What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?

Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. Sometimes, you will only find a simple membership list. This outline will show the types of details which might be found in the best case scenario. Denominations following practices learned in Europe, where there are state churches (such as the Anglican/Episcopal, Catholic, and Lutheran), are more likely to have full records.

Baptisms
In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

Marriages
Marriage registers can give:

Burials
Burial registers may give:


 * Church membership records give the name of the person and the date and the place the list was made. They may also give the spouse’s name, the date of admission, and letters of admission or dismissals.


 * Minutes and historical narrative, for many denominations, intersperse the above records chronologically throughout, without placing them in separate registers.
 * Other records, less specifically genealogical, include congregational histories, church newspapers, donation lists, business meeting minutes, correspondence, Sunday School records, church cemetery records, and pastor's notes or memoirs.