For many, quilting brings to mind memories of mothers and grandmothers taking over the living room with quilts stretched out on frames, with the sounds of conversation and laughter as women gathered on porches, in living rooms, or in church fellowship rooms to work on quilts, or with the precious experience of being given a quilt that the hands of a loved one poured into with hours of creative work and effort.
Quilts connect one generation to the next: sometimes in the imitation of style or techniques, sometimes through fabrics collected or worn by others, and sometimes by the stories they tell.
“It symbolizes community and is deeply embedded in many cultures as a form of expression,” Dr. Kristen Welch, Director of Archives and Research, reveals.
In the same tradition, Dr. Welch hopes to portray the IPHC’s legacy with a special request:
We are asking each of you, the men and women of the denomination, across the globe to create and submit a 16-inch x 16-inch quilt block that represents your church.
Dr. Welch advises, “We want blocks that convey that church’s identity and tells us something about who they are.” Next year, Dr. Welch and others will put the quilt together and then have it professionally quilted.
“I think this will be a fun way to “tell our story” and to give us something wonderful to add to our history. It will help people remember we are a community, and everyone is important and valued,” shares Dr. Welch.
Please mail your quilt block(s) to the address below by June 2024 and include your name, church name and location, and contact information.
IPHC Ministries
Attn: Archives
P.O. Box 12609
OKC, OK 73157
The IPHC Archives and Research Department also has two quilts (pictured below) that they would appreciate any additional information on. No information is known about the yellow and green on the left. Little is known about the purple, yellow, and blue on the right. It was made in 1938 by the Women’s Missionary Society, given to Bishop Dan T. Muse and his wife, and is on loan from Mrs. and Mrs. Scott Muse, Jr.
The two quilts currently housed in the Archives and Research Department at the GMC in Bethany, OK
Close-up photos of the quilt that the Archives Department would appreciate more information on if available
Close-up photos of the quilt created by the Women’s Missionary Society in 1938
Again, if you have any information, please reach out to IPHC Archives at the GMC through email at archives@iphc.org.
We appreciate your help telling the story of the IPHC!
