Minnesota Church Records

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Historical Background
The majority of Minnesotans are Protestants, including a large Lutheran contingent, owing to the state's largely Northern European ethnic makeup. Roman Catholics (of largely German, Irish, French and Slavic descent) make up the largest single Christian denomination. A 2010 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life showed that 32 percent of Minnesotans were affiliated with Mainline Protestant traditions, 21 percent were Evangelical Protestants, 28 percent Roman Catholic, 1 percent each Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Black Protestant, and smaller amounts of other faiths, with 13 percent unaffiliated. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, the denominations with the most adherents in 2010 were the Roman Catholic Church with 1,150,367; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with 737,537; and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod with 182,439.

Information Found in the Records
To effectively use church records, become familiar with their content. Click on these links to learn about a specific record type:

Look for online records.
'''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.


 * 1798-1991 - Minnesota, Church Records, 1798-1991. Index and images, incomplete.
 * Dalby Database, index. Coverage is random.

Look for digital copies of church records listed in the FamilySearch Catalog.

 * The Family History Library (FHL) has a substantial collection of original church records and transcripts on microfilm for churches in the United States.
 * Online church records can be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under the state, county, or town.
 * If you find a record that has not yet been digitized, see How do I request that a microfilm be digitized?
 * 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 United States, Minnesota.
 * b. Click on Places within United States, Minnesota and a list of counties will appear.
 * c. Click on your county if it appears.
 * d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Click on Places within United States, Minnesota [COUNTY] and a list of towns will appear.
 * f. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
 * g. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * h. 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.

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Consult available finding aids.
These aids generally provide lists of records that are known to exist and information on their location.
 * Guide to Church Vital Statistics Records in Minnesota: Baptisms, Marriages, Funerals. (Online) St. Paul, Minnesota: Historical Records Survey, 1942. (Family History Library .) This list is by county, then town or city. It mentions the church records of some congregations that existed at the church in 1940 and gives the years that the records were available.
 * Directory of Churches and Religious Organizations in Minnesota (Online). St. Paul, Minnesota: Historical Records Survey, 1941. (Family History Library .) This volume contains an incomplete list of churches; many congregations were missed. Information is arranged first by denomination, then district or conference, then the name of the church. Entries include the address of the church, year of incorporation, and often the name of the minister in 1941.

Correspond with or visit the actual churches.
Some records are still held in the local churches. Contact the current minister to find out what records are still available.
 * Make an appointment to look at the records. Or ask the minister of the church to make a copy of the record for you.
 * To find church staff available, you might have to visit on Sunday.
 * Ask for small searches at a time, such as one birth record or a specific marriage. Never ask for "everything on a family or surname".
 * A donation ($25-$40) for their time and effort to help you would be appropriate.
 * If the church has a website, you may be able to e-mail a message.
 * See the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.
 * Each denomination page offers an online address directory of local churches for that denomination.

Check the church records collections in archives and libraries.
Some church records have been deposited for preservation in government archives or in libraries. Watch for links to digitized, online records offered by the archives. Some archives provide research services for a fee. For others, if you cannot visit in person, you might hire a researcher. '''Here you will find archive information unique to the state. Many more archives are kept by denomination. For denominational archives, go to  Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Congregational
Congregational Library 14 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02108 Phone: (617) 523-0470 Fax: (617) 523-0491

The Congregational Historical Society is also located in the same building. The Congregational Library has a collection of church records and biographies on church leaders. However, they do not have a master surname index to their collection. They have a few items for Minnesota, including records from the Church of the Open Door.

Before beginning research and to have a better understanding of the makeup of the denominations and the location of these records, see:


 * Hage, Anne A., Church Records in Minnesota: A Guide to Parish Records of Congregational, Evangelical, Reformed, and United Church of Christ Churches, 1851–1981. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Minnesota Conference, United Church of Christ, 1983. (Family History Library .) This source mentions the kinds and dates of records at each church up to 1981.

Lutheran
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), Region 3 2481 Como Avenue St. Paul, MN 55108 Phone: (651) 641-3205

The American Lutheran Church (ALC) Archives are now part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) Archives. They have divided their records into nine regions. Region 3 covers Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. If a church is still active, the regional archive can help locate their records. The records of Minnesota churches that have been disbanded are at this archive. For a partial list of Lutheran church records, see:


 * ALC Congregations on Microfilm. Dubuque, Iowa: The Archives, [197–?]. (Family History Library [set of 4.]) No circulation to Family History Centers. Arranged by state and city of congregation. The microfiche number for Minnesota is 6330691. There are over 200 churches listed in Minnesota with the city, name of the church, type of records, county, and their microfilm or microfiche number.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) 8765 West Higgins Road Chicago, IL 60631-4198 Phone: (773) 380-2818 Fax: (773) 380-2977

This archive has microfilm copies of part of the records at the Region 3 facility in St. Paul. They can help locate records of a congregation if you know the name of the congregation.

Methodist
United Methodist Annual Conference 122 West Franklin Avenue, Room 400 Minneapolis, MN 55404 Phone: (612) 870-0058, ext. 249

This conference includes all United Methodist congregations in the state of Minnesota as well as the earlier churches from which they were formed. Some earlier churches include: Methodist, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, Evangelical United Brethren, United Brethren, and United Evangelical.

The first conference, which was formed in 1856, was known as Evangelical Gemeindschaft, or Evangelical Association. There is information about the conference and its congregations before 1856. The conference can help identify and locate existing records. The records may include membership, preparatory membership, baptism, marriage, a few death records, and occasionally a column that lists what happened to the member.


 * Hobart, Chauncey. History of Methodism in Minnesota. 1887. Reprint, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota: Park Genealogical Books, 1992. (Family History Library .) This history contains a glossary of terms used in nineteenth-century Methodism and an every-name index to biographies included in the work.

Presbyterian
Presbyterian Historical Society and Department of History United Presbyterian Church USA 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 Phone: (215) 627-1852 Fax: (215) 627-0509

The Presbyterian congregations own their records. The Presbyterian Historical Society and Department of History have a card file catalog that lists the congregations by the local town name only and this does not include the state. They sort the new records by zip code. They can help you find records if you give them the name of the town. If you know where your ancestor lived, check with the congregations still in existence in that area.

Information about Presbyterian churches before 1907 is found in:


 * Campbell, E. V. History of the Churches of the Presbytery of St. Cloud. St. Cloud, Minnesota: Journal Press, 1907?. (Family History Library .) Gives information about the organization and early life of the Presbyterian Church especially in St. Cloud area.

Roman Catholic
The records most useful to family history researchers are the records of baptism, marriage, burial, and confirmation made by parish priest in the local churches. These are sometimes referred to as sacramental records. Some of these records may remain in the local churches while others have been moved to the diocesan offices and archives.

Archdiocese of St. Paul 226 Summit Avenue St. Paul, MN 55102 Phone: (651) 291-4400 Fax: (651) 290-1629

The Archdiocese of St. Paul has records dating back 150 years that include early sacramental records and correspondence between church and government. They also have correspondence from the Catholic Colonization Society based in Chicago. This correspondence deals with finding and placing Catholic immigrants. They have microfilmed many of their sacramental records. These are available at the archdiocese office. Call or write ahead for an appointment. Several lists of their microfilmed parish records have been published in the last few years of the Minnesota Genealogist.

The Archdiocese includes the counties of: Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Lesueur, Ramsey, Rice, Scott, Washington and Wright.

Diocese of New Ulm 1400 6th Street N. New Ulm, MN 56073-2099 Phone: (507) 359-2966 Fax: (507) 354-3667

The Diocese of New Ulm has microfilmed records available at the Family History Library and the diocesan office.

The diocese includes the counties of: Big Stone, Brown, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Redwood, Renville, Sibley, Swift, and Yellow Medicine.

Diocese of Crookston 1200 Memorial Drive PO Box 610 Crookston, MN 56716 Phone: (218) 281-4533 Fax: (218) 281-3328

The diocese includes the counties of: Becker, Beltrami, Clay, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau.

Diocese of Duluth 2830 East 4th Street Duluth, MN 55812 Phone: (218) 724-9111 Fax: (218) 724-1056

The diocese includes the counties of: Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Crow Wing, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Pine and St. Louis.

Diocese of St. Cloud 214 South 3rd Avenue St. Cloud, MN 56301 Phone: (320) 251-2340 Fax: (320) 251-0470

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1248 St. Cloud, MN 56302

The diocese includes the counties of: Benton, Douglas, Grant, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pope, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.

Many parish records in the Diocese of St. Cloud have been indexed and are accesible on the computers in the Stearns History Museum in St. Cloud, Minnesota. One can search a single parish or all indexed parishes in one search. These indexes are not online, but staff will conduct searches for you for a fee. Contact the Museum about specific parishes and years indexed. Stearns History Museum

Diocese of Winona 55 West Sanborn Street Winona, MN 55987 Phone (507) 454-4643 Fax (507) 454-8106

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 588 Winona, MN 55987

The diocese includes the counties of: Blue Earth, Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Jackson, Martin, Mower, Murray, Nobles, Olmsted, Pipestone, Rock, Steele, Waseca, Watonwan, Winona and Wabasha.

A guide to the Catholic churches in Minnesota is:


 * Catholic Church. Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Official Minnesota Catholic Directory, 1989: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Diocese of Crookston, Diocese of Duluth, Diocese of New Ulm, Diocese of St. Cloud, Diocese of Winona. St. Paul, Minnesota. The Catholic Bulletin, 1988. (Family History Library .) This directory gives the address and telephone number of each church and includes a list of towns and the diocese to which the town belongs. These directories are updated yearly.

The Minnesota Genealogical Society website has information on researching the Catholic parishes.

The Minnesota Historical Society has records of some individual churches and religious groups. Only a few of the church records held by the Minnesota Historical Society have been microfilmed. They have an inventory for each series of church records that lists the contents of each roll of film. These copies are available through inter-library loan.

Correspond with genealogical or historical societies.
Some church records have been given to historical societies. Also, historical societies may be able to tell you where the records are being held. To find a society near you, consult these lists:
 * Society Hill List of Minnesota Societies

Carefully compare any record you find to known facts about the ancestor
You will possibly find many different people with the same name as your ancestor, especially when a family stayed in a locality for several generations, and several children were named after the grandparents or aunts and uncles. Be prepared to find the correct church records by organizing in advance as many of these exact details about the ancestor as possible:
 * name, including middle name and maiden name
 * names of all spouses, including middle and maiden name
 * exact or closely estimated dates of birth, marriage, and death
 * names and approximate birthdates of children
 * all known places of residence
 * occupations
 * military service details

Carefully evaluate the church records you find to make sure you have really found records for your ancestor and not just a "near match". If one or more of the details do not line up, be careful about accepting the entry as your ancestor. There are guiding principles for deciding how to resolve discrepancies between records that are seemingly close. For more instruction in evaluating evidence, read the Wiki article, Evaluate the Evidence.