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Christian Church Records 2021

  

Welcome!

Thank you for registering for the online conference, Christian Church Records & Research!

For many of our American ancestors, religion was at the very center of their universe. The records produced by the church tell us not only of our ancestor’s religious experience, but also the major events in their life—especially when civil vital records were not kept. And while you may know your family was Christian, to make real headway in your research, you must learn what denomination they followed, what church or churches they attended, and how to locate—and use—the records. This online conference will provide you with the necessary context, tools, and strategies to piece together this important part of your ancestors’ life. Denominations discussed include: Anabaptist (including Amish and Mennonites), Baptist, Catholic, Congregational, Episcopal (Anglican), Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Methodist & Methodist Episcopal (including African Methodist Episcopal), Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Presbyterian (Calvinist), Quaker, and Seventh-day Adventist.

Through your participation in this online conference, you will be able to:

  • Access 5+ hours of presentations 
  • Hear from renowned speakers, authors, and professional genealogists
  • Interact with the instructors and fellow attendees 
  • Take advantage of special offers and virtual “door prizes” 
  • Download and/or print handouts, worksheets, and other resources
  • Access recordings of each presentation until May 31, 2021

SESSION TOPICS

Class 1: Finding Your Ancestors’ Religion, Presented by Rhonda R. McClure  
You may know that your ancestor was Christian, but to really make headway in your research, you need to know what denomination(s) they followed. To find that information, you must first understand context. This class will provide a brief history and background of Christian denominations in the United States and how geography, time period, community, family artifacts, and more can give you the clues you need to proceed.

Class 2: Locating Your Ancestors’ Church, Presented by Ann Lawthers  
The next step after finding your ancestor’s denomination, is to locate the church they may have attended. This class will offer several tips on how to identify churches in the area by time and place, and provide other necessary context clues to help you narrow your search, such as ethnicity, language, distance traveled, etc.

Class 3: The Records, Presented by Melanie McComb  
When we think of Christian records, we may immediately think of baptism and marriage records. While these are crucial records, there are many more! This class will look at what records exist, what information is provided, and how they differ among denominations.

Class 4: Finding and Accessing Records, Presented by Pam Holland  
Once you know what denomination your ancestor belonged to and the church they attended, it’s time to find the records. With the understanding that not everything is online, this class will discuss navigating online resources, researching manuscript materials at denominational archives, and working directly with the church.

Class 5: Strategies for Getting the Most out of Church Records, Presented by Rhonda R. McClure  
This final session will provide you with key strategies to leverage the information you find in Christian church records: how to use church records in conjunction with civil records, how to use them as vital record substitutes, how to identify witnesses, and generally how they can be used to break down brick walls in your family history research.

Q&A with the Instructor, LIVE! (recording below)
Saturday, February 27, 2:00 - 3:30 PM EST  
Chat with the instructors, interact with fellow participants, and get your questions answered! 

SPECIAL OFFERS & DOOR PRIZES

SPECIALS: For conference attendees only! — Save $10 on an order of $30 or more at our  online bookstore. Just enter ChristianCRR022021 as your promo code at the time of online checkout. Offer valid until March 17, 2021.  Start browsing today!

DOOR PRIZES: Everyone has been entered to win a 30-minute consultation with a genealogist (two chances to win). Congratulations to Paula Moreau and Alice Densmore.

RECORDED PRESENTATIONS

Click on a session below to access class recordings, handouts, and slides.

INSTRUCTOR BIO

Pam Holland, Researcher has been researching family roots found in Ireland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Germany for twenty years. She is a certificate holder from the Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate program, lectures nationally, and is co-president of The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA). Her research specialties are Irish and Genetic Genealogy. She also has expertise in New England, New York (both city and state) and German research.

Ann Lawthers, Genealogist assists American Ancestors library visitors, both on-site and online, with their family history research. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Harvard School of Public Health, and has completed the Boston University Certificate in Genealogical Research program. She has conducted genealogical projects as an independent researcher. Ann’s areas of interest are New England and New York, the Mid-Atlantic, Ireland, Eastern Canada, and migration patterns.

Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist is a nationally recognized professional genealogist and lecturer specializing in New England and celebrity research as well as computerized genealogy; is compiler of more than 120 celebrity family trees; has been a contributing editor for Heritage Quest Magazine, Biography magazine and was a contributor to The History Channel Magazine and American History Magazine. In addition to numerous articles, she is the author of ten books, including the award-winning The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy, now in its second edition, Finding Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors, and Digitizing Your Family History. Her areas of expertise include: Immigration and naturalization, Late 19th and early 20th Century urban research, Missionaries (primarily in association with the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions), State Department Federal Records, New England, Mid-West, Southern, German, Italian, Scottish, Irish, French Canadian, and New Brunswick research as well as Internet research, genealogical software (FTM, RootsMagic, TMG, Reunion), digital peripherals, and uses both Mac and Windows machines.

Melanie McComb, Genealogist assists library visitors, both on-site and online, with their family history research. She also provides lectures on a variety of genealogical topics. Melanie holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. Her areas of research interest include Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Kansas, Prince Edward Island, Québec, and Ireland, and she is experienced in DNA, genealogical technology and social media, Jewish genealogy, and military records.

Conference Materials

Class 1 Handout
Class 1 Slides Worksheet
Class 1 Slides (large)
Class 2 Handout
Class 2 Slides Worksheet
Class 2 Slides (large)
Class 3 Handout
Class 3 Slides Worksheet
Class 3 Slides (large)
Class 4 Handout
Class 4 Slides Worksheet
Class 4 Slides (large)
Class 5 Handout
Class 5 Slides Worksheet
Class 5 Slides (large)
Live Q&A Chat Log Resources

 

Additional Resources

Subject Guide: New England Catholic Records
Subject Guide: Quaker Genealogy
All Subject Guides