Louisiana, Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains church records from 1836 to 1938, from different denominations located in several counties in Louisiana. These records include births, baptisms, marriages, banns, deaths, and burials. Some representative churches include:
 * Mt. Olivet Protestant Episcopal Church (Algiers)
 * First Congregation Church (New Orleans)
 * Lafayette Presbyterian Church (New Orleans)
 * Eros Branch, Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Church 1890-1919

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Church records may include:
 * The names of the members
 * Dates and places for significant events, such as birth, marriage, and death
 * The names of parents

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the individual
 * The approximate date and or location 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?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Search for vital records such as birth, marriage, and death
 * Search for the family in census records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
 * Use the information in the church records to find obituaries and cemetery records

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 records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

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

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Donald J. Hebert, A guide to church records in Louisiana (1720-1975) Eunice, Louisiana : Donald J. Hebert, c1975 FHL 976.3 K23h
 * Records of the Diocese of Louisiana and the Floridas at the University of Notre Dame archives, 1513-1803 Notre Dame, Indiana : University Of Notre Dame Archives, 1967

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * War Services Program, Service Division, Work Projects Administration, Guide to vital statistics records of church archives in Louisiana New Orleans, Louisiana : Louisiana State Board of Health, 1942 2 volumes in One v. 1. Protestant and Jewish churches -- v. 2. Roman Catholic churches.

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.