(This page's most recent update is April 2025)
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 to the right of the name (in the Format column), then the collection’s 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.
South Dakota Church Records
- Belle Prairie Township, Beadle County, Immanuel Lutheran Church Records
- Eureka, Dreinigkeit Evangelical Lutheran Membership List
- Eureka, Evangelical Lutheran Births
- Eureka, Evangelical Lutheran Deaths
- Eureka, Evangelical Lutheran Marriages
- Eureka, Glückstal Reformed Births
- Eureka, Hoffnungstal Evangelical Lutheran Births
- Eureka, Hoffnungstal Evangelical Lutheran Confirmations
- Eureka, Hoffnungstal Evangelical Lutheran Deaths
- Eureka, Hoffnungstal Evangelical Lutheran Marriages
- Eureka, Hoffnungstal Evangelical Lutheran Membership List
- Fall River County, Church Records, 1870-1997
- Freeman, Reformed German Church, Church Records, 1838-1966
- Hutchinson County Church Records Germans from Russia Collection
- Isabel, Hope Reformed Church
- Java, Friedensgemeinde Births
- Java, Friedensgemeinde Confirmations
- Java, Friedensgemeinde Deaths
- Java, Friedensgemeinde Marriages
- Java, Friedensgemeinde Membership
- Java, Hoffnungstal Births
- Java, Hoffnungstal Confirmations
- Java, Hoffnungstal Deaths
- Java, Hoffnungstal Marriages
- Java, Hoffnungstal Membership
- Java, Kirchdoerfer Births
- Java, Kirchdoerfer Confirmations
- Java, Kirchdoerfer Deaths
- Java, Kirchdoerfer Marriages
- Java, St. Paul Births
- Java, St. Paul Confirmations
- Java, St. Paul Deaths
- Java, St. Paul Marriages
- Java, St. Paul Membership
- Jerauld County, Viola Methodist Episcopal Church, Miscellaneous Church Records
- Lawrence County, Church Vital Records, 1902-1949
- Lawrence County, Deadwood, Church Vital Records, 1877–1966
- Lodi, Methodist Episcopal Church Records, 1888
- Minnesota and Dakota, Church Records of Rev. Chr. Boettcher, Itinerant Preacher in 1879-1903
- Pennington County, Church Records, 1914–1952
- Plankinton, Methodist Episcopal Church Records, 1888
- Quaker Records: Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota Monthly Meetings
- Sioux Falls, Calvary Cathedral Church, Church Records 1878-1990, Index 1878-1976
- Sioux Falls, Church and Cemetery Records, 1894-1982
- Sioux Falls, Episcopal Church. Rosebud Mission Church Records, 1875-1993
- South Dakota Methodist Church Baptismal Records 1927-1977
- South Dakota, Church Records, 1868–1906
- South Dakota, Church Records, 1875-1993
- South Dakota, Miscellaneous Church and Cemetery Records
- Union County, Church Records, 1863–1983
- Union County, Le Roy Baptist Church, Church Records, 1871-1922
- White Lake, Methodist Episcopal Church Records, 1888
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!