What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?

Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. Sometimes, you will only find a simple membership list. This outline will show the types of details which might be found in the best case scenario. Denominations following practices learned in Europe, where there are state churches (such as the Anglican/Episcopal, Catholic, and Lutheran), are more likely to have full records.

Baptisms or Christenings
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 or Funerals
Burial registers may give:

Membership Lists
Membership lists may give:
 * the name of the person
 * the date and the place the list was made
 * may also give the spouse’s name
 * the date of admission
 * letters of admission or dismissal
 * the name of the congregation they came from or left to
 * a death date, added later

Minutes or Historical Narrative
Many denominations, intersperse records chronologically throughout minutes or church history, without placing them in separate registers.

Other Records
Other records, less specifically genealogical, include:
 * congregational histories
 * church newspapers
 * donation lists
 * pew lists
 * committee officers or lay officers
 * business meeting minutes
 * correspondence
 * Sunday School records
 * church cemetery records
 * pastor's notes or memoirs
 * biographies of pastors