Presbyterian Church in the United States

United States   Church Records   Presbyterian Church Records

Online Records

 * U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970, index and images, Ancestry.com, ($)
 * Miscellaneous Biographical Collection. Presbyterian Historical Society (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1967.
 * Presbyterian Ministers: A list of ministers and the churches they served.
 * Indian correspondence, 1830-1895; index, 1830-1895], includes correspondence and index from the Indian territories, sometimes called Presbyterian missionary correspondence.

History
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism, which traces its origins to Great Britain, particularly Scotland. Presbyterian churches derive their name from the presbyterian form of church government, which is governed by representative assemblies of elders. A great number of Reformed churches are organized this way, but the word Presbyterian, when capitalized, is often applied uniquely to churches that trace their roots to the Church of Scotland.

n the late 1600s, economic problems and religious persecution prompted many Scotch-Irish to migrate to America, and most settled in the Middle Colonies. Their numbers were augmented by Presbyterian migration from Puritan New England, and soon there were enough Presbyterians in America to organize congregations. Other members were of English and Welsh ancestry. The first ministers were recruited from Northern Ireland, including Francis Makemie, who is known as the "father of American Presbyterianism." While several Presbyterian churches had been established, they were not yet organized into presbyteries and synods.

In 1706, Makemie and seven other ministers established the first presbytery in North America, the Presbytery of Philadelphia. A long history of conflict and disagreement has produced many different Presbyterian denominations, explained in this chart. Source: Wikipedia

Presbyterian Religion Family Tree
This Presbyterian Religion Family Tree also diagrams the relationships of the various branches of the religion.

Baptisms
Can be for children or adults. Name, parents' names. Sometimes full families were baptized again. Often noted in membership lists rather than separate registers.

Marriages
May be in membership lists, congregation narratives, or separate registers:
 * bride and groom name
 * date and place
 * parents' names
 * residences
 * witnesses

Burials
May be in membership lists, baptism registers, session minutes, burial lists, or cemetery records.

Membership Lists
Names, possible wife's or husband's name, moving in or out dates, possibly former residence or where moving next.

Session Minutes
Can include baptism, marriage, death, discipline, church assignments, move-in/move-out notes.

Presbyterian Missionary Correspondence

 * Indian Correspondence, 1830-1895; index, 1830-1895.57 microfilm. FHL first film 906123
 * Indexes include Biography, Chronological and Tribal indexes.

Finding Aids

 * Hall's Index of American Presbyterian Congregations
 * Benedetto, Robert. Guide to the Manuscript Collections of the Presbyterian Church, USA. New York, New York: Greenwood Press, 1990. Book 973 A3ben. Indexed. WorldCat.

Writing to Local Churches
The many records are still held in the local churches. See the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters. This list represents some of the largest Presbyterian denominations. Also Google, using keyword "Churches near _____", inserting the name and state where your ancestors lived, to find churches not included in these address lists:
 * Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Find a Congregation
 * Presbyterian Church in America Church Directory
 * Cumberland Presbyterian Church Directory
 * Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (General Synod) Church Locations
 * Orthodox Presbyterian Church Locator
 * Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America
 * Bible Presbyterian Church Contact Information
 * Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America

Archives

 * Presbyterian Historical Society 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 Phone: (215) 627-1852 Fax: (215) 627-0509


 * Online Index for their collection. This includes a Congregation Vertical Files Index, a Biographical Vertical Files Index and Hall's Index of American Presbyterian Congregations.


 * Hall's Index of American Presbyterian Congregations
 * CALVIN: Online Catalog Search Engine

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 * Church Record Surveys
 * Genealogy Research Service
 * Southern Region
 * Presbyterian Church (USA) Dept. of History 318 Georgia Terrace Box 849 Montreat, NC 28757 Telephone: 704-669-7061 Fax: 704-669-5369
 * Website


 * Northern Region: Use Presbyterian Historical Society''' above.

C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives 701 S. COLUMBIA DR. DECATUR, GA 30030 Phone: 404-378-8821
 * Columbia Theological Seminary
 * Search Engine
 * Large collection of congregational records from southern states.