Michigan Church Records

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Historical Background
Before 1900, the largest religious groups in Michigan were the Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic churches. The Roman Catholic Church was the only organized religion in Michigan until the 19th century, reflecting the territory's French colonial roots. The Lutheran Church was introduced by German and Scandinavian immigrants; Lutheranism is the second largest religious denomination in the state. In West Michigan, Dutch immigrants fled from the specter of religious persecution and famine in the Netherlands around 1850 and settled in and around what is now Holland, Michigan, establishing a "colony" on American soil that fervently held onto Calvinist doctrine that established a significant presence of Reformed churches.

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

 * 1819-1991 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1775-1995 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1822-1995 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1865-1931 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1800-1995 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index

Ancestry.com Indexes

 * 1695-1954 U.S., French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1695-1954, ($), index
 * 1867-1911 Michigan, Births and Christenings Index, 1867-1911 ($)
 * 1817-1850 Michigan Marriages 1817 to 1850 Index only ($)
 * 1867-1995 Michigan, Deaths and Burials Index, 1867-1995 ($)
 * 1909-1915 New York, U.S., Frank S. Rowland Church Register, 1889-1917 at Ancestry - images ($)

Presbyterian

 * 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)

Lutheran

 * 1781-1969 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969, index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1800-1947 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947, index and images, incomplete.($)

Dutch Reformed

 * 1639-1989 U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989, index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1701-1995 U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995, index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)

Other Collections

 * West Michigan Church Records Database. Incomplete. Index to Church Records at the Grand Rapids Public Library. This index is for indexes and records of churches in the Western Michigan area, particularly the counties of Kent and Ottawa. Other counties include Muskegon, Allegan, Ionia, Newaygo, Oceana and etc.

Look for digital copies of church records 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, Michigan.
 * b. Click on Places within United States, Michigan 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, Michigan [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.
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Michigan Conference, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Church of the Nazarene, Michigan District Assembly, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Churches of God, Michigan Assemblies, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Evangelical and Reformed Church, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Evangelical Church, Michigan Conference, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Pilgrim Holiness Church, Michigan District, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Presbyterian Church in U.S.A., Presbytery of Detroit, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Presbyterian Church in U.S.A., Presbytery of Flint, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Protestant Episcopal bodies, diocese of Michigan, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Protestant Episcopal Church, diocese of Michigan, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Protestant Episcopal Church, diocese of northern Michigan, e-book
 * Inventory of the church archives of Michigan, Salvation Army in Michigan, e-book
 * The Michigan Genealogical Council has published Guide to the Michigan Genealogical and Historical Collections at the Library of Michigan and the State Archives of Michigan. The book is also available at the both in book and microfilm.
 * Calendar of the Baptist Collection of Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Prepared by the Michigan Historical Records Survey Project, Division of Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration.

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.

Western Michigan Genealogical Society
Western Michigan Genealogical Society c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library Street NE Grand Rapids, MI  49503-3268 E-mail: wmgs@wmgs.org


 * West Michigan Church Records Database
 * Search the West Michigan Church Records Database Incomplete. Index to Church Records at the Grand Rapids Public Library. This index is for indexes and records of churches in the Western Michigan area, particularly the counties of Kent and Ottawa. Other counties include Muskegon, Allegan, Ionia, Newaygo, Oceana and etc.

American-Canadian Genealogical Society Library
American-Canadian Genealogical Society Library 1 Sundial Avenue, Suite 317N Manchester, New Hampshire 03103 Tel: (603) 622-1554
 * Research Services
 * Library Holdings Parish Repertoires and Vital Records

Baptist
Kalamazoo College Upjohn Library 1200 Academy Street Kalamazoo, MI 49006 Phone: (616) 337-7153 Fax: (616) 337-7143
 * Calendar of the Baptist Collection of Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Prepared by the Michigan Historical Records Survey Project, Division of Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration.
 * The material housed in the Archives is not genealogical in nature (very few records from individual churches, etc.). One exception to that is obituaries of prominent Baptist clergy, which were sometimes published in the minutes of the Michigan Baptist Convention.

Christian Reformed Church in North America
The Hekman Library Heritage Hall 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546-4402 Phone: 616.526.6313 Fax: 616.526.7689 E-mail: crcarchives@calvin.edu
 * Archives of the Christian Reformed Church in North America: Historical (Closed) Church Records--Family Information
 * In 1962 the Historical Committee of the Christian Reformed Church was instructed by Synod to collect the records of local, active congregations and microfilm their minutes (council, elders, deacons, the executive committee and the congregation), returning the originals to the congregation, so that a back-up set of records was available to local congregations should anything happen to their original set. The microfilm is stored in our vault, and the originals are returned to the congregation sending them.

Lutheran
For Upper Michigan: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Wartburg Theological Seminary 333 Wartburg Place Dubuque, IA 52001 Phone: (563) 589-0200 Fax: (563) 589-0333

The Wartburg Theological Seminary has Lutheran records from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and upper Michigan. The WTS Archives also contain the documents of the German Lutheran Synod of Iowa, 1854-1930 and the records of antecedent bodies of the ELCA Region 5. Many of the records in this repository can be borrowed for a small fee.
 * Archives hold records for closed churches. For open churches write directly to the local church.

For Lower Michigan: ELCA Region 6 Archives Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University 2199 East Main Street Columbus, OH 43209-2334 Phone: (614) 236-6855 E-mail: reg6archives@capital.edu
 * Archives hold records for closed churches. For open churches write directly to the local church.

Methodist
Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church Archives Shipman Library, Adrian College] 110 South Madison Street Adrian, MI 49221 Phone: (517) 265-5161 Fax: (517) 264-3331


 * The archives maintain the records created by the Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church (and the former Detroit and West Michigan Conferences) and its member churches
 * Finding Aids--Local Churches

Drouin Collection
Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records, 1695-1954 ($) (Ancestry). This database contains the French Catholic parish records from Michigan. 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.

Diocesan Archives
Archdiocese of Detroit Archives 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.
 * Location of Records for Closed Parishes
 * Find Your Records
 * Contact the parish if the parish where your sacrament was celebrated is open (or merged), your records remain in their care.

Diocese of Gaylord Archives 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.
 * Rules of Access for Parish Sacramental Records This includes a list of closed parishes and where their records are located. The sacramental records of all parishes are retained and maintained in the individual parishes. The priest or pastoral administrator or designee will obtain the information from the records, issue a certificate if desired or provide the information sought.
 * Contact the local parish to request records.

Diocese of Grand Rapids Archives 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.
 * Contact the Staff
 * Records should be requested from the local parish.

Diocese of Kalamazoo Archives 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.
 * Records should be requested from the local parish.

Diocese of Lansing Archives 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.
 * Records should be requested from the local parish.

Diocese of Marquette Archiives 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.
 * Records should be requested from the local parish.

Diocese of Saginaw Archives 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.
 * Records should be requested from the local parish.

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 Michigan 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.