Friday or Saturday or Both

The Lutheran Historical Society of the Mid-Atlantic will hold a doubleheader event (or should we say two events) under the theme "News from the Archives: Stories to Inspire a Public Witness" on Friday and Saturday, 27-28 February 2026. Come to one or the other or both.

Friday: An Archives Workshop Day

The Archives housed at Wentz Seminary Library, Gettysburg, is filled with treasure waiting to be mined by the curious. Archival material is above all a record of human life. Most would think church history alone, but the church's people lived within a broader matrix, and the archives can shed light amidst sometimes dim memory for matters ecclesiastical, civil, and familial.

• What was happening in the world that the City of Parkersburg refused to pay for damage done to the Lutheran Church?
• Why wouldn't the Widow's Mite Society of Mt. Calvary, Westernport, give a loan to its council?
• To which social movement did Pr. Weiser demand subscription by the men of his Bedford congregation, leading his council to threaten dismissal?
• Why was Pr. Uriel Graves tried for calumny, and was there a connection to inner missions?
• When were my great-great-uncle and great-great-aunt married, and when was their first child baptized?

Join Archivist Victoria Jesswein as she leads participants through the repository portal and into a place where the voices of the past still whisper in the corridors.

• When & Where: The formal session convenes at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, 27 February 2026, at the Wentz Library, Gettysburg Seminary Campus, 66 Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, PA. You are welcome to arrive earlier and explore the library. Doors open at 9:00 a.m.
• Cost: There is no charge for this event, but advanced registration is requested. 
• Lodging: Lodging is provided free for those wanting to stay on campus—lodging is limited: first registered, first housed.
• Meals & Entertainment: neither lunch nor dinner is included, but your evening will be open to enjoy the town of Gettysburg on your own or with others staying overnight. LHSMA President Riegel will be in attendance, and he is usually good for afters at a local establishment.
• Registration: To register (for the Fridy event and optionally the Annual Pogram & Meeting), click here.
• Questions:  Quesiton about the Archives Workshop Day should be directed to Victoria Jesswein: 717-339-1317 or vjesswein@uls.edu.

Saturday: Annual Program & Meeting

 Saturday, the Lutheran Historical Society of the Mid-Atlantic gathers for its Annual Program & Meeting with feature presentations:

• Victoria Larson, "Lutheran Laywoman Maude McDaniel"
• Daniel Smail, "William Passavant"
• Victoria Jesswein, "Digital Access to Archives"

A short business meeting will also be held.

• When & Where: The session convenes at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, 28 February 2026 at the Wentz Library, Gettysburg Seminary Campus, 66 Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, PA.
• Cost: There is no charge for this event.
• Meals: Box lunches will be available.
• Registration: To register (for the Saturday event and optionally the Archives Workship Day), click here.
• Questions: Questions  about the Annual Program & Meeting should be directed to Matthew Riegel: 304-680-5388 or bishop@wv-wmd.org.

Please consider attending the Archives Workshop Day to be held Friday.