The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is December 2025)
Want to improve your newspaper research skills? Use the resources of the Newspaper Research Academy at Academy
Church records go far beyond baptisms, marriages, and burials. Many congregations — especially Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, Lutheran, Reformed, and early frontier churches — kept session minutes, membership rolls, and discipline records. These documents contain revealing details about residence, relationships, conversions, migrations, community disputes, moral expectations, and the everyday lives of members. For genealogists, these records provide context and evidence not found in civil documents, often naming individuals who appear nowhere else. This Quicksheet highlights what these church governance records include and how they can break open genealogical brick walls.
Download the Quicksheet PDF
To obtain a four-page Quicksheet PDF of this information, download it by clicking on the Download button below:
For all the previously published Quick Reference Guides, click on QuickSheets.
Genealogy QuickSheets – Frequently Asked Questions
- 100 Best Free Online Genealogy Websites
- Beyond the Search Engine: Using Google Databases for Genealogy Research
- 64 Genealogy Items to Collect from Your Home
- United States Genealogical and Historical Societies
- 24 Places Where You Can Find Your Ancestors Occupation
- 13 Types of Genealogical Information You Can Find in Old Yearbooks
- 16 Places Where You Can Find Genealogy and Family History Books
- Easy Cousin Relationship Chart