Oklahoma Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. Records may include names of other relatives who were witnesses or members of the congregation. The members of some churches were predominantly of one nationality or ethnic group.

Before 1900 the largest religious groups in Oklahoma were the Baptist, Roman Catholic, Disciples of Christ, and Methodist churches. An inventory of churches and church records is Preliminary List of Churches and Religious Organizations in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Historical Records Survey, 1942. book 976.6 K2h; fiche 6046945. This lists Southern Baptist, Disciples of Christ, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist, and Roman Catholic churches.

The Family History Library has very few church records from Oklahoma. The library has histories of some local churches and congregations.

Missions
Tallahassee Mission

Denominations
Many denominations have collected their records in central repositories. You can write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located:

Baptist
Southern Baptist Convention 901 Commerce Street #400 Nashville, TN 37203-3699 Phone: (615) 244-0344 Fax: (615) 782-4821

Their catalog is available on their Internet site.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
Early church records for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for Oklahoma Wards and Branches, can be found on film and are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The film numbers for each ward can be located through the FamilySearch Catalog or by referring to Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston, Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers, 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. (FHL book 979.2258 A3j; fiche 6031507). These volumes contain the film numbers for many (but not all) membership and temple record films.

Disciples of Christ
Disciples of Christ Historical Society 1101 Nineteenth Avenue, South Nashville, TN 37212 Phone: (615) 327-1444 Fax: (615) 327-1445

Methodist
United Methodist Archives Center Drew University Library 36 Madison Avenue P. O. Box 127 Madison, NJ 07940 Phone: (973) 408-3590 Fax: (973) 408-3909

For a history of the Methodist Church, see Sidney H. Babcock, and John Y. Bryce, History of Methodism in Oklahoma: Story of the Indian Mission Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. N. p., 1935. book 976.6 K21b; fiche 6,100,019

Moravian Church
The Moravian Archives 41 West Locust Street Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018 United States of America Phone: (610) 866-3255 Fax: (610) 866-9210

For information concerning missions to the American Indians visit Moravian Missions Among American Indians. For a map and list of missions visit Early Moravian Missions in Eastern Pennsylvania and Surrounding Areas 1740-1773.

Mission records are also available in the. The records are indexed in the Book 970.1 F642i.

Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Pastoral Center Offices 7501 N.W. Expressway Oklahoma City, OK 73132 Phone: (405) 721-5651 Fax: (405) 721-5210

The Archdiocese includes the counties of: Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cimarron, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa Lincoln, Logan, Love, Major, Marshall, McClain, Murray, Noble, Oklahoma, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, roger Mills, Seminole, Stephens, Ttexas,Tillman, Washita, Woodward and Woods.

For a history of the Catholic Church see Thomas E. Brown, Bible Belt Catholicism: A History of The Roman Catholic Church in Oklahoma, 1905-1945. New York, NewYork: United States Catholic Historical Society, 1977. .

Diocese of Tulsa 12300E. 91st St., S Broken Arrow, OK 74012 Phone: (918) 307-4900

Mailing Address P.O. Box 690240 Tulsa, OK 74169

The above addresses are for the archives. There are no records at the diocese site.

The diocese includes the counties of: Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Cherokee, Choctaw, Coal, Craig, Delaware, Haskell, Hughes, Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain, McIntosh, Mayes, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne Pittsburg, Pushmataha, Rogers, Seqyoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington.