 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Doing the Dishes
Watch this Video
| Windows Media |
  |
| QuickTime | |
| MPEG |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
 |
The Internet has introduced all sorts of new activities into everyday life, and one of the most popular activities online has been the auction business. Most people have heard of e-Bay, known for meeting the needs of Elvis aficionados, car buffs and the like. But if you’re into church history, you can find some treasures to trade, too. |
||
 |
|||
 |
New Items | Additional Stories | UMTV Brief | Archives | ||
Doing the Dishes – Story:
They pass the plate pretty often at the Southwell residence. It’s an event the couple welcomes, especially Barbara, a lifelong United Methodist. She’s collected more than 1,400 church plates.
Barbara Southwell: “A lot of it we have found at estate sales and yard sales. Even more has come from people who have heard about the collection and have sent us a plate.”
They’re from around the world, representing milestones in the histories of individual churches.
Barbara: “But the majority of them have some indication of when the church was founded and what the congregation numbered and some even when they had a kitchen installed. Back here is part of the collection itself.”
The collection began with just three plates back in 1988.
Barbara: “We use every nook and corner of the house now. If you see a strange box, you go, ‘Oh, OK, that’s a church plate.’”
As the collection stacks up in the Southwell home, so does its significance.
Barbara: “The whole purpose of the collection is to preserve the heritage and the history of individual congregations in all of Methodism.”
The plates are more than just images in glass. They serve up memories.
Barbara: “This dear little old lady came up and she picked up this plate and held it against her chest, tears running down her cheeks, and said, ‘I never thought I’d see my little church again.’”
Barbara (Nat Sound): “Here’s one by St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.”
Online auctions are tempting, but now the majority of plates come from folks like Barbara, eager to preserve a congregation’s history.
Barbara: “Several churches have been destroyed either thought a tornado or through fire. In a number of cases, the only thing left is the church plate.”
Doing the Dishes – Tag:
Barbara Southwell says she doesn’t have a personal favorite from her collection, although she was happy to discover that there is actually a Southwell United Methodist Church in Southwell, England. She contacted the pastor, and now is the proud owner of a Southwell commemorative plate, and even a vase from the church. The Southwells were notified in November that their collection has been accepted by the Guinness Book of World Records for inclusion in its 2004 edition.