Arkansas Church Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes selected church marriages for the years 1860-1976. Many of the records are from Columbia, Monroe and Sebastian counties. The collection may also have some other types of records mixed in.
 *  Columbia County
 * New Hope Baptist Church
 * Barge's Chapel. Methodist Protestant
 * Atlanta Baptist Church
 * Bethlehem Baptist Church
 *  Monroe County
 * Cumberland Presbyterian Church
 * Presbyterian Church
 * Methodist Episcopal Church,South
 * Sebastian County
 * St. John's Episcopal Church

Reading These Records
The records are written in German and English. For help reading them see:
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * German Handwriting
 * German Language and Languages

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Marriages
 * Name
 * Age
 * Birth year
 * Birthplace
 * Parents’ names


 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Marital status
 * Race
 * Previous spouse

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the bride and groom
 * The location or date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?

 * Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members

I Found the Person I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other vital records, such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records
 * Search census records to find additional family members
 * Search for a civil marriage record
 * Search for other county records, such as probate, land, and tax

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names
 * Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Arkansas.
 * Arkansas Guided Research
 * Arkansas Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog
 Selected Counties
 * Sunny Jane Morton and Harold A. Henderson, CG, How to find your family history in U.S. church records: a genealogist's guide Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., 2019 FHL 973 K27m
 * Arkansas Historical Survey Project, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration, Guide to vital statistic records in Arkansas : volume II, church archives Little Rock, Arkansas : Historical Records Survey, 19?
 * Ashley County, Promised Land Baptist Church of Christ, Church Records, 1863-1902
 * Ashley County, Mount Olive Baptist Church records, 1859-1927
 * Baxter County, Mountain Home Baptist Church Membership list and conference minutes, 1883-1938
 * Baxter County, Calico Rock, United Methodist Church Church records, 1905-1995

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Historical Record Survey. A directory of churches and religious organizations in the state of Arkansas, 1942. Little Rock, Arkansas : Historical Records Survey, 1942
 * Arkansas Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration, Inventory of the church archives of Arkansas : First Church of Christ, Scientist Little Rock, Arkansas : Historical Records Survey (Arkansas), 1941

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.