Sudan Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Sudan, 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.
 * UK, Foreign and Overseas Registers of British Subjects, 1628-1969, index ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, index and images, ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Sudan, index and images, ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Africa, index and images, ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Sudan, index and images, ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Africa, index and images, ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, index and images, ($)

Historical Background
At the 2011 division which split off South Sudan, over 97% of the population in the remaining Sudan adheres to Islam. Long-established groups of Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Christians exist in Khartoum and other northern cities. Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox communities also exist in Khartoum and eastern Sudan, largely made up of refugees and migrants from the past few decades. The Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church also has membership. There are approximately 1.1 million Catholics in Sudan, about 3.2% of the total population.

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 Sudan.
 * b. Click on Places within Sudan 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.

Writing to a Local Parish
To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a local parish, consult:
 * The Catholic Directory: Sudan

Historical Background
There were approximately 1.1 million Catholics in (pre-partition) Sudan, about 3.2 percent of the total population. Sudan forms one ecclesiastical province, consisting of one archdiocese (the Archdiocese of Khartoum) and one suffragan diocese (the diocese of El Obeid). The vast majority of Sudan's Catholics ended up in South Sudan after the partition.

Writing for Records

 * Website

Historical Background
The Province of the Episcopal Church of Sudan is a province of the Anglican Communion, comprising the Sudan. It is the 39th Anglican province, created in a ceremony that took place in All Saints Cathedral, Khartoum, on 30 July 2017.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Orthodox churches in Sudan

Historical Background
The Presbyterian Church in Sudan or also the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan is a major Reformed denomination in South Sudan, when it become independent from Sudan.

It has approximately 1,000,000 members and 500 congregations in Southern Sudan. The denomination was established by American missionaries, namely Rev. Kelly Giffen and H.T. McLaughlin who came from Egypt in the 1890s. They started churches in the southern part of the country, in Dolleib Hill in 1902 leaving the northern congregations to Egyiptian evangelicals. The northern churches become known as the Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Schools and hospitals were built. By 1945 schools and mission work were organised in Malakal, Wauglel, Obel, Bor and elsewhere. The first mission station was established in Malakal.

In 1962 the missionaries left, but the church spread rapidly. It is the third largest denomination in Sudan after the Episcopal and the Roman Catholic Church.