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):
- Arndt ND Lutheran Birth Records (J. Grissom)
- Arndt, Towner County, Church Records
- Bisbee, Church and Family Records
- Bismarck, First Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1873-1948
- Canton City, Hensel Methodist Episcopal Church
- Church of the Brethren on the Northern Plains History
- Jud, Kirchenbuch der Ray Township Trinity Lutheran Church :Records 1915-1951
- Kulm ND, St. Paul Lutheran Baptisms (A. Konrad)
- Kulm ND, St. Paul Lutheran Confirmations (A. Konrad)
- Kulm ND, St. Paul Lutheran Deaths (A. Konrad)
- Kulm ND, St. Paul Lutheran Marriages (A. Konrad)
- Mandan ND - St. Joseph's Parish 1881-1956 History (R. Ferderer)
- North Dakota, Guide to Church and Public Records, 1941-1942
- North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Highlights and Heartaches of Brethren Pioneers,
- North Dakota, Pastor Records, 1843-1918
- North Dakota, Church survey files
- Peace (Beulah) and St. John's (Zap) Baptisms (C. Eisenbeis)
- Peace (Beulah) and St. John's (Zap) Confirmations (C. Eisenbeis)
- Peace (Beulah) and St. John's (Zap) Deaths (C. Eisenbeis)
- Peace (Beulah) and St. John's (Zap) Marriages (C. Eisenbeis)
- Peace (Beulah) and St. John's (Zap) Membership (C. Eisenbeis)
- Pembina County, Miscellaneous Church Records
- Prosper, Maple Sheyenne Lutheran Church, 1878-1953
- Traill County, Miscellaneous Church Records
- Wells County, Miscellaneous Church Records and Histories
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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