United States, Church Records Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States



What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of an index to selected records from various churches for the years 1764 to 1982. The states represented are Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

Record Content
The index generally lists:


 * Names of primary individuals
 * Religion
 * Event date and place

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Name
 * Identifying information such as event date and place.

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name: Fill in the requested information on the search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections, see the wiki article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. Use the information to search the actual church records.

Unable to Find your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records. If you know where your ancestor lived, check with the societies in that area.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals who may be part of your family.

Related Websites
Locating Church Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Illinois Church Records
 * Iowa Church Records
 * Kansas Church Records
 * Kentucky Church Records
 * Maryland Church Records
 * Ohio Church Records
 * Pennsylvania Church Records
 * Tennessee Church Records

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):