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-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 for the state are below:
Note: Some of the 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, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
(Updated August 2022)
- Alexandria, Catholic Church. St. Mary’s Church Records, 1882-1965
- Alexandria, First Methodist Church, Church Records, 1867-1991
- Atwater, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Centennial 1868-1968
- Austin, First United Methodist Church, Church Records, 1879-1919
- Belgrade, History of Crow River Lutheran Church, 1861-1961
- 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 File for Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Brighton Township, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Church Records, 1900-1989
- Burbank Township, Kandiyohi County, Gausdal Lutheran Church, 1891-1951
- Church Records of Rev. Chr. Boettcher, itinerant preacher in Minnesota and Dakota, 1879-1903
- Courtland, Courtland Lutheran Church File for St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Courtland, Courtland Lutheran Church, Church Records, 1921-1991
- Courtland, Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church File for Immanuel E. Lutheran Church
- Crow Wing County, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church of Baxter Congregation, History. Minutes, Books of Ministerial Acts
- 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 File for First Lutheran Church
- Lafayette, First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Church Records, ca. 1825-1989
- Lafayette, United Methodist Church Files for Clear Lake Lafayette Methodist, Lafayette United Methodist, and Lafayette Methodist Churches
- Lafayette, United Methodist Church, Church Records, 1878-1989
- 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 Births and Christenings, 1840–1980
- Minnesota, Church Records, 1798-1991
- Minnesota, Evangelical Association. Paynesville Circuit Records, 1918-1931
- Minnesota, Guide to Church Vital Statistics Records, Baptisms, Marriages, Funerals
- 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 File for Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
- Nicollet, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Church Records, 1869-1991
- Nicollet, Zion Evangelical Church File for Zion Evangelical Church
- Norseland, Norseland Lutheran Church File for Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Norseland, Norseland Lutheran Church, Church Records, 1856-1990
- 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, Grace United Methodist Church, 1889-1964
- 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
- Pennington County, Miscellaneous Church Records
- Pipestone and Rock Counties, The Eden Church, Records
- Plato, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ Church Records, 1880-1990
- Quaker Records, Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota Monthly Meetings
- Rose City, First Swedish Baptist Church, Church Records, 1914-1932
- St. Paul, Payne Avenue Baptist Church, History
- 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 File for First Lutheran Church
- St. Peter, First Lutheran Church, Church publications, 1917-1985
- St. Peter, First Lutheran Church, Church Records, 1856-1991
- St. Peter, First Methodist Episcopal Church File for First Methodist Episcopal (St. Peter)
- St. Peter, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church File for St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (St. Peter)
- St. Peter, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Church Records, ca. 1830-1991
- St. Peter, Trinity Lutheran Church, Church Records, ca. 1857-1989
- St. Peter, Union Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1857-1991
- Swedish Baptist Conference of Minnesota. Historiska Kommitte.́Svenska baptisternas i Minnesota historia : från 1850-talet till 1918
- 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!
For all Free Minnesota Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Criminal Records
Coroner Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
Research Toolkit
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
For all Free Minnesota Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Criminal Records
Coroner Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
Research Toolkit
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
