Guyana Church Records

History
The dominant religions in Guyana are Christianity and Hinduism, 23% of the population is Pentecostal and 25% are Hindus. The country is a diversity of ethnic groups.

The Dominant system of values in the country by Christianity is due to its colonial history The profession of Christian beliefs and practice amongst the English planters, colonial administrators, and missionaries were required for social acceptance.

Planters did not teach their religion to the slaves. Eventually, though Christianity became as important to the slaves as much as it did with the Europeans.

In the 1800’s England gave monetary support to Anglican Church, so it grew rapidly.. The Catholic Church was established in 1837.

After slavery was abolished, Christianity played more a part of the lives of the slaves then it did to their former masters. In the 1900’s Pentecostal groups came to Guyana, they are now the largest Protestant group. When the East Indians arrived, Afro-Guyanese cultured had been firmly established.

Nearly 240,000 East Indians moved to Guyana to labor on the farms and estates, most were practicing Hinduism

Since the mid 20th century the country has witnessed the growth of Hindu values and Hinduism is recognized on equal footing with Christianity. Source: MISSIONS ATLAS PROJECT, GUYANA

Dutch Church Records

 * Walloon Reformed Church, marriage registers of Demerara and Essequibo, 1758-1811, browsable images.

Anglican Church Records

 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, British Guiana, index and images, ($)


 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, British Guiana, index and images, ($)


 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, index and images, ($)

Correspondence Searches
In addition, church records can help with finding your ancestors. The Guyana/British Guiana Genealogical Society explains how you can request church records (usually accompanied by a donation) directly from the churches in Guyana. Generally, records are not digitized and must be manually searched; therefore, the genealogical society suggests telling the church that you are sending it a small donation to help facilitate its search for your ancestor’s records. The genealogical society’s website lists the contact information and holdings of many of the nation’s churches. How Do I Research My Guyanese Heritage? by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Catholic Addresses

 * The Catholic Directory, Guyana

Pentecostal Addresses
About 25% of the Guyana Population are Pentecostal. For addresses of Pentecostal congregations use Google and Google Maps.

Letter Writing Guide
For help with phrasing your requests and composing a courteous letter, use the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy.