Church Historian Honor

Missionary & Community Activities

Requirements

  1. Interview a history teacher and present the interview to the examiner:
    • What motivated you to choose to be a historian or a history teacher?
    • What most catches your attention when studying history?
    • What would be the most interesting aspect of your profession and the most difficult?
    • What is history?
    • What is historiography?
    • What is the importance of studying history?
    • What is the work of a historian and their field of work?
    • What are the main techniques for historical survey and research?
    • What are Chronology and Periodization?
    • What is the difference between Historical Knowledge and Historical Reflection?

    Answer: Schedule an interview with a history teacher (school, college). Ask: their motivation in choosing the field, what catches their attention most, the most interesting and most difficult aspects, definitions (history, historiography, chronology, periodization), research techniques, the importance of the study. Note the answers and present them to the honor's examiner. — History is the science of the human past; historiography is the study of HOW history is written. Chronology orders events in time; periodization groups them into eras (Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Contemporary). Teachers offer a technical perspective + a passion for the field that no book conveys as well as direct, living dialogue.

  2. List the main sources for research on Church history. (Written: documents, newspapers, books, letters, etc.; Non-written: oral accounts, monuments, photographs, music, clothing, etc.).

    Answer: WRITTEN: official documents (minutes, records), newspapers (Revista Adventista), denominational books, letters, personal diaries, periodicals. NON-WRITTEN: photographs, films, audio recordings, oral interviews (the memory of living pioneers), monuments, historic church buildings, physical artifacts preserved in denominational museums. — Casa Publicadora Brasileira (CPB) has had a historical archive since 1900. The White Estate (USA) preserves Ellen White's complete writings. Oral interviews are particularly valuable before living pioneers pass away — the Brazilian school of oral history has been a world reference in this methodology since the 1980s.

  3. Cite at least 1 source that deals with the denominational history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in your country.

    Answer: Brazilian sources on the Seventh-day Adventist Church: "História da Igreja Adventista do Sétimo Dia no Brasil" (Floyd Greenleaf, 2011, CPB). "Os Pioneiros" (Wellesley Muir). Revista Adventista (CPB, since 1906). Periodicals of the South Brazil Union. The website of the Ellen G. White Research Center Brazil. Cite one of the sources to the examiner. — Floyd Greenleaf is an American historian who researched the Brazilian Seventh-day Adventist Church in primary archives for decades — a reference work. Revista Adventista is the oldest periodical of the denomination in Brazil (more than 110 years of continuous editions). The EGW Center Brazil has a digital archive of letters and manuscripts generally available online.

  4. Write a report of at least 400 words about the emergence of the Adventist movement.

    Answer: Write 400+ words covering: William Miller (1782-1849, preaching the return of Christ in 1844), the Great Disappointment (10/22/1844), the rise of the remnant, Ellen White and her prophetic gifts, the formal organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1863 (Battle Creek, USA), fundamental principles (the Sabbath, the second coming, the state of the dead, the sanctuary). Include key dates and names. — William Miller miscalculated the promised event (it was not the second coming but Christ's entry into the Heavenly Sanctuary according to Daniel 8:14 — the Adventist interpretation). 1844 is a fundamental milestone. Hiram Edson had the vision of the sanctuary the day after the Disappointment. Ellen White was young (17 years old) when she began having visions.

  5. Using historical research techniques (bibliographic; documentary; interviews, etc.), write a detailed biography of a:
    • Pioneer of the Adventist Church in the world
    • Pioneer of the Adventist Church in your country or region

    Answer: Research and write a biography of a worldwide pioneer (Ellen White, James White, Joseph Bates, Hiram Edson) AND a Brazilian pioneer (Frank Westphal — the first missionary in 1894, Luiz Berger — the first baptism in Brazil in 1895). Include: date of birth/death, education, conversion, specific contribution, legacy. Minimum of 1 page per biography. — Frank Westphal arrived in 1894 from Argentina with his wife Mary. Luiz Berger was the first Brazilian baptized, in 1895. James White (1821-1881) was Ellen White's husband and the practical organizer of the church. Joseph Bates brought the Sabbath to the Adventist movement. Hiram Edson had the vision of the sanctuary in 1844.

  6. How did the Adventist message arrive in your region?
    • Interview someone, if possible, who is a pioneer of the church in your region
    • Have a photo of the person
    • Have a copy of some written source that mentions the arrival of Adventism in the region (it can be a denominational periodical or not)

    Answer: Each region has its own history of how the Adventist message arrived. São Paulo had the pioneering work of Westphal (1894). The South (Rio Grande do Sul) received German immigrants who were already Adventists. The North/Northeast received it later via domestic missionaries. Elderly pioneers still living are treasures — interviewing them before they pass away preserves memory that no book has captured even today.

  7. How was the church of the club you attend organized?
    • Interview someone, if possible more than one person, who is a pioneer of the local church
    • Obtain photos of the first members of the church
    • Have a copy of some written sources about the founding of the church (commission minutes, land purchase)
    • Have photos of the construction of the church, inauguration and dedication, etc.

    Answer: Each local church has a unique history — knowing it connects the Pathfinder to the community. Board minutes are official sources with the exact date of decisions. The deed of purchase of the land shows the year and price. Inauguration photos document real people. This work preserves memory for future generations once the pioneers pass away.

  8. Using the material gathered in requirement 5, prepare a final report on the history of the Church in your region and local Congregation. (This report can be presented at church and Conference celebrations, and copies can be donated to authorities and municipal libraries).

    Answer: The final report is the SYNTHESIS of everything that was researched — not merely a copy but an integration that tells a coherent narrative. Typical structure of a historical work: an introduction with a guiding question, a development section with sources, a conclusion with personal reflection. Use quotations with quotation marks + a footnote correctly indicating the source of the information.

  9. With the help of the Club Director, prepare a detailed history of the existence of your Pathfinder Club.

    Answer: Research together with the director: year of founding, first director, first Pathfinders, first unit, the club's motto/name and its origin, notable activities, achievements at camporees, changes of headquarters. Document with old photos, minutes, and a list of notable former members. Present a complete chronology in text format + a visual timeline. — Each Club has its own narrative that deserves preservation. The director has access to the club's archive (minutes, old photos) and contacts of former Pathfinders. Camporees (regional gatherings) mark important dates. A visual timeline helps future members quickly understand the group's trajectory from its initial founding up to the present day.

  10. Prepare a display board about the history of the church and exhibit it at the church for at least 2 Sabbaths (if the honor is done as a group, the tasks should be divided and the board should be exhibited in more than one place, for at least 2 Sabbaths at each location). The board should follow the following standard:
    • Timeline style of the church's history.
    • Cover from the Disappointment to the last camporee of your club.
    • Present images for most of the events.
    • All events must be dated.
    • Highlight events from your Division, church, and club.
    • It must present at least 20 historical events in total, highlighting the global, regional, and local relevance of these facts.
    • Note: If the mural is made as a group, the number of places where the mural must be displayed should be proportional to the number of members who participated in making it. You may count on the help of your director or counselor.

    Answer: Set up a board in timeline format covering: the Great Disappointment (1844) → the first pioneers → the organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (1863) → expansion → arrival in Brazil (1894) → the founding of the South American Division → the first camporee → recent camporees of your club. Minimum of 20 events with dates, images, and descriptions. Exhibit it for 2+ Sabbaths at the church. — A timeline is a powerful teaching technique — it visualizes causality and sequence. CPB has books with Adventist chronology for reference. National and international camporees mark important points. Images of old events can come from Revista Adventista, denominational websites such as adventistas.org, or the White Estate. 20 events is the essential minimum.

  11. Take part in a dramatization of some notable event in the history of the Adventist pioneers.

    Answer: Take part in a dramatic reenactment of a historical Adventist event. Suggestions: the Great Disappointment (10/22/1844), Hiram Edson's vision, Ellen White's first vision (December 1844), the baptism of Joseph Bates, the organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Battle Creek (1863). Gather a group from the club, rehearse, and present it during a church program. You may act, direct, or create the set. — A dramatization gives LIFE to history — abstract events become a sensory experience. Hiram Edson had the vision in a cornfield while walking to his parents' house (the morning of 10/23/1844). Ellen White had her first vision in December 1844, at the age of 17. Joseph Bates left the navy to dedicate his life to Adventism. Youth groups love dramatizations.

  12. After all the work has been completed, discuss with your instructor the meaning of heritage, legacy, tradition, and relevance.

    Answer: Discuss with your instructor: HERITAGE is what we receive from the pioneers (doctrines, mission, institutions). LEGACY is what YOU will leave for the next generations. TRADITION is practices kept for their value (the Sabbath, vegetarian food). RELEVANCE is evaluating whether what we have inherited makes sense TODAY — some cultural adjustments without losing the essence. — Each generation inherits + adapts + transmits. Adventists value tradition (the Sabbath is non-negotiable) but adapt the form (contemporary music, digital media). "Relevance" does not mean abandoning values — it is APPLYING them to your time. A discussion with a mentor helps the young Pathfinder understand his place in the living chain of the community's tradition.