Presbyterian Church in the United States

United States   Church Records   Presbyterian Church Records

Online Records

 * U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970, index and images, Ancestry.com, ($)
 * Miscellaneous Biographical Collection. Presbyterian Historical Society (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1967.
 * Presbyterian Ministers: A list of ministers and the churches they served.
 * Indian correspondence, 1830-1895; index, 1830-1895], includes correspondence and index from the Indian territories, sometimes called Presbyterian missionary correspondence.
 * The FamilySearch Library has a substantial collection of original church records and transcripts on microfilm for churches in the United States. These include records of many denominations, particularly the Society of Friends (Quaker), Presbyterian, Congregational, Lutheran, Reformed, and Roman Catholic churches.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * There are thousands of entries of digitized Presbyterian church records listed in the FamilySearch Catalog:
 * Online church records can be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog state-wide, county-wide, or for a 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 statewide records:
 * a. Enter your state name in the "Place" search field of FamilySearch Catalog. You will see a list of topics and, at the top, the phrase "Places within United States, [STATE]".
 * b. Click on "Church records" in the topic list. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.


 * To find county-wide records:
 * c. From the original page, click on Places within United States, [STATE] and a list of counties will appear.
 * d. Click on your county.
 * e. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.


 * To find town records:
 * f. From the list of counties, click on Places within United States, [STATE], [COUNTY] and a list of towns will appear.
 * g. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
 * h. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * i. 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.

Baptisms
Can be for children or adults. Name, parents' names. Sometimes full families were baptized again. Often noted in membership lists rather than separate registers.

Marriages
May be in membership lists, congregation narratives, or separate registers:
 * bride and groom name
 * date and place
 * parents' names
 * residences
 * witnesses

Burials
May be in membership lists, baptism registers, session minutes, burial lists, or cemetery records.

Membership Lists
Names, possible wife's or husband's name, moving in or out dates, possibly former residence or where moving next.

Session Minutes
Can include baptism, marriage, death, discipline, church assignments, move-in/move-out notes.

Presbyterian Missionary Correspondence

 * Indian Correspondence, 1830-1895; index, 1830-1895.57 microfilm. FHL first film 906123
 * Indexes include Biography, Chronological and Tribal indexes.

Finding Aids

 * Hall's Index of American Presbyterian Congregations
 * Benedetto, Robert. Guide to the Manuscript Collections of the Presbyterian Church, USA. New York, New York: Greenwood Press, 1990. Book 973 A3ben. Indexed. WorldCat.

Writing to Local Churches
The many records are still held in the local churches. See the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters. This list represents some of the largest Presbyterian denominations. Also Google, using keyword "Churches near _____", inserting the name and state where your ancestors lived, to find churches not included in these address lists:
 * Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Find a Congregation
 * Presbyterian Church in America Church Directory
 * Cumberland Presbyterian Church Directory
 * Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (General Synod) Church Locations
 * Orthodox Presbyterian Church Locator
 * Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America
 * Bible Presbyterian Church Contact Information
 * Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America

Presbyterian Church (USA)

 * Presbyterian Historical Society 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 Phone: (215) 627-1852 Fax: (215) 627-0509


 * Online Index for their collection. This includes a Congregation Vertical Files Index, a Biographical Vertical Files Index and Hall's Index of American Presbyterian Congregations.


 * Hall's Index of American Presbyterian Congregations
 * CALVIN: Online Catalog Search Engine

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 * Church Record Surveys
 * Genealogy Research Service
 * Southern Region
 * Presbyterian Church (USA) Dept. of History 318 Georgia Terrace Box 849 Montreat, NC 28757 Telephone: 704-669-7061 Fax: 704-669-5369
 * Website


 * Northern Region: Use Presbyterian Historical Society''' above.


 * Columbia Theological Seminary
 * C. Benton Kline, Jr. Special Collections and Archives<br
 * 701 S. COLUMBIA DR.
 * DECATUR, GA 30030
 * Phone: 404-378-8821


 * Search Engine
 * Large collection of congregational records from southern states.

Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)
Archives and Manuscript Repository for the Continuing Presbyterian Church Covenant Theological Seminary 478 Covenant Lane St. Louis, Missouri 63141 Phone: (314) 469-9077 Email: archivist@pcahistory.org
 * Website

Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA)

 * RPCNA Rrchives
 * Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
 * 7418 Penn Avenue
 * Pittsburgh, PA 15208
 * Website