Did Your Ancestor Attend Church? Researching in Religious Records

Presented by Lisa Gorrell

Church records can provide names, dates, and relationships about your ancestors. Many of the records from churches and religious organizations pre-date civil records which makes these records a rich source of information about our families. Give these records a try, even if you think your ancestor did not attend church.

Lisa S. Gorrell is a Certified Genealogist®. She has served on boards of several genealogical societies and is currently the recording secretary with the Contra Costa County Historical Society, where she volunteers at their archives. She is a founding member and instructor of the new online institute Applied Genealogy Institute.

She enjoys giving genealogy presentations and writing about her family on two blogs: Mam-ma’s Southern Family and My Trails into the Past. She has written a three-generation family history about her husband’s Swedish ancestors.

*The words Certified Genealogist and designation CG are registered certification marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and the designations Certified Genealogical Lecturer and CGL are service marks of BCG, used under license by certificants after periodic competency evaluations (and only during the current five-year period for which they are certified). Certificate No. 1108, expires 22 December 2028.