The Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society wrapped up its annual convention Sunday with a visit to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir followed by a worship service and a luncheon at Calvary Baptist Church.

Scores of members of the society came from throughout the country. Theme of the conference was "The Legacy of Our Roots: A Heritage for the Future."

During the sessions, which started Tuesday, historians and genealogists explored the resources of the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City.

The worship service and luncheon at Calvary Baptist Church, 1090 S. State, were among the convention's final activities. The lunch was sponsored by the Utah chapter of the society; Calvary Baptist Church, and the Genesis Group of the LDS Church.

"This was a fellowshipping, interfaith, cross-cultural event today," said Catherine Stokes, one of the Utahns present. She found the Tabernacle Choir's broadcast service touching with its emphasis on spirituals.

"The Genesis Group is an LDS group of Afro-American members and others," including Pacific Islanders and people of various ethnic backgrounds interested in Afro-American concerns and in networking with minorities, she said.

The service at Calvary Baptist featured exciting gospel music with piano, organ, drums, singing and hand-clapping. During his sermon, the Rev. France A. Davis talked about four pills people need for spiritual health: humility, prayer, seeking God's face in faith, and turning one's back on wickedness.

"Humble yourself — before God," he said. "Try a little humility now and then."

Two babies were blessed with their families, and a young man came forward declaring his intention to be baptized.

Church officials welcomed special guests. Besides the conventioneers and members of the Genesis Group, there were representatives of the University of Utah Black Student Union, who are involved in a voter registration drive, and a U. class on the black spiritual experience.

When the society's conventioneers were introduced, Helen Hill of Chicago, was pointed out as the oldest member of the society to travel to Salt Lake City. She waved a greeting from among the congregation.

Asked her age after the service, the spry and alert woman said, "97 in December, if I'm still living."

"We went to several of those sessions" to learn about genealogical resources such as information compiled by the post-Civil War Freedman's Bank, said her daughter, Marion Hill. "We went to the (Family History) Library. We researched some ancestors from Arkansas there, from the 1860s and before."

In that connection, the LDS Church's "Family Search" Web site has set up a Web page titled "African American Resources" with links to databases and other information. A link to the site is at www.familysearch.org.

"I've been looking up Census records and death records and newspaper articles," said Ruth Hodge, who traveled from Carlisle, Pa., to attend the convention.

"I'm doing research on the early members of our church in Carlisle," the Shiloh Baptist Church. She has been to Salt Lake City before to carry out research, she said.

Davis noted that Calvary Baptist is about to turn 114. "The oldest Afro-American church in Utah was able to host Afro-Americans from across the country that are doing historical and genealogical studies," he said.

"Our roots are of significance."

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