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 January, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Amorita, Amorita Cumberland Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1894-1942
- Atoka, Atoka Baptist Church Church Records, 1887-1938
- Bennington, Bennington Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1848-1880, 1912-1951; Index, 1848-1951
- Benson, Scrapbook of the Lakeview Church and Sunday School
- Blaine County Miscellaneous Records 1891-1929
- Boggy Depot, Ebenezer Baptist Church Church Records, 1871-1894
- Bryan County Inventory of the Church Archives
- Devol, First Baptist Church Church Records, 1908-1998
- Durant, Philadelphia Baptist Church Church Minutes, 1846-1954
- El Reno, Redeemer Evangelical Church Church Records, 1867-1946
- Enid, Central Christian Church Church Records, 1915-1968
- Enid, History of the First Baptist Church, 1894-1960
- Fletcher, Church of Christ Church Records, 1905-1921
- Fletcher, First Baptist Church Church Records, 1906-1936
- Fletcher, First Christian Church history
- Frederick, First Methodist Church Church Records, 1903-1983
- Grandfield, First Baptist Church Church Records, 1916-1966
- Granite, First Presbyterian Church Records, 1912-1948
- Guthrie, St. John’s Church Church Register, 1892-1924
- Heavener, First Baptist Church Church Records, 1912-1963
- Holdenville, Barnard Memorial United Methodist Church Church Registers, 1898-1961
- Indian Territory, Choctaw Nation, Blue County, Mt. Pleasant Mission and Church Records, ca. 1844-1946
- Lawton, Catholic Church. Blessed Sacrament Parish Registers, ca. 1902-1959
- Lawton, First Baptist Church Church Records, ca. 1899-1960
- Lawton, First Christian Church Church Records, 1908-1947
- Lawton, First Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1901-1965
- Lawton, First United Methodist Church Church Records, 1901-1960
- Le Flore County Ministers Credentials, 1903-1933
- Muskogee County Ordination of Ministers, 1895-1904
- Norman, McFarlin Memorial Methodist Church Church Records, ca. 1800-1940
- Nowata, United Methodist Church Church Records, 1920-1945
- Oklahoma City, Lone Star Baptist Church Minutes of Meetings, 1956-1970
- Oklahoma County Ministerial Credentials, 1927-1949
- Oklahoma, Church Marriages, 1852-1948
- Oklahoma, Church Records, 1897-1984
- Pottawatomie County Certificates of ordinations of ministers 1884-1946
- Rocky, Rocky Cumberland Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1903-1931
- Roger Mills County Minister’s credentials 1908-1972
- Rogers County, Oklahoma. District Court Minister’s license, 1897-1940
- Sapulpa, Ridgeway Baptist Church : directory and yearbook
- Snyder, First Presbyterian Church Session Minutes, 1918-1930
- St. Patrick’s Mission Catholic Church Baptismal Certificates, 1882-1962
- St. Patrick’s Mission Catholic Churches, Church Records, 1889-1974
- Tecumseh, Tecumseh Cumberland Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1910-1928
- Temple, First Baptist Church Church Records, 1900-1998
- Tulsa, Holy Family Parish, 1899-1924
- Wagoner, Riverside Cumberland Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1880-1906
- Wagoner, Wagoner Cumberland Presbyterian Church Church Records, 1894-1907
- Walters, First Baptist Church Church Records, 1902-1998
- Wilburton, First Baptist Church Church Minutes, 1907-1961
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Oklahoma Links, click on the category of interest:
