New Zealand Church Directories

A church directory lists church officials and outlines the organization of the church. It also identifies the location of congregations of the church. There are many genealogical uses for church directories:


 * Anglican and Catholic church directories identify dioceses and their parishes.
 * Directories list all congregations of a church and their locations. They may give the date of the formation of the congregations so you can determine if one was located when and where your ancestors lived.
 * Directories may include historical information about a church congregation.
 * Directories provide addresses and phone numbers of congregations.

Many church directories are published annually. Some international church organizations publish directories which include their New Zealand ministers and church locations. The Family History Library has a few church directories. Look in the Family History Library Catalog, Locality Search, under:

NEW ZEALAND - CHURCH DIRECTORIES

In New Zealand, church directories are found in the collections of the various church archives. See the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline for addresses.

The Marriage Act of 1847 required the annual registration of all licensed officiating ministers, and the lists of ministers were published each year in the New Zealand Gazette. In 1990, the New Zealand Society of Genealogists published the lists for 1848-1900 on microfiche, which are available at the main Family History Library. (FHL Fiche 6344560. No circulation to Family History Centers.) These published lists can serve as a directory of the churches in New Zealand throughout the years. They give the name of the minister, the denomination, and the location of the church.