Local Church Records & Resources

For the research of American genealogies, church records in the United States don't usually bear the burden of having to provide so much of the important vital information as they do in researching a family tree in Europe, where many churches (church in the sense of both a physical building and a religion) have been in existence for centuries and also where church and government of many a country were bound closely together throughout history.  The nature of the pioneer settlement of Kentucky and the less hierarchical structure of Protestant churches which predominated led to fewer records ever having been created in the first place, and maintaining them in frontier conditions made any record's survival problematical.

However some records maintained by several Harrison County churches have survived the ravages of time, do still exist, and have been microfilmed.  Other records, such as church membership lists, have been transcribed and are available at this site.  Church and local histories have provided some material on the origins and growth of churches which sprang up all over Harrison County, as well as some insights into the lives of the ministers who served their communities.  Just click on any of the following links to learn more about any of these topics:

• Church Records on Microfilm

• Transcriptions of Church Records

• The Marryin' Ministers of Harrison County

• Wedding Bells A-Ringin' - Cynthiana's Historic Churches

• Active Churches in the County

Church Records on Microfilm

At present there are few Harrison County, Kentucky church records which may have been indexed, abstracted, extracted, transcribed, but I do know of a few which have been microfilmed, and they are kept in the microfilm cabinets of the Kentucky Room in the Cynthiana-Harrison County Public Library, 104 North Main Street, in Cynthiana.  The following table describes their microfilmed church & cemetery record holdings, which have been grouped together in one drawer:

Transcriptions of Church Records

The number of  Harrison County, Kentucky church records which may have been transcribed  are few, at least that I know of.  Both Kay Withers and Forrest Gill have transcribed church membership lists of Indian Creek Christian Church and of Colemansville Christian Church.  Both have volunteered their work for inclusion at this website.

To view their work visit www.HarrisonCountyKy.US/cemeteries, scroll down, and click on the links for:

• Indian Creek Christian Church Cemetery

• Colemansville Christian Church Cemetery

I would be interested in posting other such records transcriptions to this site.  If you have or know of any, please let me know by e-mailing me, and I will gladly consider adding the materials to these pages.

The Marryin' Ministers of Harrison County

In transcribing the marriage indexes of Harrison County I have become familiar with the names of the many ministers & court officials who presided over wedding ceremonies as recorded in the records of over a hundred and fifty years of marriages.  To learn more, visit The Marryin' Ministers of Harrison County.

Wedding Bells A-Ringin' - Cynthiana's Historic Churches

Chapter ten of History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky (1882) offered a brief history of the major denominations then active in the county and the establishment of their churches.  These histories have been supplemented by articles from the 1896 Special Edition of The Cynthiana Democrat and the 1906 Souvenir Supplement of The Log Cabin, and other resources, such as Cromwell's Comments.  A collection of articles for each of the following denominations and their churches in Cynthiana can viewed by following these links:

• African American

• Anglican

• Baptist

• Catholic

• Christian

• Methodist

• Presbyterian

At least two of Cynthiana's historic churches have websites of their own, and there may be more.  You can go to church by clicking on either of the following links:

• St. Edward's Catholic Church, Cynthiana

• The Christian Church of Cynthiana

As more information becomes available on these churches from other sources it will be added to these pages.

Active Churches in the County

I thought I would provide a list churches which are currently active today.  I do know that the Antioch Christian Church has preserved the records of Reverend William McGarvey Lenox, a minister who married many a couple and presided over many a funeral in the first half of the 20th century.  Also, several churches have cemeteries attached and it is possible that a few may have maintained records of early burials which still exist.

The names of active Harrison County churches which are listed weekly in The Cynthiana Democrat follow, based on the most recent issue at hand (June 2, 2005).  There is also a "church directory" available at www.cynthianaky.com, with e-mail and phone contact information, and links to pictures of each church.

If you would like to see photographs of all of Harrison County's churches you can view a fine collection at the website of the Cynthiana-Harrison County Museum.

Baptist Churches

Ammerman Road Baptist Church, Ammerman Pike

Berry Baptist Church, Main Street, Berry

Cynthiana Baptist Church, East Pleasant Street

Fairview Baptist Church, Kelat

Faith Baptist Church, U.S. 27 South

Indian Creek Baptist Church, Millersburg Pike

Irvingsville Baptist Church, Route 4 (Approx. 3 miles out on Morning Glory Road)

Macedonia Baptist Church, 10 East Pearl Street

Nazarene Baptist Church, Route 1, Leesburg

New Friendship Baptist Church, Dixon Road

New Testament Baptist Church, 102 Second Street, Cynthiana

Oakwood Baptist Church, 401 Oakwood Avenue

Pleasant Green Baptist Church, Route 6

Renaker Baptist Church, Route 6

Riverview Baptist Church, Route 2, Berry

Shadynook Baptist Church, Route 4, Morning Glory Road

Twin Creek Primitive Baptist Church (7 miles out Lafferty Pike)

Union Baptist Church, 64 Robinson-Union Road

Victory Baptist Church, 213 North Locust Street, Cynthiana

Catholic Churches

Saint Edwards Baptist Church, 107 North Walnut Street, Cynthiana

Christian Churches

Antioch Mills Christian Church, 12758 U.S. Highway North

Berry Christian Church, Berry

Central Christian Church, Second & Ridge Streets

Claysville Christian Church, 124 Augusta Drive

Connersville Christian Church, Route 1

Cornerstone Christian Church

Indian Creek Christian Church, 51 Waits Road

Leesburg Christian Church, 5983 Kentucky Highway 1842 North, Cynthiana

Mount Carmel Christian Church, 1970 Cynthiana Road (US 27 South)

Robinson Christian Church, 5213 Robinson-Union Road

Sunrise Christian Church, Route 2

Unity Christian Church, 5848 Kentucky Highway (Located in Breckinridge, 6 miles west of Cynthiana on KY 36)

Church of God (Anderson, Ind.)

First Church of God, 401 North Main Street

Churches of Christ (Non-instrumental)

Salem Church of Christ, 4896 Salem Pike

Disciples of Christ Christian Church

Cynthiana Christian Church, Main & Mill Streets

Republican Christian Church, 7888 Kentucky Highway 392

Colemansville Christian Church, Route 2, Berry

Episcopal Churches

Church of the Advent Episcopal, 120 North Walnut Street

Methodist Churches

Berry United Methodist Church, Berry

Benson United Methodist Church, Route 5

Boyd Methodist Church, Berry Morgan Road, Route 1054

Boyers Chapel United Methodist Church, 368 Kentucky Highway 1842N

Centerville United Methodist Church, 2743 Georgetown Road, Paris

Curry United Methodist Church, Route 5

Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 210 North Locust Street

Elmarch United Methodist Church, Elmarch Avenue & Old Lair Road

First United Methodist Church, Corner of Pike & Church Streets

Hinton United Methodist Church, 608 Corinth-Hinton Road, Sadieville

Lair United Methodist Church

Leesburg United Methodist Church, Route 1

Mt. Hope United Methodist Church, Highway 32 West

Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, 1271 Clintonville Road

Oddville United Methodist Church, Kendall Branch Road

Saint James A.M.E. Church, 312 West Pleasant Street

Wagoner United Methodist Church, Route 3

Oxford United Methodist Church, Route 1

Presbyterian Churches

Covenant Presbyterian Church, 504 East Bridge Street, Cynthiana

Cynthiana Presbyterian Church, 105 North Main Street, Cynthiana

Other Churches in the County

Church of the Nazarene, Fifth Street

New Beginnings Worship Center, 113 Marshall Avenue

Pilgrim Holiness Church

Webster Avenue Church of God, 409 1/2 Webster Avenue

Church of God Mountain Assembly, Highway 32 East, Cynthiana (1-1/2 miles past hospital on left)

Grace Apostolic Church, 219 South Walnut Street, Suite 1, Cynthiana

Abounding Grace Tabernacle, 3931 US 27 North (3 miles north of Cynthiana)

Hour of Deliverance Chapel, 120 Second Street, Cynthiana

We've Got The Power Ministry, 104 East Pike Street, Cynthiana

The Genealogy of Jesus

I suppose everyone has met someone who acted as if he/she was Jesus Christ, but I can't say I've ever heard of anyone who claimed to be related, and apparently there were quite a few, seriously!  To prove it, here is an interesting chapter of the Bible which details the genealogy of Jesus as recorded in "The Gospel According to St. Matthew"

Chapter 1

   The Book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

   2  Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

   3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

   4  And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

   5  And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

   6  And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

   7  And Solomon begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

   9  And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Josias;

   10  And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

   11  And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

   12  And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

   13  And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

   14  And Azor Begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

   15  And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

   16  And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

   17  So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

   18      Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:  When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

   19  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

   20  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto the Mary thy wife:  for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

   21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

   22  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

   23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

   24  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

   25  And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.