Pentecostal Church in the United States

United States   Church Records   Pentecostal Church Records

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History in the United States
Pentecostalism or Classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Christian movement. Pentecostalism emerged in the early 20th century among adherents of the Holiness movement who were energized by revivalism and expectation for the imminent Second Coming of Christ. Comprising over 700 denominations and many independent churches, there is no central authority governing Pentecostalism. However, many denominations are affiliated with the Pentecostal World Fellowship. There are over 279 million Pentecostals worldwide, and the movement is growing in many parts of the world, especially the global South. Source: Wikipedia

Finding Records
"Pentecostal" is a description that applies to over 700 churches thst have no central organization. You will need to contact a specific church and discuss records kept.

Correspond with or visit the actual churches.
Some records are still held in the local churches. Contact the current minister to find out what records are still available.
 * Make an appointment to look at the records. Or ask the minister of the church to make a copy of the record for you.
 * To find church staff available, you might have to visit on Sunday.
 * Ask for small searches at a time, such as one birth record or a specific marriage. Never ask for "everything on a family or surname".
 * A donation ($25-$40) for their time and effort to help you would be appropriate.
 * If the church has a website, you may be able to e-mail a message.
 * See the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.

Address lists:
 * USAChurches.org Pentecostal Church Directory
 * ChurchAngel.com Listing of Assemblies of God
 * ChurchAngel.com Evangelical Church Directory

Check the church records collections in archives and libraries.
Some church records have been deposited for preservation in government archives or in libraries. Watch for links to digitized, online records offered by the archives. Some archives provide research services for a fee. For others, if you cannot visit in person, you might hire a researcher.


 * Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Archive


 * Consortium of Pentecostal Archives
 * Digital Collections


 * United Pentecostal Church International - Apostolic Archives


 * Pentecostal Online Archives


 * Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center The FPHC is dedicated to preserving and sharing materials relating to the Assemblies of God and the ...


 * The International Pentecostal Holiness Church Archives & Research Centeri

Carefully compare any record you find to known facts about the ancestor
You will possibly find many different people with the same name as your ancestor, especially when a family stayed in a locality for several generations, and several children were named after the grandparents or aunts and uncles. Be prepared to find the correct church records by gathering in advance as many of these exact details about the ancestor as possible:
 * name, including middle name and maiden name
 * names of all spouses, including middle and maiden name
 * exact or closely estimated dates of birth, marriage, and death
 * names and approximate birthdates of children
 * all known places of residence
 * occupations
 * military service details

Carefully evaluate the church records you find to make sure you have really found records for your ancestor and not just a "near match". If one or more of the details do not line up, be careful about accepting the entry as your ancestor. There are guiding principles for deciding how to resolve discrepancies between records that are seemingly close. For more instruction in evaluating evidence, read the Wiki article, Evaluate the Evidence.