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Some help when researching church records:
* Don't overlook researching Church Meeting Minutes. While churches have kept a variety of records, some older ones are inconsistent, but most all churches held regular meetings, noting annual memberships lists, communicants, members being disciplined, etc.
Baptist Churches
Early on, there were no formal records maintained and those that do exist may not be helpful. These churches do not perform infant baptisms though they do have membership records. Other records available may be: date of departure (either by death or letter of recommendation), dates of baptisms (acceptance letters from other churches) and notes concerning discipline. Church records can be found at the local site and at state Baptist historical repositories. There is also a national repository - American Baptist Historical Society, 1106 S. Goodman Street, Rochester, NY, 14620-2532.
Episcopal Churches
(Church of England, earlier) - Parishes keep records of communicants, baptisms, confirmations, marriages and burials. There is no main records archives.
Lutheran and German Reformed Churches
Mainly German parishioners, Lutheran Churches have merged and formed the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Their archives are located in Illinois and you can write to them at: ELCA, 8765 West Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631 or by telephone (773) 380-2818. They accept research requests by mail & phone and some records are microfilmed which can be borrowed.
Methodist Churches
Early Methodist ministers were circuit riders who rode from community to community on horseback, performing baptisms, marriages and conducting funeral services. Due to the nature of this, early records are not well preserved. Through the 19th century, record keeping improved - records are generally found in the local churches. The major national repository for Methodist records is the Archives and History Center of the United Methodist Church, 36 Madison Avenue, Drew University, P.O. Box 127, NJ 07940.
Presbyterian Churches
One of the oldest denominations in this country and have kept good records from early on. The Presbyterian Historical Society - is the central repository for Presbyterian records. You can visit the following link for more information:
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The
Department of History and Records Management Services, |
Roman Catholic Church
Common records preserved are of communicants, baptisms, confirmations, marriages and burials. Parish addresses, listed by diocese, are published annually in the Official Catholic Directory. Some records have been deposited in archives - check Ancestry's, U.S. Catholic Sources: A Diocesan Research Guide.
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Copyright ©1999,2000 Jeanette Shiel
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Last updated Tuesday, 13-May-2008 13:24:52 PDT