> >Cathy >> from Steve Kemp. Like you I just can say what I've seen or heard about >>archives. I was exchanging correspondence with the archivist of the Central >>Pa. Conference of the (United) Methodist Church at Lycoming College in >>Williamsport, Pa., some years ago, and he was extremely knowledgeable about >>where records were, for member congregations; also there are other things >>that have been archived, such as journals, diaries, which they can photocopy. >>Drew University has microfilm and original papers (some) of 19th century >>church-wide Methodist newspapers over many years' time, which carried obits >>and marriage notices from wide regions, in many states, not just locally. A >>gt-gt-uncle of mine, Rev. David Wilson (born Martinsburg, then Bedford Co.) >>had a number of sermons and articles published in THE METHODIST RECORDER... >>the papers carried a combination of religious and secular items. Some denominations the pastor kept vital records in a personal journal which he carried from parish to parish, often ended up with his family, but was sometimes archived. The church itself would only maintain the financial and membership rolls, while the pastor had the record of marriages, for example. This is most common in the less formal and less hierachical denominations like Baptist or Brethren, but I've seen such a journal made by a Lutheran in York County, Pa. There is a church book from a Baptist church in Shirleysburg, Huntingdon Co., now closed, which ended up with the Perry Historians in Perry Co., Pa.; I've seen it at their library. Any one on the "list" who reads this... including Ken Boonie... here's food for thought... A useful resource would be a listing of church books for Huntingdon County that are available OUTSIDE the county churches themselves or are unknown to the local Historical Society library. As a former volunteer for the latter group, none as I've described were known to exist, by any of us working there; we knew where to look up archive addresses but never got any report of a genealogist finding a local book in any archive. Members of the list who HAVE found a record and used it could contribute the name and place to this list... which is information that so far as I know, no one has ever compiled. Any feedback on this??? Finally, here's my personal input building on what Cathy said on the subject in her last e-mail to the list-- I'm a Lutheran and member of the Lutheran Historical Society (Gettysburg) and I know from THE HISTORY OF THE ALLEGANY SYNOD and other sources that up to ten congregations or mission points existed in or very near Huntingdon County that were Lutheran or "Union" (Lutheran/ Reformed) and are now defunct, the most recent being Christ Lutheran, Waterstreet, Morris Township, just a few years ago, then Mill Creek around 1940 or 1950... in any case, what happens is that by the time a church closes, only a few, older people remain, in almost every case. They often feel an anger with the Synod that goes back some time... the Synod is blamed for not supporting them in their difficulty, while on the Synod's part, it has been years since the dwindling church body sent any money or any delegates, and they have been informally "written off." The church book will likely be in the hands of a former council secretary who may have since joined another denomination or even has passed away. What it all means is that the archives at Gettysburg have never received ONE church book from Huntingdon County churches. The archives themselves have no way of knowing when a church closes... so you get the picture. If everyone in every organization did his or her job in terms of records, we would never have lost records as a problem. The truth is that for churches, in my experience, people don't take their responsibilities very seriously. I'd love to hear of exceptions and be proved wrong and have some church books turn up, maybe for other denominations. Once in awhile, a book is recovered. Only a few years ago a 19th century church book from Greencastle, Franklin County, was offered at a public estate auction. The church got wind of it, contacted the Synod, which demanded the book. In this case, the book was returned. It had not been seen or heard of for most of a century. >> >> >