National Presbyterian Museum: telling the old, old story; preserving our past opens doors to the future

People sometimes confuse archives and museums. The former deals with official documents and papers: the latter contains three-dimensional objects. Church artifacts from Canada and overseas, Communion ware, sacramental tokens, plaques, clothing and vestments, Bibles and other appropriate volumes -- all are important museum pieces. But where to store and display them? Since 1974, when the Presbyterian Church moved an accumulation of books and other materials from the stacks at Knox College to a self-contained archives with a full-time archivist, the church has looked for a home for artifacts that are not archival but that tell the story of our denomination's history. One of the most interesting sections of the museum is devoted to Communion ware. Silver chalices, pewter plates for the Communion elements, and silver and glass individual cups are on display. Many designs of Communion sets used by field chaplains and individual sets carried by ministers have been donated. Wooden, brass and silver offering plates recall various modes of collecting tithes and offerings. Intricately engraved silver trowels are arranged in a nearby cabinet, including one used for laying the cornerstone of St. Andrew's Church (King Street), Toronto, in 1870. Important to an understanding of church life in earlier generations are displays illustrating youth programs such as the Boys Brigade and Christian Endeavour. Examples of shields and plaques of the Presbyterian Young Peoples Society are prominently displayed. Some areas of the museum illustrate the outreach of the church at home and overseas. India, Taiwan, China, Japan, the Caribbean and Africa -- each tell the story of Canadian Presbyterian witness. Artifacts, national clothing and pictures transport the visitor overseas where the church has ministered over the years.