(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.
Kansas Church Records
- Alma, Catholic Church. Holy Family Church Records, 1899-1965
- Alma, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Church Records, 1864-1966
- Arkansas City, Society of Friends, Bible and Family Records
- Atchison County, St. Patrick’s Parish, Church Records
- Atchison, Kansas Territory, Bible Records, Early Marriages
- Baxter Springs, First Methodist Episcopal Church Records 1894 to 1905
- Easton, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Church Records, 1880-1992
- Esbon, Church of Christ Church Register and Record
- Fort Scott, History of the First Presbyterian Church together with a Complete List of Communicants
- Garden City, First United Methodist Church, History, 1882-1982
- Garden City, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Beloit, 100th Anniversary, 1886-1986
- Hays, St. Joseph’s Parish, Register, 1890-1900 and 1900-1910
- Hillsboro, Bruderthal Mennonite Church, Church Records, 1875-1960
- Hodgeman County, Church Records
- Ionia, Jewell County, United Brethren Church, 1911-1942
- Jackson County, Carmel Church, Members and Minutes
- Johnson, Mission Hills, First Lutheran Church, Records, 1870-1892
- Kansas Territory, Anderson County, Records of the Congregational Church of Mt. Gilead
- Kansas, Births and Baptisms, 1811-1940
- Kansas, Births and Christenings, 1818-1936
- Kansas, Church Records, 1826-1992
- Kansas, Swedish Church Records, 1861-1918
- Kansas, Swedish Church Records, 1863-1914
- Kickapoo City, Kickapoo Mission and Parish, History
- La Crosse, Church of United Brethren in Christ, 1851-1978
- La Crosse, First Methodist Church, 1903-1978
- La Crosse, German Methodist Church, 1809-1934
- La Crosse, Methodist Church 1937-1971
- La Crosse, Nekoma Methodist Church, 1913-1962
- La Crosse, Rush Center Methodist Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1878-1970
- Leavenworth, First Baptist Church, Church Records, 1858-1947
- Leon, Methodist Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1886-1896
- Lindsborg, Bethany Lutheran Church, Church Records, 1869-1985
- Marysville, Evangelical Church of Marysville Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, Communion & Collections, 1907-1930
- McPherson, Lindsborg, Bethany Lutheran Church, Records, 1869-1899
- McPherson, Marquette, Elim Lutheran Church, Records, 1878-1909
- McPherson, McPherson, Trinity Lutheran Church, Records, 1881-1901
- Osawatomie, First Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1892-1964
- Osborne County, Beulah Methodist Episcopal Church, Records
- Osborne County, Miscellaneous Church Records, 1870-2011
- Pawnee County, Immanuel Baptist Church Members
- Pleasanton, First Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1869-1900
- Riley County, Record of Pastors and Members Covering Years from Beginning to 1900
- Saline, Smolan, Salemsborg Lutheran Church, Records, 1869-1889
- Shawnee, Topeka, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Records, 1870-1918
- Stolzenbach, German Evangelical Lutheran Church, Church Register, 1889-1927
- Topeka, St. John’s Lutheran Church Confirmanden-Register (Confirmation Register) from 18 July 1880 to 24 August 1930
- Topeka, St. John’s Lutheran Church Tauf-Register (Baptismal Register) from 10 August 1879 to 20 August 1930
- Topeka, St. John’s Lutheran Church Todten-Register (Death Register) from 28 December 1879 to 25 August 1930
- Topeka, St. John’s Lutheran Church Trau-Register (Marriage Register) from 1 December 1879 to 23 August 1930
- Topeka, St. Paul’s Church Parish Registers, 1888-1925
- Victoria, St. Fidelis Parish, Register of Deaths, 1876-1951
- Victoria, St. Fidelis Parish, Register, 1900-1913
- Victoria, St. Fidelis Parish, Register, 1924-1937
- Wichita, First Baptist Church, Membership Records 1880-1894
- Wichita, First Methodist Church, Church Record 1884-1890
- Wichita, First Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1890-1900
- Wichita, St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Records, Members, Probationers, Baptisms, Marriages,1887-1900
- Wilson, Catholic Church. St. Wenceslaus, Cemetery and Funeral Records
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!