User:Hanna5974/sandbox/alabama

Methods and Tips for Finding Church Records
For tips on locating church records, see Locating Church Records, by Val D. Greenwood.

Online Resources
'''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.


 * 1807-1947 - Alabama miscellaneous church records, 1807-1947 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1831-1994 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - index and images
 * 1881-1930 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - Index only. Coverage Table

Baptist Collections

 * 1805-2008 - Alabama Church and Synagogue Records Collection Database at the Alabama Archives - index. This collection contains the records of major denominations within Alabama, including Baptist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Episcopal, Jewish, Methodist and Presbyterian.
 * 1805-1935 - Primitive Baptist churches in Alabama, 1805-1935 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1833-1893 - Church minutes, 1833-1893, Bibb County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1835-1951 - Antoioch Baptist Church minutes, 1835-1951, Chambers County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1848-1959 - Church minutes, 1848-1959, Green County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1839-1899 - Church minutes, 1839-1899, Macon County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1808-1866 - Church minutes, 1808-1866, Madison County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1833-1877 - Church minutes, 1833-1877, Marengo County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1821-1956 - Church minutes, 1821-1956, Monroe County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1853-1959 - Minutes of meetings and lists of members, 1853-1959, Morgan County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1820-1948 - Church minutes and membership list, 1820-1948, Perry County at FamilySearch - images

Catholic Collections

 * 1920-1996 - Baldwin County, Alabama church records, 1920-1995 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1861-1996 - Church records, 1861-1996, Barbour and Bullock Counties at FamilySearch - images
 * 1945-1996 - Church records, 1945-1996, Clarke County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1862-1989 - Church records, 1862-1989, Dallas County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1942-1996 - Church records, 1942-1996, Houston County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1941-1995 - Church records, 1941-1995, Macon County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1944-1993 - Church records, 1944-1993, Madison County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1704-1996 - Church records, 1704-1996, Mobile County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1887-1996 - Church records, 1887-1996, Pike County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1928-1996 - Church records, 1928-1996, Russell County at FamilySearch - images

The Drouin Collection

 * Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records, 1695-1954 Ancestry ($). This database only contains the French Catholic parish records from the United States, includomg Alabama. It is the U.S. part of the U.S. and French-Canadian Drouin Collection. For more details see The Drouin Collection: Six databases.  They are written mainly in French, as well as English, Latin, and Italian.

Community of Christ (Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) Collections

 * 1868-1911 - Church records of the Perseverance Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at FamilySearch - images
 * 1868-1992 - Church records (Alabama), 1868-1992 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1867-1919 - Church records, 1867-1919 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1867-1919 - Church records, 1867-1919 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1867-1919 - Church records, 1867-1919 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1891-1918 - Church records (Flomation, Alabama), 1891-1918 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1878-1920 - Church records, 1878-1920 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1868-1911 - Church records, 1868-1911 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1866-1919 - Church records, 1866-1919 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1866-1919 - Church records, 1866-1919 at FamilySearch - images

Anglican/Episcopal Collections

 * Alabama Episcopal Church Records. 1830's to 1970's. Index.
 * 1832-1972 - Web: Alabama, Episcopal Church Registers Index, 1832-1972 at Ancestry.com - index.
 * 1837-1970 - Alabama, Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Church Records, 1837-1970 at Ancestry.com ($) - index and images.
 * 1830s-1970s - Alabama Episcopal Church Records at the Birmingham Public Library - index
 * 1845-1994 - Church records, 1845-1994 at FamilySearch - index and images
 * 1848-1990 - Church records, 1848-1990 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1893-1938 - Parish registers of Trinity Church, Florence, Alabama, 1836-1869, 1893-1938 at FamilySearch - images

Methodist Collections

 * 1830-1920 - Methodist Episcopal Church, 1832-1920, Alabama at FamilySearch - images
 * 1836-1928 - Circuit Methodist Episcopal churches in Alabama, 1836-1928 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1836-1919 - Circuit Methodist Episcopal churches, 1836-1919, Alabama at FamilySearch - images
 * 1830-1934 - Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1830-1934, Alabama at FamilySearch - images
 * 1888-1979 - Church records, 1888-1979 at FamilySearch - images

Presbyterian Collections

 * 1805-2008 - Alabama Church and Synagogue Records Collection Database at the Alabama Archives - index. This collection contains the records of major denominations within Alabama, including Baptist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Episcopal, Jewish, Methodist and Presbyterian.
 * 1871-1892 - Church records, 1871-1892, Bibb County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1887-1948 - Church records, 1887-1948, Colbert County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1912-1926 - Church records, 1912-1926, Etowah County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1850-1962 - Church records, 1850-1962, Jackson County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1885-1908 - Church records, 1885-1908, Jefferson County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1858-1871 - Church records, 1858-1871, Lee County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1886-1937 - Church records, 1886-1937, Madison County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1837-1878 - Church records, 1837-1878, Pickens County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1872-1956 - Church records, 1872-1956, Tuscaloosa County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1893-1899 - Church records, 1893-1899, Wilcox County at FamilySearch - images

Historical Background
Alabama is located in the middle of the Bible Belt, a region of numerous Protestant Christians. Alabama has been identified as one of the most religious states in the United States, with about 58% of the population attending church regularly. A majority of people in the state identify as Evangelical Protestant. As of 2010, the three largest denominational groups in Alabama are the Southern Baptist Convention, The United Methodist Church, and non-denominational Evangelical Protestant. Many Baptist and Methodist congregations became established in the Great Awakening of the early 19th century, when preachers proselytized across the South. The Presbyterian churches, were strongly associated with Scots-Irish immigrants of the 18th century and their descendants.

Information Recorded in the Records
Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. Sometimes, you will only find a simple membership list. This outline will show the types of details which might be found in the best case scenario. Denominations following practices learned in Europe, where there are state churches (such as the Anglican/Episcopal, Catholic, and Lutheran), are more likely to have full records.

Baptisms
In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

Marriages
Marriage registers can give:

Burials
Burial registers may give:

Step 1: Look for Online Records Both in the Listing at the Top of This Page and Under Individual Archives and Religions.
Many records have been digitized and posted online, where they are easily searched. These are listed at the top of the page and on the Alabama Online Genealogy Records page. Archives will sometimes post online databases of records.

Step 2: Look for Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog.

 * Online church records can be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog state-wide, county-wide, or for a town.
 * Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library.
 * 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, Alabama.
 * b. Click on Places within United States, Alabama 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, Alabama [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.

Step 3: Research Church Record Holdings in Person or by Correspondence in Government/Educational/Denominational Archives.
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.

State Archives
Alabama Department of Archives and History P.O. Box 300100 624 Washington Ave. Montgomery, AL 36130 Telephone:334-242-4435


 * Finding Aid for Church and Synagogue Records Collections, 1805-2008 Browsable list. This collection contains the records of major denominations within Alabama, including Baptist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Episcopal, Jewish, Methodist and Presbyterian.
 * Index to Churches in the Alabama Church and Synagogue Records Collection Database at the Alabama Archives - index.
 * Research Request Form and Instructions
 * Website

University Archives
Samford University Library 800 Lakeshore Drive Birmingham, AL 35229 Telephone:205-726-2196 E-mail: referenc@samford.edu
 * Catalog of church records in Samford University libraries
 * Alabama Genealogical Society AGS RESEARCHERS LIST

Denominational Archives
For archives of a particular religion, go to Major Religious Denominations and Their Archives.

Step 4: 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 this list:
 * List of Alabama Societies

Step 5: Correspond With or Visit Local Churches.

 * Some denominations centralize storage of church records in archives.
 * The most recent records are still held in the local churches. For addresses for these, see listings under each denomination.
 * See the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.

Online Resources

 * 1830s-1970s - Alabama Episcopal Church Records at the Birmingham Public Library - index
 * 1832-1972 - Web: Alabama, Episcopal Church Registers Index, 1832-1972 at Ancestry.com - index.
 * 1837-1970 - Alabama, Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Church Records, 1837-1970 at Ancestry.com ($) - index and images.
 * 1845-1994 - Church records, 1845-1994 at FamilySearch - index and images
 * 1848-1990 - Church records, 1848-1990 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1893-1938 - Parish registers of Trinity Church, Florence, Alabama, 1836-1869, 1893-1938 at FamilySearch - images

Writing to Local Churches

 * Diocese of Alabama Find a Church
 * Episcopal Church Find a Church: Diocese of Alabama

Historical Background


A list of the Episcopal congregations in Alabama before 1939 is:


 * Inventory of the Church Archives of Alabama: Protestant Episcopal Church. Birmingham, Alabama: Alabama Historical Records Survey Project, 1939. ; digital version at FamilySearch Books. This gives the location of each church with a brief history and describes the types and years of records that existed for each congregation in 1939.

For a history, consult:


 * Whitaker, Walter C. History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Alabama 1763-1891. Birmingham, Ala.: Roberts &amp; Son, 1898. Digital version at FamilySearch Books - free.

Writing to Archives
Special Collection, Samford University Library Samford University Harwell Goodwin Davis Library 800 Lakeshore Dr. Birmingham, AL 35229-0001 Phone: (205)726-2748

See Alabama Archives and Libraries. The Samford University Library Website has an inventory of their records and contains many different Alabama denominations in their collection besides Baptist. Also included are microfilmed records of the American Missionary Association, a interdenominational missionary society devoted to abolitionist principles beginning in 1846.

Writing to Local Churches

 * USAChurches.org Baptist Church Directory for Alabama

Historical Background

 * List of Baptist churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama
 * The Ministerial Directory of the Baptist Churches in the United States of America. Oxford, Ohio: Ministerial Directory Co., 1899. Digital version at Google Books.


 * Holcombe, Hosea. A History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists in Alabama. 1840. Reprint, Bessemer, Alabama: West Jefferson County Historical Society, 1974. This history of the Baptist Church to 1840 is indexed.
 * Flynt, F. Wayne. Alabama Baptists: Southern Baptists in the Heart of Dixie. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1998.
 * Bledsoe, W.C. History of the Liberty (East) Baptist Association of Alabama. Atlanta, Ga.: Constitution Job Office, 1886. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Riley, B.F. A Memorial History of the Baptists of Alabama: Being an Account of the Struggles and Achievements of the Denomination from 1808 to 1923. Philadelphia: The Judson Press, 1923. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Online Resources
Online information is available to current members, for deceased members and immediate family members who are still living. Sign in to FamilySearch and then select Family Tree in the drop-down menu.

Online Resources
More records of the Community of Christ are available on the FamilySearch Catalog. Search for places within Alabama.
 * 1868-1911 - Church records of the Perseverance Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at FamilySearch - images
 * 1868-1992 - Church records (Alabama), 1868-1992 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1867-1919 - Church records, 1867-1919 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1867-1919 - Church records, 1867-1919 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1867-1919 - Church records, 1867-1919 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1891-1918 - Church records (Flomation, Alabama), 1891-1918 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1878-1920 - Church records, 1878-1920 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1868-1911 - Church records, 1868-1911 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1866-1919 - Church records, 1866-1919 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1866-1919 - Church records, 1866-1919 at FamilySearch - images

Writing to Local Churches
Community of Christ Church Finder

Writing to Local Churches
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 * National Association of Congregational Christian Churches: Alabama

Writing to Local Churches

 * Jehovah's Witnesses Find a Meeting (Congregation)

Writing to Local Churches

 * NALC North American Lutheran Church Congregations
 * LCMS The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Church Finder
 * LCMC Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ Church Finder

Online Resources

 * 1805-2008 - Alabama Church and Synagogue Records Collection Database at the Alabama Archives - index. This collection contains the records of major denominations within Alabama, including Baptist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Episcopal, Jewish, Methodist and Presbyterian.
 * 1830-1920 - Methodist Episcopal Church, 1832-1920, Alabama at FamilySearch - images
 * 1836-1928 - Circuit Methodist Episcopal churches in Alabama, 1836-1928 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1836-1919 - Circuit Methodist Episcopal churches, 1836-1919, Alabama at FamilySearch - images
 * 1830-1934 - Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1830-1934, Alabama at FamilySearch - images
 * 1888-1979 - Church records, 1888-1979 at FamilySearch - images

Writing to Archives
Houghton Memorial Library Huntingdon College 1500 E. Fairview Avenue Montgomery, AL 36106-2148 Phone: (334) 833-4421 Fax: (334) 263-4465 E-mail: [mailto:edidwell@huntingdon.edu edidwell@huntingdon.edu ]

Charles Andrew Rush Library Birmingham-Southern College 900 Arkadelphia Road P.O. Box 549020 Birmingham, AL 35254-9990 Phone: (205) 226-4740 Fax: (205) 226-4743

Histories of the Methodist Church in Alabama include:


 * Lazenby, Marion Elias, History of Methodism in Alabama and West Florida. N.p., 1960. . This book includes a list of deceased ministers and a name and subject index.


 * West, Anson. A History of Methodism in Alabama. Nashville, Tenn.: Pub. House, Methodist Episcopal Church South, 1893. Digital version at FamilySearch Books - free.

Writing to Local Churches

 * United Methodist Church Find a Church
 * USA Churches Methodist Church Directory

Writing to Local Churches

 * Church Angel Orthodox Churches Directory
 * Parishes Greek Orthodox Churches in America
 * Orthodox Church in America Parish Finder

Writing to Local Churches

 * USAChurches.org Pentecostal Church Directory
 * ChurchAngel.com Listing of Assemblies of God
 * ChurchAngel.com Evangelical Church Directory

Online Resources
More Presbyterian church records are available on the FamilySearch Catalog. Search for places within Alabama.
 * 1871-1892 - Church records, 1871-1892, Bibb County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1887-1948 - Church records, 1887-1948, Colbert County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1912-1926 - Church records, 1912-1926, Etowah County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1850-1962 - Church records, 1850-1962, Jackson County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1885-1908 - Church records, 1885-1908, Jefferson County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1858-1871 - Church records, 1858-1871, Lee County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1886-1937 - Church records, 1886-1937, Madison County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1837-1878 - Church records, 1837-1878, Pickens County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1872-1956 - Church records, 1872-1956, Tuscaloosa County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1893-1899 - Church records, 1893-1899, Wilcox County at FamilySearch - images

Writing to Archives


Presbyterian Historical Society 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 Phone: (215) 627-1852 Fax: (215) 627-0509

Writing to Local Churches

 * Presbyterian Church in America Church Directory

Historical Background
Early Presbyteries (with years organized): Alabama Presbytery (1821), Elyton Presbytery (1831), Birmingham Presbytery (1896), Talladega Presbytery (1836), Springville Presbytery (1880), Robert Donnell Presbytery (1890), The New Hope Presbytery(1838), and The McGready Presbytery (1840/1).

Histories of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church include:
 * Hall, James H.B. "The History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Alabama Prior to 1826," Transactions of the Alabama Historical Society, Vol. 4 (1904):365-394. Digital version at Internet Archive - free. Identifies minute books available for early Presbyteries. The early Presbyteries did not keep records of baptisms, marriages, and burials.

Writing to Local Churches

 * Friends General Conference Quaker Directory

Online Resources

 * 1805-2008 - Alabama Church and Synagogue Records Collection Database at the Alabama Archives - index. This collection contains the records of major denominations within Alabama, including Baptist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Episcopal, Jewish, Methodist and Presbyterian.
 * 1920-1996 - Baldwin County, Alabama church records, 1920-1995 at FamilySearch - images
 * 1861-1996 - Church records, 1861-1996, Barbour and Bullock Counties at FamilySearch - images
 * 1945-1996 - Church records, 1945-1996, Clarke County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1862-1989 - Church records, 1862-1989, Dallas County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1942-1996 - Church records, 1942-1996, Houston County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1941-1995 - Church records, 1941-1995, Macon County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1944-1993 - Church records, 1944-1993, Madison County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1704-1996 - Church records, 1704-1996, Mobile County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1887-1996 - Church records, 1887-1996, Pike County at FamilySearch - images
 * 1928-1996 - Church records, 1928-1996, Russell County at FamilySearch - images

The Drouin Collection
More Catholic church records are available on the FamilySearch Catalog. Search for places within Alabama.
 * Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records, 1695-1954 Ancestry ($). This database only contains the French Catholic parish records from the United States includong Alabama. 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.

Writing to Archives

 * Diocese of Birmingham 2121 3rd Ave. P.O. Box 12047 North Birmingham, AL 35202-2047 Phone: (205) 838-8322

The diocese includes the counties of: Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Coosa, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, Sumter, St. Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston.

Archdiocese of Mobile Archives 14 S. Franklin St. Mobile, AL 36602 Phone: (251) 415-3850

The Archdiocese includes the counties of: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Russell, Washington and Wilcox.

State of Alabama
Alabama Department of Archives and History 624 Washington Ave. P.O. Box3 00100 Montgomery, AL 36130-3601

Telephone:(334) 242-4435
 * Website

Collection includes Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Mobile, Alabama)

Writing to Local Churches

 * The Catholic Directory
 * St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church

Writing to Local Churches

 * Adventist Church Finder

Writing to Local Churches

 * FIND A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION

Writing to Local Churches

 * This page covers the major Christian denominations. Your ancestors may have belonged to an independent local church that was not affiliated with any of these larger bodies. To find these smaller churches in Google Maps, search the name of your ancestors's town using the keywords "churches near [TOWN NAME]."
 * It is also possible to find some churches with immigrant-based congregations, such as Armenian, Latvian, Lithuanian, by using Google.