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Church records play a significant role in
genealogical research. Prior to the implementation of laws mandating
civil responsibility for civil record keeping in the mid to late 1800's,
depending on the locality or region, church records were the primary
source for locating information about their ancestors. Locating parish or
congregational records when the church no longer exists presents a
significant challenge. The options listed below may make this process
easier.
Check resource books such as Ancestry's Red
Book which covers church records under each individual state listing.
Some local or state genealogical societies have also published works of a
similar nature for their specific locality or region of coverage. Never
underestimate the value of potential services offered by these societies.
Every religious denominations maintains some
level of record keeping in local, state, or regional l depositories. The
Roman Catholic Church has at least one diocesan repository in all 50
states. Some states such as California and Texas have 12 and 14
respectively. The book, U.S. Catholic Sources, written by Virginia
Humling, lists all diocesan offices, their addresses, phone numbers,
geographic areas of coverage, what records or collections are held, and
guidelines for access.
Protestant denominations such as the
Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, and the Mormons tend
to have repositories organized in a similar format to the Roman Catholic
Church. Other denominations such as the Baptists, Assemblies of God,
Church of God, and other Pentecostal groups are usually organized in a
congregational method. Researchers tracking Jewish ancestors may
encounter elements of both types of record keeping practices. In general
terms, many records are still in the area churches or synagogues. Records
from closed or defunct churches or synagoges are often stored in a
regional church or synagogue archives or a nearby congregation of the same
or similar denomination. When in doubt, contact the pastor or rabbi of
the largest church or synagogue of the same denomination as your ancestor
in the community where your search is being conducted.
Many religious denominations operate their own
colleges or seminary schools. Investigate the holdings of any academic
libraries operated by the same religious denomination as the defunct or
closed church. If you discover an academic religious collection operating
within 100 miles of a closed or defunct church, contact the library for
information on their holdings. Most academic, public, and seminary
library collections can be searched over the Internet. Once you access
the home page for the institution, look for the icon for the library or
information resource center.
The Family History Library in Salt Lake City
is another excellent source for tracking down church records regardless of
the denomination. Researchers may search holdings via the Family Search
website http://www.familysearch.org
or by visiting their nearest Family History Library branch.
The Works Project Administration (WPA) created
some inventories of church records from the early 1900's. Check your
state archives to determine if the records for that state were inventoried
and where the lists are currently kept. The information in these WPA
inventories does not include names or records for individuals. They are
indexes or inventories as to what churches had records and where the
records were at the time of the inventory.
Bryan L. Mulcahy
Reference Librarian
Fort Myers-Lee County Library
2050 Central Avenue
Fort Myers, FL 33901-3917
Tel: (239)- 479-4651
Fax: (239)- 479-4634
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