Lebanon Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Lebanon, go to the Religious Records page.

Online Resources and Websites
'''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.
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Lebanon, index and images, ($)


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


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

Historical Background
The number of Christians in Lebanon has been disputed for many years. There has been no official census in Lebanon since 1932. Christians were still half the country by mid-century, but by 1985, only a quarter of all Lebanese were Christians. Many argue over the percentage and population of Christians in Lebanon. One estimate of the Christian share of Lebanon's population as of 2012 is 40.5%. Therefore, the country has the largest percentage of Christians of all the Middle Eastern nations.

The Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Catholic Church, is the largest and politically most active and influential denomination of Lebanon's Christians. The Catholic Church also includes other Eastern Catholic churches, such as the Melkite Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church forms the second largest proportion of Lebanese Christians. The Armenian Apostolic Church also forms a large portion of the Christian population in Lebanon.

The other six smaller Christian sects are considered ethnic Assyrians: (Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholics, Assyrian Church of the East and Chaldean Catholics).

The Protestant Christianity in Lebanon is the fourth largest Christian denomination among the Lebanese people, representing 1% of the Lebanese population.

Most Protestants in Lebanon were converted by missionaries, primarily English and American, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. They are divided into a number of denominations, including Presbyterian, Congregational, and Anglican. They are perceived by some to number disproportionately highly among the professional middle class. They constitute nearly 1 percent of the population (around 40,000) and live primarily in Beirut (Greater Beirut).

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. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

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:

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog
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 Lebanon.
 * b. Click on Places within Lebanon and a list of towns will appear.
 * c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
 * d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. 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.

Writing for Records
You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters. Churches in many areas have survived the bombings; if you know the church your ancestor attended, contact it directly. Church records have not been catalogued, but they do exist. For example, church records for the Maronite and Armenian communities in Aleppo date back to the mid-19th century. If you can write your letter in Arabic or know someone who will write it for you, do that, or use a Arabic translation services. If that is not possible, write the letter in English. Most areas have someone who can translate for the recipient.
 * Maps.me Church Listings for Lebanon

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Anglican (Episcopal) churches in Lebanon

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Congregatiuonal churches in Lebanon

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Presbyterian churches in Lebanon

Writing to a Local Parish
Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:
 * The Catholic Directory: Lebanon
 * Google Maps search results for Roman Catholic Church
 * Google Maps search results for Armenian Catholic Church
 * Google Maps search results for Syriac Catholic Church
 * Google Maps search results for Chaldean Catholic Church

Historical Background
The Latin Catholic Church in Lebanon consists mainly of small group of Latin Catholics who are of at least partial French and/or Italian descent.

Among the Armenians in Lebanon there are some who belong to the Armenian Catholic Church. They are also refugees who had fled Turkey during and after World War I and the Armenian genocide.

The members of the Syriac Catholic Church are also refugees who had fled southeastern Turkey (present day Mardin region) during and after World War I and the Assyrian/Syriac genocide. Even today refugees continue to flee from northern Iraq and northeastern Syria into Lebanon or Jordan due to continuous unrest in Iraq and Syria. The Syriac Catholic Eparchy of Beirut is the proper archeparchy (Eastern Catholic (archdiocese) of the Syriac Catholic Church's (Antiochian Rite in Syriac language) Patriarch of Antioch in his actual seat, Beirut, Lebanon.

The members of the Chaldean Catholic Church are also refugees who had fled southeastern Turkey (present day Mardin region) during and after World War I and the Assyrian/Syriac genocide. Even today refugees continue to flee from northern Iraq and northeastern Syria into Lebanon or Jordan due to continuous unrest in Iraq and Syria. The Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Beirut is the sole eparchy (Eastern Catholic diocese) of the Chaldean Catholic Church and is immediately dependent on the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylon in Baghdad, Iraq.

Online Records
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.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Maronite churches in Lebanon

Historical Background
The Maronite Christians in Lebanon is the largest Christian denomination among the Lebanese people, representing 21% of the Lebanese population.

Maronite Church full communion with the Catholic Church was reaffirmed in 1182, after hundreds of years of isolation in Mount Lebanon. In accordance with the terms of union, they retain their own rites and canon law and use Arabic and Aramaic in their liturgy as well the Karshuni script with old Syriac letters.

In the late seventh century, as a result of persecutions from other Christians for the heterodox views they had adopted, the Maronites withdrew from the coastal regions into the mountainous areas of Lebanon and Syria. During the Ottoman era (1516-1914) they remained isolated and relatively independent in these areas. In 1857 and 1858 the Maronites revolted against the large landowning families. The revolt was followed by a further struggle between the Druzes and Maronites over land ownership, political power, and safe passage of community members in the territory of the other. The conflict led France to send a military expedition to the area in 1860. The disagreements diminished in intensity only after the establishment of the Mandate and a political formula whereby all denominations achieved a degree of political representation.

Leaders of the Rite have considered Maronite Christianity as the "foundation of the Lebanese nation". The Maronites have been closely associated with the political system of independent Lebanon; it was estimated that in pre-Civil War Lebanon members of this Rite held a large portion of the leading posts. However roles were shifted due to the Taif Agreement's theoretical balancing of power.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Eastern Orthodox churches in Lebanon

Historical Background
Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Lebanon is the second largest Christian denomination among the Lebanese people, representing 8% of the Lebanese population.

The Eastern Orthodox Christians include many free-holders, and the community is less dominated by large landowners than other Christian denominations. In present-day Lebanon, the Eastern Orthodox Christians have become increasingly urbanized, and form a major part of the commercial and professional class of Beirut and other cities. Many are found in the Southeast (Nabatieh/Beqaa) and North, near Tripoli. They are highly educated and well-versed in finance. The church has often served as a bridge between Lebanese Christians and the Arab countries, because it exists in various parts of the Arab world.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Armenian Orthodox or Apostolic churches in Lebanon

Historical Background
The Armenians in Lebanon were refugees who had fled Turkey during and after World War I and the Armenian genocide.

The Apostolic Church was organized in the third century and became autocephalous as a national church in the fourth century. In the sixth century it modified the formulations of the Council of Chalcedon of 451 that confirmed the dual nature of Christ in one person. Instead the Apostolic Church adopted a form of Miaphysitism that believes in the united nature of divine and human in Christ, a belief shared by the Copts and the Syrian Orthodox Church (Oriental Orthodox Church). The Armenian Orthodox Church has two catholicoi (Sis and Etchmiadzin Cathedral) and two patriarchs (Constantinople and Jerusalem).

The Armenians in Lebanon reside mostly in Beirut and its northern suburbs as well as in Anjar. During the civil war the main stance of the Armenians was not to pick a side between Muslims or Christians and stay exempt mostly from the fighting. The largest Armenian community in Lebanon is found in Bourj Hammoud.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Assyrian Church of the East in Lebanon

Historical Background
The Assyrians in Lebanon were refugees who had fled their native lands in southeastern Turkey during and after World War I due to the Assyrian Genocide. Even today refugees continue to flee from northern Iraq into Syria, Lebanon or Jordan due to continuous unrest in Iraq.

The Archdiocese of Lebanon and Syria of the Assyrian Church of the East is based in the Mar Gewargis Church of Sad El Bouchrieh, Beirut, Lebanon. After the recent passing of the archdiocese's late Archbishop Mar Narsai D'Baz, Archbishop Mar Meelis Zaia of Australia and New Zealand temporarily took over the archdiocese, handling all church related issues in Lebanon. The current bishops, the Bishop of Europe and the Bishop of Syria, oversee their individual dioceses until a new Metropolitan is appointed.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Syriac Orthodox churches in Lebanon

Historical Background
The members of the Syriac Orthodox Church are also refugees who had fled southeastern Turkey (present day Mardin region) during and after World War I and the Assyrian/Syriac genocide. Even today refugees continue to flee from northern Iraq and northeastern Syria into Lebanon or Jordan due to continuous unrest in Iraq and Syria.

There are several archdioceses and dioceses of the Syriac Orthodox Church on the territory of Lebanon.[31] The church follows the Syriac liturgy of St. James and has an independent hierarchy under the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, whose seat was formerly at Mardin in Turkey and is now at Damascus, Syria.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Coptic Orthodox churches in Lebanon

Historical Background
The Copts in Lebanon were immigrants/refugees who had fled their native lands in Egypt, Libya and Sudan. According to tradition, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria was established by Saint Mark, an apostle and evangelist, in the middle of the 1st century (approximately AD 42). The ethnic Copts in Lebanon are estimated to be 3,000 – 4,000[20] and the Coptic Orthodox Church is one of the 18 religious sects recognized by the Lebanese Constitution.