Another under utilized genealogy resource is Church Records. We tend to focus our research on civil records, but need to be aware that often church records pre-dated civil records and are a great resource as well. In the BMD Records section of this website there are about 15,000 collections of civil records that are available online. Yes, that's a lot, but we need to also search church records as well.
What can we find in church or synagogue records? Here's just a shortlist of what nuggets we can find:
- Baptisms and Christenings
- Marriages
- Deaths
- Burials
- Confirmations
- Membership lists
- Church Minutes
- Church Directories
- Transfer Letters
- Bar or Bat Mitzvahs
- Sunday School lists
- Church newsletters
In addition, many folks also documented important events in family bibles, so they need to be searched as well if the event information has been digitized.
Here are a couple of articles that you might find useful:
- U.S. Church Records Research Guide
- United States Church Records
- A Genealogist’s Guide to Using Catholic Records in Genealogy Research
There is a large number of Free Online Church Record collections; the links accessible by state below:.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated February, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Adrian, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1832-1894
- Adrian, Society of Friends. Adrian Monthly Meeting Church Records, 1831-1917
- Adrian, Society of Friends. Raisin Monthly Meeting Church Records, 1838-1957
- Adrian, St. John's Lutheran Church Church Ordinance Record, 1847-1901
- Albion, St. Paul Lutheran Church Church Records, 1857-1991
- Alma, Catholic Church. St. Mary's Church Records, 1906-1983
- Alpena, Catholic Church Records, (1864 – 1925)
- Alpena, St. Anne Church Records
- Alpena, First Baptist Church Church Records, 1867-1971
- Ann Arbor, Congregational Church Church Records, 1847-1945
- Ann Arbor, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1826-1941
- Augusta, First Congregational Church, Records, 1849-1918
- Bad Axe, St. Paul's Episcopal Church Church Records, 1885-1925
- Berrien County, Catholic Church. Mission de la Rivière St.-Joseph Parish Registers, 1720-1773
- Birmingham, St. James Episcopal Church Church Records, 1904-1927
- Bloomfield, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1831-1863
- Breckenridge, Breckenridge United Methodist Church Church Records, 1877-1984
- Bridgehampton Township, First Presbyterian Church Sessional Records 1891-1939, 1947
- Brownstown, Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1894-1901
- Buchanan, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1847-1925
- Carleton, Catholic Church. St. Patrick's Church Records, 1859-1909
- Caro, Trinity Episcopal Church Church Records, 1871-1924
- Caseville, Presbyterian Church Pastor's Record and history 1891-1927
- Chelsea, First Congregational Church Church Records, 1886-1897
- Clinton, First Congregational Church Church Records, 1843-1917
- Clinton, St. John's Episcopal Church Church Records, 1866-1916
- Clinton, St. Patrick's Episcopal Church Church Records, 1839-1899
- Constantine, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1836-1887
- Corunna, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1841-1909
- Cross Village, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1887-1959
- Dearborn, First Evangelical Church Church Register, 1875-1911
- Dearborn, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1834-1881
- Deerfield, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1853-1890
- Detroit, All Saints Episcopal Church Church Records, 1891-1914
- Detroit, Catholic Church. Ste. Anne Registre du fort Pontchartrain de Détroit, 1704-1800
- Detroit, First Congregational Church Register number one, 1844
- Detroit, First Presbyterian Church Records
- Detroit, Harper Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church Church Records, 1917-1957
- Detroit, Memorial Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1858-1930
- Detroit, North Woodward Avenue Congregational Church Church Clerk's book, 1890-1909
- Detroit, North Woodward Avenue Congregational Church Church Records, 1902-1917
- Detroit, Protestant Episcopal Church Register of names, Recorded in Holy Trinity Mission and Parish, and St. George's Parish, Detroit
- Detroit, Second Congregational Church Church Records, 1864-1909
- Detroit, Second Congregational Church Church Register, 1866-1888
- Detroit, St. George's Episcopal Church Church Records, 1885-1904
- Detroit, St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1879-1949
- Drenthe, Presbyterian Church Membership Information
- Eckford, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1839-1868
- Elkton, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1896-1925
- Free Soil, Methodist Episcopal Church Record, 1883-1947
- French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan, Parish Records
- Gladstone, Westminster Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1887-1921
- Grand Marais, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1876-1928
- Grand Rapids Public Library, Index to Church Records
- Grand Rapids, St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church Membership List
- Grass Lake, St. Mary's Episcopal Church Church Records, 1894-1919
- Hillsdale, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Registers
- Holland, Pillar Church, Membership Information
- Holland, South Holland Presbyterian Church, Records
- Holton, Holton Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1869-1991
- Homer, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1838-1900
- Howell, St. John's Episcopal Church Church Records, 1917-1939
- Ida, Immanuel Lutheran Church Church Records, 1862-1945
- Ida, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Church Records, 1840-1913
- Ishpeming, Bethany Lutheran Church Church Records, 1871-1927
- Jackson, First Baptist Church Church Records, 1834-1939
- Jackson, United Presbyterian Church Church Register, 1882-1949
- Kalamazoo, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1933-1998
- Lansing, Central Methodist Church Church Records, 1860-1874
- Lansing, First Presbyterian Church Alphabetical List of former Members 1850-1882
- Lansing, Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1863-1899
- Lenawee County, St John's Lutheran Church Family Registers, 1847-1912
- Lenawee County, First Presbyterian Church, Records
- Lupton, Society of Friends. Lupton Monthly Meeting Church Records, 1887-1954
- Marquette, St. Paul's Episcopal Church Church Records, 1867-1995
- Maybee, Congregational Church Church Records, 1880-1950
- Michigan, Church Marriages, 1865-1931
- Michigan, Church Records, 1819-1991
- Michigan, Native Americans.Church Records
- Michigan, Presbyterian Church. Presbytery of Lake Superior Church Records, 1854-1923
- Michigan, Society of Friends. Adrian Quarterly Meeting Church Records, 1760-1950
- Michigan, Historical Records Survey Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, the Roman Catholic Church, Archdiocese of Detroit
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church and Synagogue Archives of Michigan, Jewish bodies
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Michigan Conference
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, Church of the Nazarene, Michigan District Assembly
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, Churches of God, Michigan Assemblies
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, Dearborn Churches
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, Evangelical and Reformed Church
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, Evangelical Church, Michigan Conference
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, Pilgrim Holiness Church, Michigan District
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, Presbyterian Church in U.S.A., Presbytery of Detroit
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, Presbyterian Church in U.S.A., Presbytery of Flint
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, Protestant Episcopal bodies, diocese of Michigan
- Michigan, Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, Protestant Episcopal Church, diocese of northern Michigan
- Monroe County, St. Mary's Baptism Index - 1830-1839
- Monroe, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1865-1949
- Monroe, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1897-1946
- Monroe, Trinity Episcopal Church Parish Register, 1831-1950
- Niles, First Presbyterian Church Baptisms 1840-1900 and Marriages 1888-1900
- Oakland County, Commerce Circuit Methodist Church, Records, 1864-1881
- Parish of Michilimackinac, Registers
- Perch Lake, Christian Reformed Church Records
- Pontiac, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1857-1907
- Riga, Trinity Lutheran Church Church Record, 1861-1998
- Saginaw, St. George Church Membership List
- Saginaw, All Saints Episcopal Church Church Records, 1886-1895
- Saginaw, Calvary Memorial Church Baptismal Records, 1889-1949
- Saginaw, St. John's Episcopal Church Baptismal Records, 1853-1939
- Saginaw, St. Paul's Episcopal Church Baptismal Records, 1861-1910
- Saline, Presbyterian Church Sessional Records, 1831-1846
- South Lyon, Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1838-1926
- St. Bernard Church: Baptisms, Burials, Marriages
- St. Louis, Emmanuel Episcopal Church Church Records, 1872-1919
- Suttons Bay, Congregational Church Church Records, 1839-1974
- Tecumseh, Society of Friends. Tecumseh Monthly Meeting Church Records, 1822-1969
- Tecumseh, St. Peter's Episcopal Church Church Records, 1845-1865
- Vassar, St. John's Episcopal Church Church Records, 1885-1911
- Vernon, Baptist Church Church Records, 1845-1920
- Vriesland, Christian Reformed Church, Records
- Webster Township, Congregational Church Church Records 1834-1912
- Whiteford Center, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1861-1941
- Woodstock Township, Society of Friends. Rollin Monthly Meeting Church Records, 1835-1924
- Wyandotte, First Congregational Church Church Records, 1921-1900
- Wyandotte, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1851-1920
- Ypsilanti, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1849-1916
- Ypsilanti, Methodist Episcopal Church Church Records, 1824-1908
- Ypsilanti, St. Luke's Episcopal Church Church Records, 1834-1915
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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