(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.
Mississippi Church Records
- Amite County, Ebenezer Baptist Church Minutes 1806-1901
- Columbus, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Church Minutes and Membership Rolls, 1843-1965
- Como, Methodist Episcopal Church, South, The Complete Church Register, 1871-1953
- Crawford, Bethesda Baptist Church History
- Dixon, Mount Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1897-1915
- Grenada County, Emery Methodist Church, Church Register of Members, 1786-1922
- Grenada, Grenada Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1891-1896
- Hernando, Hernando Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1874-1894
- Hinds County Churches, Miscellaneous Church Records
- Hinds County, Bethesda Baptist Church, Miscellaneous Church Records
- Hinds County, Spring Ridge United Methodist Church, Miscellaneous Records
- Hinds County, Bethesda Baptist Church Minutes of Meetings and Lists of Members, 1846-1937
- Jackson, Liberty Baptist Church, Church Records, 1840-1957
- Jefferson County, Salem Baptist Church Minutes of Meetings and Lists of Members, 1815-1834
- Lexington, Lexington Presbyterian Church Records, 1834-1872
- Lexington, Presbyterian Church, Church Records
- Louisville, First Baptist Church, Church Records, 1835-1853
- Louisville, History of the Louisville Baptist Association, 1840 to 1882
- Lowndes County, Church Histories and Records
- Mashulaville, A Short Historical Record of (Elim) Baptist Church, 1835-1960
- Meridian, Fellowship Baptist Church, Church Minutes, 1838-1898, 1906
- Mississippi, Church Records, 1910-1919
- Mississippi, A Complete History of Mississippi Baptists from the Earliest Times
- Mississippi, Inventory of the Church and Synagogue Archives of Jewish Congregations and Organizations
- Mississippi, Journal of Mississippi Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
- Mississippi: Protestant Episcopal Church Inventory of the Church Archives
- New Bethany, New Bethany Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1882-1951
- Oktibbeha County, Vernon Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Church Records
- Olive Branch, Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Church Records, 1858-1880
- Sandy Creek, Lawrence County, Bethany Baptist History 1819-1832
- Sandy Creek, Lawrence County, Bethany Baptist History 1832-1848
- Starkville, First Presbyterian Church Records, 1882-1999
- Starkville, First United Methodist Church Records, 1864-2001
- Starkville, The Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Records, 1936-1982
- Starkville, United Methodist Church, History and Records, 1867-1971
- Summit, Mars Hill Baptist Church, Church Minutes, 1855-1949
- Union County, Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Minutes: 1843-1857
- Wayne County Church Histories and Records
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!