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):
- Alexandria, Catholic Church. St. Mary’s Church Records, 1882-1965
- Alexandria, First Methodist Church Church Records, 1867-1991
- Austin, First United Methodist Church Church Records, 1879-1919
- Belleriver, Catholic Church. St. Nicholas’ Church Records, 1870-1991
- Bernadotte Township, Bernadotte Lutheran Church File for Bernadotte Lutheran Church
- Brainerd, First Methodist Church, Marriages, 1873-1889
- Brighton Township, Brighton United Methodist Church File for Brighton Methodist Church
- Brighton Township, Swan Lake Lutheran Church Church Records, 1868-1989
- Brighton Township, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1900-1989
- Brighton Township, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church File for Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Courtland, Courtland Lutheran Church Church Records, 1921-1991
- Courtland, Courtland Lutheran Church File for St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Courtland, Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church File for Immanuel E. Lutheran Church
- Dakota County, Catholic Churches, Church Records Index Search
- Dalby Database, Church Records Search
- Douglas County, Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Oscar Lake Congregation Church Records, 1916-1982
- Early Minnesota Church Records, 1856-1913
- Ellsworth, Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Church and Cemetery Records, 1894-1982
- Essig, Evangelische Lutherische Zions Gemeinde Church Records, 1917-1957
- Greenfield, Salem Lutheran Church Record
- Holmes City Township, Trysil Lutheran Church Church Records, 1885-1949
- Holmes City, Apostle Lutheran Church Church Records, 1874-1981
- Hutchinson, Methodist Episcopal Church Church Records, 1878-1916
- Lafayette, Catholic Church. St. Gregory the Great File for St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church
- Lafayette, First Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, ca. 1825-1989
- Lafayette, First Evangelical Lutheran Church File for First Lutheran Church
- Lafayette, United Methodist Church Church Records, 1878-1989
- Lafayette, United Methodist Church Files for Clear Lake Lafayette Methodist, Lafayette United Methodist, and Lafayette Methodist churches
- Lincoln Township, Lincoln Baptist Church Church Records, 1866-1988
- Mankato, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1866-1989
- Millerville, Catholic Church. Seven Dolors Church Records, 1871-1996
- Minnesota, Church Records, 1798-1991
- Minnesota, Evangelical Association. Paynesville Circuit Records, 1918-1931
- Mower County, Methodist Episcopal Church. Cedar City Circuit Church Records, 1867-1899
- Nelson, Fahlun Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1871-1951
- Nelson, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Church Records, 1871-1945
- New Ulm, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1866-1990
- Nicollet Township, Hebron Methodist Episcopal Church File for Hebron Methodist Episcopal Church
- Nicollet, Catholic Church. St. Paul File for St. Paul’s Catholic
- Nicollet, Friedens Evangelical Church File for Friedens Church
- Nicollet, Nicollet Cemetery Association Cemetery and Church Records, 1898-1935
- Nicollet, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, 1869-1991
- Nicollet, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church File for Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
- Nicollet, Zion Evangelical Church File for Zion Evangelical Church
- Norseland, Norseland Lutheran Church Church Records, 1856-1990
- Norseland, Norseland Lutheran Church File for Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church
- North Mankato, Congregational Mission Church File for Swedish Congregational
- North Mankato, Methodist Episcopal Church File for Methodist Episcopal Church
- North Mankato, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church File for St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran
- Ottawa, Ottawa Methodist Church File for Ottawa Methodist Church
- Paynesville, Evangelical Association. Zion’s Circuit German Evangelical Church Records, 1861-1943
- Paynesville, Evangelical United Brethren Church Church Records, 1889-1923
- Paynesville, Grace United Methodist Church Church Records, 1869-1969
- Paynesville, Salem Evangelical Church Church Records 1940-1953
- Plato, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ Church Records, 1880-1990
- Rose City, First Swedish Baptist Church Church Records, 1914-1932
- St. Peter, Assembly of God File for Assembly of God
- St. Peter, Bethany Alliance Church File for Bethany Alliance
- St. Peter, Calvary Baptist Church File for Baptist Church
- St. Peter, Catholic Church. Immaculate Conception Files for St. Mary’s Catholic
- St. Peter, Catholic Church. St. Peter File for St. Peter’s Catholic
- St. Peter, Christian Church File for Christian Church
- St. Peter, Church of the Holy Communion Church publications, 1950-1958, 1977
- St. Peter, Church of the Holy Communion Church Records, 1854-1991
- St. Peter, Church of the Holy Communion File for Church of Holy Communion
- St. Peter, First Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of St. Peter; Trinity Lutheran Church File for Trinity Lutheran Church
- St. Peter, First Lutheran Church Church publications, 1917-1985
- St. Peter, First Lutheran Church Church Records, 1856-1991
- St. Peter, First Lutheran Church File for First Lutheran Church
- St. Peter, First Methodist Episcopal Church File for First Methodist Episcopal (St. Peter)
- St. Peter, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Church Records, ca. 1830-1991
- St. Peter, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church File for St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (St. Peter)
- St. Peter, Trinity Lutheran Church Church Records, ca. 1857-1989
- St. Peter, Union Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1857-1991
- Urbank, Catholic Church. Sacred Heart Church Records, 1903-1996
- Vernon Center, Grace Methodist Church Church Records, 1860-1960
- Waseca County, Church Records, 1870’s-1900
- West Newton Township, Catholic Church. St. George File for Church of St. George
- West Newton Township, West Newton Methodist Episcopal Church File for West Newton Methodist Episcopal
- Wright County, Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church, Records, Jan 1907 thru Jan 1998
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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