By 1900 the prominent denominations in Ohio were Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Presbyterian. There were also groups of Baptists, Lutherans, and Society of Friends. The following handbooks may help you locate and use church records:

Gill, Charles Otis, and Gifford Pinchot. Six Thousand Country Churches. New York, Macmillan, 1919. (FHL book 977.1 K2g; film 908228 item 2.)

Lubbers, Ferne Reedy, and Margaret Dieringer. Advent of Religious Groups into Ohio. N.p., 1978. (FHL book 977.1 K2a; film 1033939 item 21.)

While the majority of church records remain with the local churches, the Family History Library, Ohio Historical Society, and Western Reserve Historical Society have copies of local records from some churches. The Family History Library has film copies of the manuscript collection in the Western Reserve Historical Society. See A Guide to Manuscripts at the Ohio Historical Society, described in the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline.

Many of the local church records available at the Family History Library have been microfilmed at various archives and libraries. Whenever possible, these are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under OHIO, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - CHURCH RECORDS. While no listing of Family History Library films by repository is available, the Family History Library Catalog identifies when and where each record was microfilmed.

Denominational histories for groups such as the Church of the Brethren, Evangelical, LDS (1830 to 1838), Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist, Moravian, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under OHIO - CHURCH HISTORY and OHIO, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - CHURCH HISTORY.

Lists of incorporations of churches before 1850 are included in:

Data Abstracted from the Laws of Ohio, 1803-1900. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1960. (FHL film 223918.)

Locating Church Records

Local church records are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under OHIO, [COUNTY] - CHURCH RECORDS or OHIO, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - CHURCH RECORDS.

Statewide or regional records are listed under OHIO - CHURCH RECORDS. An example is:

Shaker Membership Card Index. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1974. (FHL films 934620-23.)

Periodicals have published records of many Ohio churches. These are referenced in the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) described in the "Periodicals" section of this outline.

You may contact the following to learn where their records are located:

Baptist

North American Baptist
General Conference
7308 Madison Street
Forest Park, IL 60130

To learn more about Baptist records, see:

Eltscher, Susan M., comp. The Records of American Baptists in Ohio, and Related Organizations. Rochester, N.Y.: American Baptist Historical Society, 1981. (FHL book 977.1 A1 no. 239; fiche 6088732.) Cover title: A Basic Guide to Regional Baptist Archives and Historical Resources for Ohio: Baptist Archives and Records Survey.

Lutheran

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
8765 West Higgins Road
Chicago, IL 60631-4198
Telephone: 773-380-2818

If a church is still active, the church will be able to help locate the records. The records of churches in the United States that have been disbanded are located at the ELCA Archives in Chicago. The archives has records of many congregations, and those on microfilm may be borrowed for a small fee. A partial list of church records in its collection is listed in:

ALC Archives. ALC Congregations on Microfilm. Dubuque, Iowa: The Archives, [197?]. (FHL fiche 6330690-93.) Arranged by the state and city in which the congregation resides. Fiche 6330692 includes Ohio. The ALC (American Lutheran Church) Archives are now part of the ELCA Archives.

Methodist

Methodist Historical Commission
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH 43015

United Methodist Church
601 W. Riverview Avenue
Dayton, OH 45406

For additional help in locating Methodist records, see:

Harter, Frances D. Guide to the Manuscript Collection of Early Ohio Methodism: United Methodist Church of Ohio. Delaware, Ohio: United Methodist Archives Center, 1980. (FHL book 977.1 K23h; fiche 6017063.)

For information on Methodist ministers in Ohio, see:

United Methodist Archives (Ohio). Methodist Ministers Card Index: All Ohio Conferences, 1797-1981. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Historical Society, 1982. (FHL film 1292563-66.)

Presbyterian

Presbyterian Historical Society
425 Lombard Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516
Telephone: 215-627-1852

The Family History Library has numerous records of local churches in Ohio. They were microfilmed at the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also filmed there is:

Shane Manuscript Collection. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966-1967. (On 36 FHL films beginning with 498614.) The collection includes papers of some Ohio Presbyterian churches and ministers.

For inventories of Presbyterian churches and their records, see:

Historical Records Survey (Ohio). Inventory of the Church Archives of Ohio Presbyterian Churches. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972. (FHL films 854488, 899320-22.) Inventories are arranged alphabetically by county. Volume one includes indexes by place names, church names, and date of organization. Information was collected about the records, history, buildings, and clergymen.

Historical Records Survey (Ohio). Inventory of the Church Archives of Ohio Presbyterian Churches. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1967. (FHL films 506375-80.) This may contain information that is not included in the previous inventory. Records are listed alphabetically by counties.

Roman Catholic

Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Chancery
100 E. Eighth Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Telephone: 513-421-3131
Fax: 513-421-6225

Diocese of Columbus
Chancery Office
198 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Telephone: 614-224-2251
614-224-8718 (Sat., Sun., and after hours)
Fax: 614-224-6306

Diocese of Cleveland
Chancery Building
1027 Superior Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44114
Telephone: 216-696-6525
800-869-6525 (Ohio only)
Fax: 216-621-7332

Diocese of Steubenville
422 Washington Street
P.O. Box 969
Steubenville, OH 43952
Telephone: 614-282-3631
Fax: 614-282-3327

Diocese of Toledo
Chancery
P.O. Box 985
Toledo, OH 43697-0985
Telephone: 419-244-6711
Fax: 419-244-4791

Diocese of Youngstown
Chancery Office
144 West Wood Street
Youngstown, OH 44503
Telephone: 216-744-8451
Fax: 216-744-8451/744-2848

Society of Friends

Ohio Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends
Olney Friends School
61830 Sandy Ridge Road
Barnesville, OH 43713
Telephone: 614-425-3655
Fax: 614-425-3202

Evangelical Friends Church, Eastern Division
5350 Broadmoor Circle, N.W.
Canton, OH 44709
Telephone: 330-493-1660
Fax: 330-493-0852

The Family History Library has microfilm copies of the Quaker records from Wilmington College, Wilmington, Ohio and from the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

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