North Carolina Church Records

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Historical Background
Major religious denominations were established in North Carolina in the following years: Society of Friends (Quakers) (1672), Anglican/Episcopal (1700), Baptist (1727), Presbyterian (1730), Lutheran (1740), Moravian (1753), and Methodist (1772). The Baptist church was dominant by 1860 and remains so today.

Information Found in the Records
To effectively use church records, become familiar with their content. Click on these links to learn about a specific record type:

Look for online records.
'''Ancestry.com, FindMyPast.com, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local family history center or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

FamilySearch Indexes

 * , index.
 * Index only
 * Index only.
 * Index only.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

 * North Carolina, L.D.S. baptisms card index, 1843-1925.

Quakers (Society of Friends

 * Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Vol. I: (North Carolina Yearly Meeting)

Look for digital copies of church records listed in the FamilySearch Catalog.

 * The Family History Library (FHL) has a substantial collection of original church records and transcripts on microfilm for churches in the United States.
 * Online church records can be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under the state, county, or town.
 * If you find a record that has not yet been digitized, see How do I request that a microfilm be digitized?
 * Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a Family History Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations.
 * To find records:
 * a. Click on the records of United States, North Carolina.
 * b. Click on Places within United States, North Carolina and a list of counties will appear.
 * c. Click on your county if it appears.
 * d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Click on Places within United States, North Carolina [COUNTY] and a list of towns will appear.
 * f. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
 * g. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * h. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

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Consult available finding aids.
These aids generally provide lists of records that are known to exist and information on their location.

Correspond with or visit the actual churches.
Some records are still held in the local churches. Contact the current minister to find out what records are still available.
 * Make an appointment to look at the records. Or ask the minister of the church to make a copy of the record for you.
 * To find church staff available, you might have to visit on Sunday.
 * Ask for small searches at a time, such as one birth record or a specific marriage. Never ask for "everything on a family or surname".
 * A donation ($25-$40) for their time and effort to help you would be appropriate.
 * If the church has a website, you may be able to e-mail a message.
 * See the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.
 * Each denomination page offers an online address directory of local churches for that denomination.

Check the church records collections in archives and libraries.
Some church records have been deposited for preservation in government archives or in libraries. Watch for links to digitized, online records offered by the archives. Some archives provide research services for a fee. For others, if you cannot visit in person, you might hire a researcher. '''Here you will find archive information unique to the state. Many more archives are kept by denomination. For denominational archives, go to  Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

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Baptist
Baptist Historical Collection Special Collections Z. Smith Reynolds Library Wake Forest University P.O. Box 7777 Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7777 Telephone: 336-758-5089 Fax: 336-758-5605
 * Browse by Church
 * Digitized Collections

Free Will Baptist Historical Collection Moye Library Mount Olive College 634 Henderson St. Mount Olive, NC 28365-1699 Telephone: 919-658-7827 Toll Free: 1-800-653-0854 Fax: 919-658-8934
 * Library Search Engine

The Primitive Baptist Library 4057 N NC Highway 87 Elon, NC 27244

Library Contact Information:

Phillip Glenn Berry

Phone: 336-484-5503

E-mail: [mailto:familyproviders@live.com familyproviders@live.com] (An appointment should be made before visiting.)

For a history of the Baptist churches, see:


 * Paschal, George Washington. History of the North Carolina Baptists. 2 vols. Raleigh, North Carolina: North Carolina Baptist State Convention, 1930–55. 975.6 K2p. There are useful chapters in these volumes concerning the various Baptist associations and groups from the 1600s to about 1860. Mention is made of the various ministers.

There are several inventories that describe the churches and records of Southern Baptist associations, such as:


 * Alleghany Association Book 975.6 K2ha; Film 1320847 item 11
 * Brunswick Association Film 1036844 item 28
 * Central Association Book 975.6 K2hc; Film 1320847 item 4
 * Flat River Association Book 975.6 K2hf; Film 1320847 item 1
 * Raleigh Association Book 975.6 K2hr; Film 1320847 item 5
 * Yancey Association Book 975.6 K2hy; Film 1320847 item 3

A two-volume collection of biographies is:


 * Hamby, Robert P. Brief Baptist Biographies, 1707–1982. 2 vols. Greenville, S.C.: A Press, 1982. 975.6 K2h. The Family History Library has volume 2 only.
 * The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research has an article "Some Baptist Ministers of South Carolina at the Turn of the Century" which is an 1899 directory of Baptist ministers. It lists biographical details about many ministers born or serving in the state.
 * The Ministerial Directory of the Baptist Churches in the United States of America. Oxford, Ohio: Ministerial Directory Co., 1899. Digital version at Google Books.

Church of England (Anglican, Episcopal)
Diocese of North Carolina 200 West Morgan Street Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27619

Telephone: 919-834-7474 or 1-800-448-8775 Fax: 919-834-7546

Diocese of Western North Carolina 900-B Central Park Drive Asheville, NC 28805

Telephone: 828-225-6656 Fax 828-225-6657 E-mail: [mailto:bishop@diocesewnc.org bishop@diocesewnc.org]

Diocese of East Carolina 705 Doctors Drive P. O. Box 1336 Kingston, NC 28503

Telephone: 252-522-0885 Fax 252-532-5272 E-mail: [mailto:diocese@diocese-eastcarolina.org diocese@diocese-eastcarolina.org]

For a history, see:


 * London, Lawrence Foushee and Sarah McCulloh Lemmon. The Episcopal Church in North Carolina, 1701-1959. Raleigh, N.C.: The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, 1987..

To learn more about the origins of Church of England ministers sent to North Carolina from England during the colonial period, start with these books:


 * Fothergill, Gerald. A List of Emigrant Ministers to America, 1690-1811. London: E. Stock, 1904. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books; Internet Archive, 1965 reprint:
 * Weis, Frederick Lewis. The Colonial Clergy of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Boston, Mass.: Society of the Descendants of Colonial Clergy, 1955. ; digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Society of the Descendants of the Colonial Clergy points researchers to many valuable resources.

Church of England ministers sent to North Carolina were often educated at the English universities of Cambridge and Oxford. The website Expert Links: English Family History and Genealogy contains links to many of these university's records available online under the "Occupations" section.

The Clergy of the Church of England website (work in progress) also contains details of many of their ministerial careers before departing for America.

Disciples of Christ
Discipliana Collections Barton College Wilson, NC 27893

Telephone: 252-399-6352 Toll Free: 1-800-345-4973 (Call for an appointment.)

Lutheran
Archives, North Carolina Synod Lutheran Church in America 1988 Lutheran Synod Dr. Salisbury, NC 28144-5700

Telephone: 704-633-4861 Fax: 704-638-0508

For historical background information, see:


 * Bernheim, Gotthardt Dellmann, and George H. Cox. The History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Ministerium of North Carolina: In Commemoration of the Completion of the First Century of Its Existence. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.: Published for the Synod by the Lutheran Publication Society, 1902. 975.6 K2b. The history of the various congregations is discussed. The ministers to about 1900 are listed with the dates when they served.

Methodist
United Methodist Church Archives P.O. Box 127 Drew University 36 Madison Ave. Madison, NJ 07940-3189

Telephone: 973-408-3189 Fax: 973-408-3909 E-mail: [mailto:research@gcah.org research@gcah.org]

Records of the Methodist Episcopal Church are at this archive. Searches are limited to obituaries of ordained clergy and can be conducted for a non-refundable fee.

Western N.C. Conference Archives 3400 Shamrock Drive P. O. Box 18005 Charlotte, NC 28218

Telephone: 704-535-2260, ext. 44

Eastern North Carolina Conference Archives Methodist Building 1307 Glenwood Ave. P.O. Box 10955 Raleigh, NC 27605

Telephone: 919-832-9560 E-mail: [mailto:archives_history@ncc.org archives_history@ncc.org]

Southern North Carolina Conference Archives Heritage Center 710 N. Lakeshore Dr. Lake Junaluska, NC 28745

Telephone: 828-452-2881

Mailing address: Southern North Carolina Conference Archives P. O. Box 1165 Lake Junaluska, NC 28745

Moravian
Moravian Archives 457 South Church Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Telephone: 336-722-1742 E-mail: [mailto:moravianarchives@mcsp.org moravianarchives@mcsp.org]

An extensive set of books about the Moravians in North Carolina is:


 * Records of the Moravians in North Carolina, 1752–1879. 11 vols. Raleigh, North Carolina: Edwards &amp; Broughton, 1922–1969. Book 975.6 F2m; Films 1321198 and 1321210–1321211. Each volume is indexed.
 * Clewell, John Henry. History of Wachovia in North Carolina; the Unitas Fratrum or Moravian Church in North Carolina During a Century and a Half, 1752-1902. New York: Doubleday, Page and Company, 1902. Digital version at Internet Archive.

Presbyterian
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Presbyterian Historical Society 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 Telephone: 215-627-1852 Fax: 215-627-0509 Send queries to: [mailto:refdesk@history.pcusa.org refdesk@history.pcusa.org]

Roman Catholic
Two Roman Catholic Dioceses serve North Carolina:

The Diocese of Raleigh serves the following North Carolina counties: Alamance, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Chatham, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Tyrrell, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson.


 * Archives of the Diocese of Raleigh The Catholic Center 715 Nazareth Street Raleigh, NC 27603


 * Telephone: 919-821-9700 Fax: 919-821-9705 (call in advance for an appointment)

The Diocese of Charlotte serves the following North Carolina counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Guilford, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Scotland, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, Yancey.

Archives of the Diocese of Charlotte 1524 East Morehead St. P.O. Box 36776 Charlotte, NC 28236


 * Telephone: 704-377-6871 Fax: 704-358-1208 (An appointment is required.)

Society of Friends (Quakers)
Friends Historical Collection Hege Library 5800 West Friendly Ave. Greensboro, NC 27410-4175

Telephone: 336-316-2000 Fax: 336-316-2950 E-mail: [mailto:mchijiok@guilford.edu mchijiok@guilford.edu]

For histories of North Carolina Quakers, see:


 * Anscombe, Francis Charles. I Have Called You Friends: The Story of Quakerism in North Carolina. Boston, Massachusetts: Christopher Publishing House, 1959. 975.6 K2a
 * Bowden, James. The History of the Society of Friends in America. 2 vols. London: W. &amp; F.G. Cash, 1850-1854. Digital version of Vol. 1 at Google Books; 973 F2bj v. 1 [Volume 1 includes Carolina.]

The records of the 33 oldest monthly meetings that belonged to the North Carolina yearly meeting of Friends (dating from the 1680s to as late as 1914 in some cases) are published in volume 1 of:


 * Hinshaw, William Wade. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. 6 Vols. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Brothers, 1936-1950. Volume I covers North Carolina Monthly Meetings. 973 D2he 1969; digital version at Ancestry ($). To locate copies nearest you, use WorldCat.

Another source is:


 * Bjorkman, Gwen Boyer. Quaker Marriage Certificates: Pasquotank, Perquimans, Piney Woods, and Suttons Creek Monthly Meetings, North Carolina, 1677–1800. Bowie, Maryland.: Heritage, 1988. 975.6 K2bg
 * U.S. Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, (database), ancestry.com

Correspond with genealogical or historical societies.
Some church records have been given to historical societies. Also, historical societies may be able to tell you where the records are being held. To find a society near you, consult these lists:
 * Society Hill List of North Carolina Societies

Next, go to the Wiki article for your ancestors' denomination.
There are frequently additional, nationwide or regional archives and online collections for each denomination. Find the article for your ancestors' denomination and follow the instructions there to access these sources.

Carefully compare any record you find to known facts about the ancestor
You will possibly find many different people with the same name as your ancestor, especially when a family stayed in a locality for several generations, and several children were named after the grandparents or aunts and uncles. Be prepared to find the correct church records by organizing in advance as many of these exact details about the ancestor as possible:
 * name, including middle name and maiden name
 * names of all spouses, including middle and maiden name
 * exact or closely estimated dates of birth, marriage, and death
 * names and approximate birthdates of children
 * all known places of residence
 * occupations
 * military service details

Carefully evaluate the church records you find to make sure you have really found records for your ancestor and not just a "near match". If one or more of the details do not line up, be careful about accepting the entry as your ancestor. There are guiding principles for deciding how to resolve discrepancies between records that are seemingly close. For more instruction in evaluating evidence, read the Wiki article, Evaluate the Evidence.