The Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation offers four free online lectures from 5 November through 3 December 2026. Each lecture is on a Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Central Time USA.
5 November lecture with Annie Falcke
“True Grit: The Glaud Rodger Story”
Glaud Rodger was a Scottish Latter Day Saint who first encountered the restored gospel in the early years of the Restoration. He would go on to become one of the Reorganization’s hardest-working missionaries, with a career spanning 40 years and four continents. Glaud and his wife, Mattie, overcame disillusionment, adversity, and extended separation as they followed the call to service. This lecture will follow Glaud Rodger’s life from Scotland to England, Salt Lake City to California, and Tahiti to Australia, along with the testimony that carried him through.
12 November lecture with Gregory Edwards
“A Life of the Mind: Reflections on the Life and Legacy of Paul M. Edwards”
Join us as we welcome Gregory Edwards, author of the new biography A Life of the Mind: An Intimate Biography of Paul M. Edwards. Paul Edwards made a significant impact on the Community of Christ experience as an educator, historian, philosopher, poet, and administrator. As the great-grandson of Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma Hale Smith, Paul struggled with the uncomfortable expectations placed on him as a Smith family descendant. Despite the weight of that legacy, he forged his own path in life, one that included academic achievements, philosophical pursuits, numerous publications, and a successful career in academia. Paul’s inquisitive mind continued to expand through his service as a soldier in combat during the Korean War and his work as a Graceland University professor, leader in the church history community, director of Temple School, and founder of the Center for the Study of the Korean War.
19 November lecture with Mareva Arnaud Tchong
“Your Story Is Church History”
Join Community of Christ Presiding Evangelist Mareva Arnaud Tchong as she adds her life story to the “Your Story Is Church History” storyteller series, which began in 2024. Past storytellers include Everett Graffeo, Stassi Cramm, Janné Grover, Bunda Chibwe, and Andrew Bolton. Mareva was the first woman called to serve as president of the French Polynesia Mission Centre. In 2013, she was called to serve as an apostle in Community of Christ, a role she held until she was ordained presiding evangelist in 2025.
3 December lecture with Patty Bacon
“Witness in Wood: Deer Park’s Grand Pavilion”
Deer Park, the campground of the Mid-Atlantic USA Mission Center, sits on a hilltop near New Hope, Pennsylvania, USA, 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Philadelphia. On the crown of the hill is an 88-foot (27-meter) pavilion, called the “Auditorium” by church members and the “Grand Pavilion” by the local community. Though the building is only 150 years old, its story is one of shared history with those who came centuries before it was built and before it became the center of a church community in 1921. It includes the history of other religious groups and echoes of our church’s history: the founding of an intentional community in a new place and struggles with its neighbors.