North Carolina Church Records

United States   North Carolina    Church Records

Introduction
Church records and the information they provide vary greatly 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.

Major religious denominations were established in North Carolina in the following years: Society of Friends (Quakers) (1672), Anglican (1700), Baptist (1727), Presbyterian (1730), Lutheran (1740), Moravian (1753), and Methodist (1772). The Baptist church was dominant by 1860 and remains so today.

The Family History Library has some church records for the Baptists, Society of Friends, and other groups. The library also has histories of the Baptist, Christian, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Society of Friends, Methodist, Moravian, and Protestant Episcopal denominations.

The Moravians, Lutherans, and Society of Friends kept detailed records, and some of these have been published. Many denominations have collected their records into central repositories. You can write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located:

Baptist
Baptist Historical Collection Z. Smith Reynolds Library Wake Forest University P.O. Box 7777 Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7777 Telephone: 336-758-5089 Fax: 336-758-5605

Free Will Baptist Historical Collection Moye Library Mount Olive College 634 Henderson St. Mount Olive, NC 28365-1699 Telephone: 919-658-7827 Toll Free: 1-800-653-0854 Fax: 919-658-8934

The Primitive Baptist Library 4023 North Highway 87 Elon College, NC 27244 Telephone: 336-278-2000 (An appointment should be made before visiting.)

For a history of the Baptist churches, see:


 * Paschal, George Washington. History of the North Carolina Baptists. 2 vols. Raleigh, North Carolina: North Carolina Baptist State Convention, 1930–55. 975.6 K2p. There are useful chapters in these volumes concerning the various Baptist associations and groups from the 1600s to about 1860. Mention is made of the various ministers.

There are several inventories that describe the churches and records of Southern Baptist associations, such as:


 * Alleghany Association Book 975.6 K2ha; Film 1320847 item 11
 * Brunswick Association Film 1036844 item 28
 * Central Association Book 975.6 K2hc; Film 1320847 item 4
 * Flat River Association Book 975.6 K2hf; Film 1320847 item 1
 * Raleigh Association Book 975.6 K2hr; Film 1320847 item 5
 * Yancey Association Book 975.6 K2hy; Film 1320847 item 3

A two-volume collection of biographies is:


 * Hamby, Robert P. Brief Baptist Biographies, 1707–1982. 2 vols. Greenville, S.C.: A Press, 1982. 975.6 K2h. The Family History Library has volume 2 only.
 * The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research has an article "Some Baptist Ministers of South Carolina at the Turn of the Century" which is an 1899 directory of Baptist ministers. It lists biographical details about many ministers born or serving in the state.
 * The Ministerial Directory of the Baptist Churches in the United States of America. Oxford, Ohio: Ministerial Directory Co., 1899. Digital version at Google Books.

Church of England (Anglican, Episcopal)
Diocese of North Carolina 200 West Morgan Street Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27619

Telephone: 919-834-7474 or 1-800-448-8775 Fax: 919-834-7546

Diocese of Western North Carolina 900-B Central Park Drive Asheville, NC 28805

Telephone: 828-225-6656 Fax 828-225-6657 E-mail: [mailto:bishop@diocesewnc.org bishop@diocesewnc.org]

Diocese of East Carolina 705 Doctors Drive P. O. Box 1336 Kingston, NC 28503

Telephone: 252-522-0885 Fax 252-532-5272 E-mail: [mailto:diocese@diocese-eastcarolina.org diocese@diocese-eastcarolina.org]

For a history, see:
 * London, Lawrence Foushee and Sarah McCulloh Lemmon. The Episcopal Church in North Carolina, 1701-1959. Raleigh, N.C.: The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, 1987..

To learn more about the origins of Church of England ministers sent to North Carolina from England during the colonial period, start with these books:


 * Fothergill, Gerald. A List of Emigrant Ministers to America, 1690-1811. London: E. Stock, 1904. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books; Internet Archive, 1965 reprint:
 * Weis, Frederick Lewis. The Colonial Clergy of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Boston, Mass.: Society of the Descendants of Colonial Clergy, 1955. ; digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Society of the Descendants of the Colonial Clergy points researchers to many valuable resources.

Church of England ministers sent to North Carolina were often educated at the English universities of Cambridge and Oxford. The website Expert Links: English Family History and Genealogy contains links to many of these university's records available online under the "Occupations" section.

The Clergy of the Church of England website (work in progress) also contains details of many of their ministerial careers before departing for America.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
Early church records, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for North Carolina 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 locate through the Family History Library Catalog. Or by refering to Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. ; . These volumes contain the film numbers for many (but not all) membership and temple record films.

Disciples of Christ
Discipliana Collections Barton College Wilson, NC 27893

Telephone: 252-399-6352 Toll Free: 1-800-345-4973 (Call for an appointment.)

Lutheran
Archives, North Carolina Synod Lutheran Church in America 1988 Lutheran Synod Dr. Salisbury, NC 28144-5700

Telephone: 704-633-4861 Fax: 704-638-0508

For historical background information, see:


 * Bernheim, Gotthardt Dellmann, and George H. Cox. The History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Ministerium of North Carolina: In Commemoration of the Completion of the First Century of Its Existence. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.: Published for the Synod by the Lutheran Publication Society, 1902. 975.6 K2b. The history of the various congregations is discussed. The ministers to about 1900 are listed with the dates when they served.

Methodist
United Methodist Church Archives P.O. Box 127 Drew University 36 Madison Ave. Madison, NJ 07940-3189

Telephone: 973-408-3189 Fax: 973-408-3909 E-mail: [mailto:research@gcah.org research@gcah.org]

Records of the Methodist Episcopal Church are at this archive. Searches are limited to obituaries of ordained clergy and can be conducted for a non-refundable fee.

Western N.C. Conference Archives 3400 Shamrock Drive P. O. Box 18005 Charlotte, NC 28218

Telephone: 704-535-2260, ext. 44

Eastern North Carolina Conference Archives Methodist Building 1307 Glenwood Ave. P.O. Box 10955 Raleigh, NC 27605

Telephone: 919-832-9560 E-mail: [mailto:archives_history@ncc.org archives_history@ncc.org]

Southern North Carolina Conference Archives Heritage Center 710 N. Lakeshore Dr. Lake Junaluska, NC 28745

Telephone: 828-452-2881

Mailing address: Southern North Carolina Conference Archives P. O. Box 1165 Lake Junaluska, NC 28745

Moravian
Moravian Archives 457 South Church Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Telephone: 336-722-1742 E-mail: [mailto:moravianarchives@mcsp.org moravianarchives@mcsp.org]

An extensive set of books about the Moravians in North Carolina is:


 * Records of the Moravians in North Carolina, 1752–1879. 11 vols. Raleigh, North Carolina: Edwards &amp; Broughton, 1922–1969. Book 975.6 F2m; Films 1321198 and 1321210–1321211. Each volume is indexed.
 * Clewell, John Henry. History of Wachovia in North Carolina; the Unitas Fratrum or Moravian Church in North Carolina During a Century and a Half, 1752-1902. New York: Doubleday, Page and Company, 1902. Digital version at Internet Archive.

Presbyterian
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Presbyterian Historical Society 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 Telephone: 215-627-1852 Fax: 215-627-0509 Send queries to: [mailto:refdesk@history.pcusa.org refdesk@history.pcusa.org]

Roman Catholic
Two Roman Catholic Dioceses serve North Carolina:

The Diocese of Raleigh serves the following North Carolina counties: Alamance, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Chatham, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Tyrrell, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson.


 * Archives of the Diocese of Raleigh The Catholic Center 715 Nazareth Street Raleigh, NC 27603


 * Telephone: 919-821-9700 Fax: 919-821-9705 (call in advance for an appointment)

The Diocese of Charlotte serves the following North Carolina counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Guilford, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Scotland, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, Yancey.

Archives of the Diocese of Charlotte 1524 East Morehead St. P.O. Box 36776 Charlotte, NC 28236


 * Telephone: 704-377-6871 Fax: 704-358-1208 (An appointment is required.)

Society of Friends (Quakers)
Friends Historical Collection Hege Library 5800 West Friendly Ave. Greensboro, NC 27410-4175

Telephone: 336-316-2000 Fax: 336-316-2950 E-mail: [mailto:mchijiok@guilford.edu mchijiok@guilford.edu]

For histories of North Carolina Quakers, see:


 * Anscombe, Francis Charles. I Have Called You Friends: The Story of Quakerism in North Carolina. Boston, Massachusetts: Christopher Publishing House, 1959. 975.6 K2a
 * Bowden, James. The History of the Society of Friends in America. 2 vols. London: W. &amp; F.G. Cash, 1850-1854. Digital version of Vol. 1 at Google Books; 973 F2bj v. 1 [Volume 1 includes Carolina.]

The records of the 33 oldest monthly meetings that belonged to the North Carolina yearly meeting of Friends (dating from the 1680s to as late as 1914 in some cases) are published in volume 1 of:


 * Hinshaw, William Wade. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. 6 Vols. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Brothers, 1936-1950. Volume I covers North Carolina Monthly Meetings. 973 D2he 1969; digital version at Ancestry ($). To locate copies nearest you, use WorldCat.

Another source is:


 * Bjorkman, Gwen Boyer. Quaker Marriage Certificates: Pasquotank, Perquimans, Piney Woods, and Suttons Creek Monthly Meetings, North Carolina, 1677–1800. Bowie, Maryland.: Heritage, 1988. 975.6 K2bg

Church records can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Place Search under:

NORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY]- CHURCH RECORDS

NORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- CHURCH RECORDS