North Dakota Church Records

Before 1900 the largest religious groups in North Dakota were Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopal, and Presbyterian churches.

The Family History Library has histories of the Dunkards (Church of the Brethren), Episcopal, Presbyterian, Catholic, and other churches in North Dakota. For Methodists, Presbyterians, Dunkards, and Lutherans you can also consult the various volumes of The Collections of The State Historical Society of North Dakota Seven Volumes. (Bismarck, North Dakota: Tribune State Printers, 1906—;.

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Collection includes some North Dakota church records for Barnes, Burleigh, and Towner counties (Family History Library ).

The Family History Library has very few North Dakota church records. Many denominations have collected their records into central repositories. You can write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
Early, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church records for North Dakota Wards and Branches can be found on film and are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The film numbers, for each ward, can be locate through the FamilySearch Catalog. Or by refering to Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. (FHL book 979.2258 A3j; fiche 6031507). These volumes contain the film numbers for many (but not all) membership and temple record films.

Lutheran
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA Archives) 8765 W. Higgins Road Chicago, IL 60631-4198 Phone: (800) 638-3522 or (773) 380-2700 Fax: (773) 380-1465 Email: [mailto:archives@elca.org archives@elca.org]

The Archives has records of many congregations on microfilm. These can be borrowed for a small fee. For a list of church records in their collection as of the 1970's see fiche 6330690-93; the fiche with the North Dakota list is  6330692

Many Lutheran Church records for Germans from Russia are at:

Institute for Regional Studies North Dakota State University Libraries P.O. Box 5599 Fargo, ND 58105-5599 Phone: (701) 231-8914 Fax: (701) 231-5632 Email: [mailto:archives@www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu archives@www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu]

Odessa3.org - This site contains German-Russian emigrant ancestry in pocket settlements in mid-west states of North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. Contains transcribed minutes of meetings, membership lists (some with parentage listed), birth, deaths, and marriages.]

Methodist
United Methodist Church North Dakota Conference Wesley United Methodist Church 1600 4th Ave North Grand Forks, ND 58203 Phone: (701) 772-1869

Dakotas United Conference Archives


McGovern Library Dakota Wesleyan University Box 460 1200 West University Avenue Mitchell, SD 57301-4398 Phone: (605) 995-2618 Fax: (605) 995-2893 Email: [mailto:library@dwu.edu library@dwu.edu]

Presbyterian
Presbyterian Historical Society United Presbyterian Church in the U.S. 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 Phone: (215) 627-1852 Fax: (215) 627-0509

Roman Catholic
Diocese of Bismarck Chancery Office Box 1575 420 Raymond Street Bismarck, ND 58502-1575 Phone: (701) 223-1347 Fax: (701) 223-3693

The diocese includes the counties of: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Divide, Dunn, Emmons, Golden Valley, Hettinger, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Mountrail, Oliver, Renville, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Ward and Williams.

Diocese of Fargo 5201 Bishops Blvd., Suite A Fargo, ND 58104-7605 Phone: (701) 356-7900

The diocese includes the counties of: Barnes, Benson, Bottineau, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Eddy, Foster, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, Nelson, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh and Wells