Church Records

Churches often kept records well before states were required to, and may be one of the best sources for vital records. Though some are available online, they are generally still kept by the parishes themselves and must be requested.

One of the first steps to uncovering these records is to determine which religion or denomination, if any, your ancestor was affiliated with, and if possible which church your ancestor attended.

Look at their location:
- What churches were in the area closest to where they lived at the time? if there was only one church in the town where they lived, your ancestor’s may have attended even if it was a slightly different denomination.
- What was the dominant religion in the area? Often the area the family lived in dictated which church they were affiliated with, not only because people didn’t travel far in earlier times but because they tended to live near neighbors with similar beliefs and backgrounds.
Check any sources and vital records you have for signs of religious affiliation, not just for them but for family members - if a sister was buried in a Protestant cemetery or a brother was married in a Catholic church, your ancestor may have been as well.
- Marriage Records: If you have your ancestor’s marriage certificate it may tell you what religious denomination they belonged to, or even what parish they were married in (you should know couple were usually married in the church of the bride’s family). It may just list the priest’s name, which you can research through city directories. Try researching the marriage of siblings, especially that of the bride, to find the family’s church.
- Death Records: If you already have your ancestor’s death certificate or other record, it may show you which cemetery they are buried in or the name of the funeral home (which you can then search for the officiant). Often obituaries may list their church as well.
- Other documents: may show religious affiliation, such as naturalization records or census records.
Could their ethnicity or country of origin tell you any clues? Or did they leave their country for religious freedom? Research the history of the time and places of your ancestors.
Home Sources and Family Traditions: do you have any photographs of your ancestors, dressed in their best, holding any religious artifacts or books, or standing in front of a church? Maybe a first communion picture, or a wedding photograph? Does your family have certain traditions that were passed down that have a religious background?

Keep in mind one’s church was not permanent: people may have changed religions as they grew older, when they moved, or after certain life events like marriage. An ancestor, like you, was probably baptized in a different church (and possibly a different religion) than the one they were married in.

It’s also possible the records have been destroyed or lost, or that your ancestor never attended church. If you cannot find records, update your research notes so you don’t repeat your efforts and move on (you may find a clue later that will help you).

Types of Church Records & Sources

Admission records, Letters of Transfer, Dismissal Records
Baptism or Christening Certificates and Records
Bar or Bat Mitzvah Records
Church meeting notes, minutes, newspapers, or bulletins
Church Record Surveys
Church-owned Orphanage Records
Death Records and Burial Records
Home Sources: Family Bibles, baptism certificates, wedding certificates, newspaper clippings, church anniversary celebrations, prayer cards, photographs
.Marriage Certificate or Records, Marriage Banns
Membership Rosters, Admissions, Removals
Missionary Reports, Papers, and Records
Other sacraments: Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Last Rites
School records (for church-affiliated schools), Sunday School Lists

Note: some older records may be in a different language. For example, older Roman Catholic records may be written in Latin, and may even use the Latin form of names.

How to Find Church Records

Contact their church: if you know of your ancestor’s specific church, and it is still in existence, contact them - either through their website or email, or ask to make an in-person appointment. A small donation in exchange for their assistance would be welcomed. If that specific church is no longer around, try to find out where their records are kept now. If you’re not sure which parish your ancestors attended (if any) reach out to a few different ones in their area.
Reach out to Administrative Offices, Head Office, or Archives of the local religious group: If the original church is no longer standing or is unknown, the head of the church or religious group in the area could be of assistance. Within the Catholic church, this would mean contacting the local archdiocese.
Research the history of the church or religious group. Basic internet searches can turn up websites with historical information. Use social media: Facebook groups are a great resource for people sharing old photographs and stories.
Contact local historical societies and museums: They may have a collection of local church histories in their libraries or archives.
Find church records in periodicals: PERSI (Periodical Source Index) to help you find periodicals that have published church records from 1847 to present. Index available to search in Findmypast.com
Utilize libraries: Both college and public libraries have collections of church records available to the public, with indexed online catalogs. There are also many books available written about church and local histories.
Search online databases and record collections:
- Ancestry.com - the “Church Records & Histories” card catalog is located under “Directories and Member Lists”, which you can narrow down by location and time frame, and then browse or search specific record collections. There are some examples in the links below.
- AmericanAncestors.org - includes in their collections a lot of early New England records, as well as many Catholic records. Some examples linked below.
- Google Books, Internet Archive, and HathiDigital Trust - all may carry free copies of historical church record books or meeting notes, or town histories with church information.
- FamilySearch.org - Click on “Search”, then “Catalog” and look up the location your ancestor lived in. Scroll down to the Church Records, choose a collection, and search or browse. Not all collections are available online - if you see a camera icon you can browse the images. If there is a camera icon with a key above it, you may only view the collection from a Family History Library.