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)
- 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
- Lawton, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Church Records, 1901-1945
- 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
For other Free Oklahoma Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
