has both its online presence which is a representation of Christian heritage in many forms digitally, online, and its physical archive which is OFFLINE and at an undisclosed offsite storage place. The ACA Archive is private and independently run. It is not open to the public. Any researchers who wish to research on any of our collections must contact us for making arrangements. Registration is required which includes a purpose of research statement. Moreover, modest access fees most likely apply for each engagement.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes”][vc_column][vc_column_text]The MISSION of the All Christian Archive (ACA) is to preserve Christian heritage in all forms of records/documents and artifacts.

The PURPOSE of the All Christian Archive is to collect and preserve records and documents in all forms, print and digital/electric from individual Christians and churches, of any and all traditions and denominations, for the Body of Christ. The principal purpose is to preserve all records/documents in perpetuity. A secondary purpose is for research which means accessibility to this Archive privately operated, not open to the public and with restricted hours. Contact us to schedule a time to come for research.

The VISION of the All Christian Archive is to preserve Christian heritage in all forms, for the glory of God and the living testimony of the Church, God’s saints on Earth, to the very end, even after the rapture and tribulation as a continued witness to the living Christian faith on Earth for more than 2000 years, in the hopes that some of those left behind will come to true faith.

The Scope of Collections

This Archive Scope of Collections is in essence the “whole” of Christian heritage, in various forms of media, and strives for a comprehensive collection in terms of all types of documents, records, and media. To go now to our collections, click here. Note: This site and Archive is still being developed. Thank you for your patience. Contact us for any questions, help, or submissions.

The “whole” of Christian heritage needs a brief explanation. There are dozens of various denominational archives currently in existence, plus hundreds of Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries that have archival materials. The ACA is certainly not making a claim on any or all of these archival materials. There are TONS of Christian legacies, stories, and documents that have not yet found their way into an archive. Many of the stories and legacies have not even been written yet! Because many people delay due to the busy-ness of life. They keep telling themselves, we need to get grandma or grandpa to tell their stories again and this time we will get an audio recording. But days, weeks, and months go by and it often becomes too late, their memory becomes forgetful or they pass away.

The ACA has the vision for a comprehensiveness to preserving the ‘whole’ of Christian heritage, and the existing institutional archives are islands in the sea of the whole Christian heritage. Practically speaking, ACA plans to fill in the many gaps in between the the various other archives.

Types of Records/Documents and Artifacts

  • Personal Papers and Manuscripts
  • Stories (individual, family, & congregational)
  • Histories (individual, family, & congregational)
  • Worship Service Bulletins (especially special services and programs)
  • Sermons
  • Bible teachings
  • Newsletters
  • Committees/Councils/Congregational meeting Agendas and Minutes (particularly notable or historic occasions)
  • Congregational Budgets
  • Publicity/Ads/Announcements especially for special events, major productions, special programs, etc.
  • Letters to key leaders
  • Tracts, pamphlets, training materials, discipleship materials,
  • Educational Class and Social Groups Albums, Newsletters
  • Books (yes the Book as record/books are records too of information, speaking of non-fiction memoirs, autobiographies, biographies and other nonfiction books by Christian leaders, ministers, etc.)

Media Types

  • Paper
  • Prints
  • Photographs
  • Tapes (cassettes, 8-track, etc.)
  • Films of all types
  • CDs
  • DVDs
  • Computer discs
  • Flash drives
  • Electronic files (Word, PDF, JPG, PNG, etc.)

This archive will accept COPIES and will also accept ORIGINALS. Archives strives for original documents.

Contributor Types and Terms

Individuals:
Individuals who possess any record/document that they have the right to deposit or contribute to the All Christian Archive without getting permission from their church or another person.

Congregations:
A single local church or Messianic congregation assembly recognized as an incorporated religious organization.

Association of Churches, Assemblies, Fellowships, Circuits, Districts, Dioceses, Synods, Conferences, Denominations, and Para-Church Organizations:
A group of single local church assemblies associated either non-hierarchical or hierarchical.

Contribution Types and Copyright Statement

The All Christian Archive (ACA) is principally a ‘brick and mortar’ archive with real/tangible records and a plan to grow the digital archive. As a real archive, the two kinds of Deposits (contributions) are clearly established and maintained in the Collections of ACA:

  1. Deposits in which the depositors keep the ownership and all the copyrights but want to ACA to preserve in this facility deemed better for long-term preservation than the option that these individuals or congregations have (e.g. damp basements, hot attics, etc.), and
  2. Donations: the contributors bequeath to the ACA their records, etc. for permanent preservation. It is important to know that copyrights are not transferred, governed by the U.S. Copyright Law, but can be transferred if the donor desires to and has the right to do so. ACA does not expect nor desire for any copyrights to be transferred to the ACA. The ACA is in the business of preserving, not publishing and trying to profit off donors’ works.

Biblical Foundation for a Christian Archive

There is no one verse in the Bible that says, “Thus you shall establish a Church (or Christian) Archive. But through the Scriptures, facets of the same diamond of Christian heritage comes in glorious light, though we see dimly on this side of eternity. Here are some key verses, each bringing up a facet of this diamond:

The LORD said to Moses: “…according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain” (Ex. 25:40)
“…and you will find in the book of the records….” (Ezra 4:15b)

“Then Hilkiah the high priest said…’I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD’” (2 Kings 22:8)
“…only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Rev. 21:27)

We know how important writing is. But it may not have occurred to many that after enlightenment, the next purpose to writing is PRESERVATION. And preservation necessarily means KEEPING the books/scrolls/documents, and this in turns necessarily means a good PLACE to preserve them. If this fascinates you, you will love to learn stories about the Cairo Geniza (Google it!)

Policies

The All Christian Archive abides by professional archival standards and strives for best practices in all we do. Rules that come out of standards for practices are for a reason. But a particular rule may not be best applied to a particular case. Every case, collection, and depositor is distinct, with unique needs. We must listen to the needs of our constituents and then apply the best professional practices for the case or situation.

This sometimes involves educating the depositors and prospective depositors. Not every piece of paper saved by a collector or “creator” will be deemed to be a record or document of “enduring value” to be preserved in perpetuity. We strive to educate, encourage, and coax depositors to carefully go through all the papers to cull out those records of enduring value, and

Retention Schedules

We begin with the starting presumption that every record, document, and artifact that is deposited in this Archive is of ‘enduring value’ to be preserved indefinitely. Therefore, we do not have Retention schedules, discarding or destroying certain records or kinds of records after so many months or years. We tell depositors to hold on to those and they should maintain the responsibility and if they desire to destroy after a certain period it is their prerogative.

It is the Archive’s responsibility to cull through deposited papers and are granted the delegated right to discard pieces that are deemed not to of enduring value. A good example of a type of document generally not of enduring value are common receipts (such as for food, gas, household hold expenses). But a receipt from the county clerk for the purchase of a piece of land where a Christian family lived on for some decades may be deemed of enduring value.

The Archive does not receive “dumps,” that is, drop-offs of boxes of files, records, etc. anonymously and even those with names/addresses on the boxes but who have not registered with the Archive and informed them of a Deposit. A Deposit Agreement form must be completed by EVERY depositor.

Policies and User Agreements

Two Types of Users:
Website users
On location Researcher User[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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