Michigan Church Records

Online Resources

 * U.S., French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1695-1954, ($), index
 * at FamilySearch — index

Before 1900 the largest religious groups in Michigan were the Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic churches. Information about early churches, ministers, and circuits is in published histories of some of the churches of Michigan.

The availability of Michigan church records is described in the Summer 1973 issue of Family Trails (see the "Periodicals" section). Other inventories of the church archives of several denominations, such as the Protestant Episcopal and Evangelical, have been published and are at the Family History Library.

The Michigan Historical Records Survey, WPA, completed a series of denominational record lists called Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan. Check for these records in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

MICHIGAN - CHURCH RECORDS - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS.

The library also has copies of a few small collections of original Michigan church records. Some original manuscripts and published abstracts are also in the Bentley Historical Collection at the University of Michigan (seeMichigan Archives and Libraries for the address).

Many denominations have gathered their records into central repositories. You can write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located:

Baptist
Kalamazoo College Upjohn Library 1200 Academy Street Kalamazoo, MI 49006 Phone: (616) 337-7153 Fax: (616) 337-7143

Christian Reformed Church in North America
Calvin College Heritage Hall 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546-4402 Phone: 616.526.6313 fax: 616.526.7689 crcarchives@calvin.edu

Jewish

 * Michigan Jewish History

Lutheran
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA Archives) 8765 West Higgins Road Chicago, IL 60631-4198 Phone: (312) 380-2818 Fax: (312) -380-2977 E-mail Address: [mailto:archives@elca.org archives@elca.org] (Note: Please include a mailing address when using the E-mail address.)

The records of Evangelical Lutheran churches in the United States that have been disbanded are located at the ELCA Archives in Chicago. If a church is still active, they will be able to help you locate their records.

The ELCA Archives has records of many congregations and those on microfilm can be borrowed for a small fee. A list of church records in its collection is given in:

ALC Archives. ALC Congregations on Microfilm. Dubuque, Iowa: The Archives, [197-?]. .Arranged by state and city of congregation. Fiche 6330690 includes Michigan. The ALC Archives are now part of the ELCA Archives.

Methodist
Shipman Library Adrian College 110 South Madison Street Adrian, MI 49221 Phone: (517) 265-5161 Fax: (517) 264-3331

Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Detroit 1234 Washington Boulevard Detroit, MI 48226 Phone: (313) 237-5800 Fax: (313) 237-4642

The Archdiocese includes the counties of: Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Wayne.

Diocese of Gaylord 611 W. North Street Gaylord, MI 49735 Phone: (989) 732-5147

The diocese includes the counties of: Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Iosco, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon and Wexford.

Diocese of Grand Rapids 660 Burton Street S.E. Grand Rapids. MI 4950 Phone: (616) 243-0491 Fax: (616) 243-4910

The diocese includes the counties of: Ionia, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola and Ottawa.

Diocese of Kalamazoo 215 N. Westnedge Ave. Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Phone: (269) 349-8714

The diocese includes the counties of: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren.

Diocese of Lansing 300 West Ottawa Lansing, MI 48933 Phone: (517) 342-2440 Fax: (517) 343-2515

The diocese includes the counties of: Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Shiawassee and Washtenaw.

Diocese of Marquette 444 South Fourth Street P.O. Box 550 Marquette, MI 49855 Phone: (906) 225-1141 Fax: (906) 225-0437

The diocese includes the counties of: Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft.

Diocese of Saginaw 5800 Weiss Street Saginaw, MI 48603-2799 Phone: (517) 799-7910 Fax: (517) 797-6670

The diocese includes the counties of: Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac and Tuscola.

The Drouin Collection Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records, 1695-1954 ($) (Ancestry). This database only contains the French Catholic parish records from the United States in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Pennsylvania. It is the U.S. part of the U.S. and French-Canadian Drouin Collection. For more details see "The Drouin Collection: Six Databases"

The types of records include baptisms, marriages, and burials as well as confirmations, dispensations, censuses, statements of readmission to the church, and so on. They are written mainly in French, as well as English, Latin, and Italian.

For information concerning Catholic records, see:


 * Inventory of the Church Archives of Michigan, The Roman Catholic Church, Archdiocese of Detroit. Detroit, Michigan: Michigan Historical Records Survey, 1941.
 * The Diocese of Detroit : a paper read at the annual meeting of the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society, June 8, 1886 / by the Rev. Frank A. O'Brien.
 * Seasons of faith : a walk through the history of the Roman Catholic diocese of Marquette 1900-2000 / by Angela S. Johnson.
 * Living in joyful hope : a history of the Diocese of Lansing / George C. Michalek.
 * The Diocese of Marquette : convocation of priests.
 * These very stones cry out : stories on the history of the Diocese of Gaylord / Patrick T. Cawley, editor.
 * Diocese of Gaylord celebrates 25 years.
 * The Diocese of Marquette : fully alive in '95!
 * Golden jubilee : Diocese of Lansing, parish historical sketches / George C. Michalek.
 * Festival of faith : celebrating 50 years of faithful service in the Diocese of Lansing, 1937-1987.
 * Diocese of Lansing, 1937-1962.
 * Parish listings of the Diocese of Gaylord.
 * Directory for the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
 * Archdiocese of Detroit by Roman Godzak.

Emphasis on Swedish Settlement

 * Churches in Michigan

Timeline of Lansing, MI Church's
1836 – Biddle City plotted by brothers Jerry &amp; William Ford, located south of the Grand and Red Cedar Rivers. It consisted of 48 full blocks and 17 fractional ones. While lots were sold the plat was abandoned and the “city” ceased to exist.

1845 – First Methodist sermon preached at the log house of Joab Page.

1847 - Town of Michigan, Michigan established as the new state capital.

Catholic Church - The Mass was celebrated for the first time in the log home of Thomas and Eleanora Saier. Saiers later donated land on Chestnut Street for a church to be built which was begun in 1856.

1848 – Name changes to Lansing. The Methodists and Presbyterians held services in the School House, the former holding service in the morning and the later in the afternoon. 1848-50 Methodist services were held in the Representation Hall.

by 1849-11 churches existed: 1. First Methodist Church, Wall St., Rev. D.D. Gillett, pastor, (METHODIST) 2. Presbyterian Church, Washington Ave., Rev. C.S. Armstrong, pastor (PRESBYTERIAN) 3. Episcopalian Church, Washington Ave., Rev. H. B. Burges, rector (EPISCOPAL) 4. Free Will Baptist Church, Kalamazoo St., Rev. L. B. Potter, pastor (BAPTIST) 5. Second Methodist Church, Washington Ave., Rev. D.D. Gillett, pastor, (METHODIST) 6. Baptist Church, Capitol Ave., Rev. Charles Johnson, pastor (BAPTIST) 7. United Brethern in Christ’s Church, Capitol Ave. (BRETHERN) 8. Universalist Church, Grand St., (UNIVERSALIST) 9. Romas Catholic Church, erecting midtown) (ROMAN CATHOLIC) 10. German Lutheran Church, Filborn St., Rev. A. Buerkle, pastor (LUTHERAN) 11. German Methodist Church, Saginaw St., Rev. Adolph Hoffman, pastor (METHODIST)

1850 - June 1, - Lot 6, Block 96 on which the present church now stands was deeded to the First M.E. Church and subsequently to the Central M.E. Church.

1859 – First Baptist Church dedicated, corner of Washington Ave. &amp; Ionia St. Prior to construction services held at Franklin Street Tavern

1862 - The Central Methodist Episcopal Church was erected.

1863 - Universalist Church dedicated, corner of Grand &amp; Allegan.

1887 – First Presbyterian Church, corner of Allegan and Capitol Ave.

1894 - First Baptist Church, new construction

1904 - A new temporary Catholic Church and hall were built in 1904 on Walnut Street.

1911- Construction begun on Immaculate Conception of St. Mary’s on Seymour St.

1922 – Church of the Resurrection opened. (CATHOLIC)

1939 – St. Mary’s became the cathedral of the Lansing Diocese.