Religious Resources
Although you can certainly find information on your ancestors by searching for civil records, such as birth, death and marriage certificates, you may be quite surprised to learn that religious genealogy may also be able to provide you with a wealth of information.
Catholics, for example, keep excellent records of the seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. As such, it is quite possible to find detailed records of baptism, reconciliation, first communion, confirmation, marriage, holy orders and anointing of the sick for your distant family members.
Nearly every religion, from Jewish and Southern Baptist to Mormon and Lutheran, boasts detailed records regarding its members, and as such, it is quite possible for you to make great gains in your genealogy research through the use of religious genealogy.
Baptist
- Free Baptist Cyclopeadia - The Free Baptist Cyclopaedia consist of open communication between Baptists as to create a merging together and the formation of one people, all of whom share the same doctrines, policy, publications, school and missions.
Church of the Brethren
- Church of the Brethren - The Church of the Brethren Network features a webpage devoted to genealogy and history. This website allows genealogists to search through a plethora of information, including church records, miscellaneous lists, libraries, photos and related web sites.
Jewish
- Jewish Genealogy - Archives.com, a popular genealogy website, has a web page devoted to Jewish genealogy. In addition to websites that feature Jewish genealogy, this page also features links to Jewish genealogy societies and Jewish genealogy discussion groups.
- Rav-SIG - The Rabbinic Genealogy Special Interest Group is a forum for individuals interested in rabbinic genealogy or rabbinic ancestry. This special interest group provides Internet discussion groups and forums, thereby allowing for the free exchange of information.
- Toldot - Toldot Generations is a publishing and consulting company for Jewish family history. This company discusses the genealogy needs of the client and publishes information as it relates to Jewish genealogy. The company can publish writings, maps, photographs and family trees.
- Jewish Genealogy in Italy - Italian Family History, Jewish Genealogy in Italy, is a web page that covers the history of Jews in Italy, the documents kept from this time, heraldry, family names, significant places and databases as they relate to Jews in Italy.
- Foundation for the Advancement of Sephardic Studies and Culture - The Foundation for the Advancement of Sephardic Studies and Culture is a foundation that is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Sephardic communities throughout Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, Europe and the United States, through emigration.
Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Family History Library - Family Search's Family History Library was created in 1894 to gather genealogical records for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This library now olds a massive collection of family history and genealogical research, and it is the largest library of its kind in the world.
Methodist
- Methodist Archives and Research Centre - The John Rylands University Library has a Methodic Archives and Research Center that was established in 1961. The collection is now estimated to contain nearly 26,000 items as they relate to the Methodist Church.
- Researching Your United Methodist Ancestors - The United Methodist Church features a comprehensive web page for the General Commission on Archives and History, which provides links for genealogical purposes, as well as education links and information regarding researching your Methodist ancestors.
Mennonite
- Mennonite Obituaries - The U.S. Mennonite Church features an Historical Committee web page that features a number of resources and links as they relate to Mennonite genealogy. Some of the information found here includes historical bulletins, archives, confessions, obituaries and tools for record management.
Moravian Church
- Moravian Church Genealogy Links - The web page for the Moravian Church Genealogy Links provides researchers and genealogists with information on the Moravian Church, which was an early Protestant church that had its origins in Europe in 1457. The Moravian Church now has a worldwide presence.
Religious Society of Friends (Quaker)
- Quaker Corner - Ancestry.com features a web page called Quaker Corner, which is the official repository for the Quaker-Roots discussion groups. This organization features a large mailing list, many of whom are experts on Quaker research and the Society of Friends.
- Quaker genealogy sites - Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet is a great portal for links as they relate to the Quakers. This site also features a list of general resources, which include everything from Quaker recipes to religious movements.
Roman Catholic Church
- Local Catholic Church History and Genealogy Research Guide - The Local Catholic Church and Family History and Genealogical Research Guide is a guide to finding records as they relate to the Seven Sacraments. This site also features information on how to locate these guides.
Translations
- Church Record Translations - Church Records Translations web page provides information on church records, and the information is translated into English, Hungarian, Latin and Slovak. This site also provides links to a number of general and specific genealogical sites.
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