개교회사 기록과 보존 및 활용에 관한 연구 : 한국 감리교회의 개교회사 연구를 중심으로

Abstract

We will read about the work of organizing the history of a local church, called 'individual church histories', as an archives of historical records. ‘The Public Records Management Act’ which was enacted in 1999 started the discussion and change of records management. Still, the record management lacking active interest and support faces similar challenges in both government and church. In other words, a clear foundation and framework for records management has not yet been established. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the current situation and alternatives through the objective definition of archives under the key words of recording, preservation, and utilization in the Methodist Church. There is a limitation of not checking the data from other denominations in order to define archives and examine how they are recorded, preserved, and utilized. So we have selected seven representative authors of individual church histories, summarizing their features and pros and cons. And now we can show why the church histories should be read as historical sources connected to local history through the platform, the church. As private records, local church histories should reveal the sense of locality and local color in the experiences of the church that lived within the region. We need to renew the classifications that have been used to organize the chronology of most congregational records, which have been based on the construction and relocation of chapels and the movement of pastors. We need to recognize the preservation and collection methods were passive and negligent. Even in the utilization, we must acknowledge that the historical materials generated through recording and preservation are rarely used as a tool for communication with local people or as academic materials for local researchers. We must reflect on the fact that most records have been reduced to gifts for events. In this regard, we propose a new paradigm of archival management, a regional multicultural space such as ‘Larchiveum’. This will allow the church to become a community-communicating organization and a historical resource with academic value.