(This page's most recent update is September 2024)
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Another underutilized genealogy resource is Church Records. We tend to focus our research on civil records but need to be aware that often church records pre-date 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 short list 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 for the state are below:
Note: Some links listed 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. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Florida Church Records
- Alachua County, Bible, Church, and Family Records, 1956
- Buena Vista, Holy Cross Church, Church Records, 1925-1965
- Callahan, First Baptist Church, Church Minutes, 1841-1943
- Columbia County, New River Baptist Church Minutes of Meetings and Lists of Members, 1899-1974; Church History, 1833-1912
- Coral Gables, St. Phillip’s Church, Church Records, 1948-1991
- Cypress, Cypress Baptist Church Minutes of Meetings and Lists of Members, 1888-1965
- Florida and Alabama Church, Cemetery and Bible Records
- Florida Bible and Church Records, 1948
- Florida Church Archives Inventory
- Florida Church, Cemetery and Bible Records, 1952
- Florida, Births and Christenings, 1880-1935
- Florida, Church Records, 1834-1997
- Florida, Christ Church, Pensacola Records of the Parish 1851
- Florida, Church and Family Records, 1947
- Florida, St. Augustine Parish, Roman Catholic Records, White Baptisms, 1784-1799
- Fort Lauderdale, All Saint’s Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1925-1991
- Fort Lauderdale, St. Mark’s Church, Church Records, 1954-1991
- Fort White, Columbia County, “OLD” Elim Baptist Church Records
- Hawthorne Village, Alachua County, First Baptist Church, Records
- Hawthorne, First Baptist Church, Church Records, 1853-1959
- Hollywood, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1926-1991
- Inverness, Inverness Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1891-1941
- Jacksonville, Immaculate Conception Church, Baptismal Records
- Jacksonville, Baptismal Records of Immaculate Conception Church
- Key West, Holy Innocent’s Church, Church Records, 1901-1916
- Key West, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1876-1894
- Key West, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1734-1882
- Lake Helen, Blake Memorial Baptist Church, Church Minutes, 1891-1951
- Lake Worth, Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1889-1991
- Lake Worth, St. Andrew’s Church Parish Registers, 1914-1991
- Lakeland, First Baptist Church, Church Minutes and Memberships, 1897-1963
- Leesburg, History of the Morrison Memorial Methodist Church, 1857-1957: Record of Pastors, 1858-1957
- Leesburg, Records of St. James Episcopal Church from 1877 to 1953
- Leesburg, Records of the First Presbyterian Church from 1869 to 1943 and 1949 to 1956
- Madison County, Concord Baptist Church, Church Minutes, 1841-1868
- Madison County, Concord Missionary Baptist Church Minute Book 1841-1868, Index
- Miami Methodist Episcopal Church South, Church Records
- Miami Springs, All Angels Episcopal Church Parish Registers, 1979-1991
- Miami, Christ Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1910-1991
- Miami, St. Agnes Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1906-1963
- Miami, Todos Los Santos Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1973-1991
- Miami, Trinity Cathedral Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1888-1945
- Miami, Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church Records of Marriages, Infant Baptisms and Deaths from 1896-1920:
- St. Augustine Historical Society Church Records
- St. Petersburg, Pinellas County Records, Vol. 2: (Church, Marriage, Bible, Cemetery, etc.)
- Tallahassee, St. John’s Episcopal Church Records
- Tallahassee, St. John’s Episcopal Church Parochial Records 1832-1880
- Tampa, El Bethel Baptist Church, Church Records, 1902-1971
- Tampa, First Methodist Church Records 1901-1916
- Tampa, Lewis Memorial Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1924-1941
- West Palm Beach, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1891-1991
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!