Prairie Church Membership

Not long ago in Bible Study we had a discussion on how birth, baptismal, and death records were kept on the prairie. As settlers moved west, they did not have established churches to keep such records. There were not court houses in order to hold such records, nor hospitals to keep track of specific certificats.

I said the records were kept in their church records. Likewise, someone else indicated that they were kept in the family bible. This brings to mind a great problem with our understanding of Church. A congregation is a group of believers that gather together around word and Sacrament. A congregation is a family.

For most settlers, their family was their congregation. Their family was the better part of their community. Nearby families would be able to get together and establish larger congregations. But often times unless you made sure to travel with like minded Christians. Your family may have been the only Lutheran, Reformed, or Catholic family.

Your family bible became the church records. For many of us we just depend on the church to keep track of our records for us. But often times churches, especially smaller churches, these records are not kept well. Those family bibles become even more important.

Those family bibles would be used in the home for devotions. They would be used from generation to generation to allow you to track your family tree. They would even be used to teach kids to read. Your congregation bible and your family bible are very important.

And if you think that sounds good, just think your family bible even records the history of your family all the way back to the creation of Adam and Eve. Thank you.

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