Pennsylvania Church Records

United States &gt; Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania was founded as a place of refuge and religious freedom for many diverse groups from Great Britain and Europe. Important religious groups in colonial Pennsylvania were the Society of Friends (Quakers), the German Lutheran, German Reformed, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist, and Catholic churches, and the German Pietist groups, including the Brethren (Dunkard), Mennonites, and Moravians. Before 1900 the major religious groups in Pennsylvania were the Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic churches.

Because the keeping of vital records began late in the history of Pennsylvania, church records will play a roll in family history research. It is important that the researcher know the religious affiliation of their ancestor and be able to identify the church or churches their ancestor attended. County histories can help identfy extinct and extant churches in the locality where the ancestor lived.

Ministers assigned to a particular church may have "rode the circuit' to outlying areas to perform various ordinances for their parishoners. Records for itnerate (circuit riders) ministers may be recorded in their personal records or the records of the church where they are assigned. County histories may help to identify pastors who served in the particular county and what churches they were assigned too.

If the records can only be viewed at the church, make an appointment with the minister or secretary to examine the records. Remember, the records are the property of the church. There may be instances when the minister or a representive will not allow you to view the record but will look at the record for you.

A detailed Historical Records Survey inventory of church records available at the State Library of Pennsylvania is Inventory of Church Archives in Pennsylvania, Historical Records Survey (on 72 Family History Library films beginning with 1014729). It lists many Pennsylvania churches existing in the 1930s. It is arranged by county and can help you identify the church your ancestors attended.

The Family History Library has extensive collections of church records for the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reformed (United Church of Christ), and Society of Friends denominations. Many transcripts of local church records have been published.

The Family History Library also has histories of the Church of the Brethren, the Society of Friends, and the Baptist, Schwenkfelder, Evangelical Lutheran, Reformed, Presbyterian, Moravian, and Catholic churches in Pennsylvania.

Two of the largest groups were the German Lutheran and Reformed churches. For excellent information on the various congregations and their histories and records, see Charles H. Glatfelter, Pastors and Peoples, 2 vols. (Breingsville, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1980 and 1981 as vols. 13 and 15 of The Publications of the Pennsylvania German Society; Family History Library books 974.8 B4pgp vol. 13, 15).

Missions
Moravian Missions to the Delaware Indians

Friedenshutten, Gnaddenheutten, Languntouteneunk and Lawunakhannek

Church Record Repositories
Many denominations have deposited their records in central repositories. You can write to the following addresses for more information. Additional copies of church records may be located at the county historical and genealogical societies. Records at the societies may be more easily accessible.

Baptist
The Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary 6 Lancaster Ave Wynnewood, PA 19096-34 Telephone: 610-896-5000

Episcopal
Diocese of Pennsylvania The History Committee 240 S. 4th Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Telephone: 215-627-6434 Fax: 215-627-7550

http://www.diopa.org/

This diocese has records for churches that are now closed for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties only. Churches that are not closed should be contacted for their records. The appropriate diocese holds the records for other counties.

Lutheran
A. R. Wentz Library Lutheran Theological Seminary 61 Seminary Ridge Gettysburg, PA 17325 Telephone: 717-334-6286 Email: [mailto:info@ltsg.edu info@ltsg.edu]

The A. R. Wentz Library records are not available to the general public, but the Family History Library has filmed many of their church records.

Northeast Regional Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia

Krauth Memorial Library Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia Seminary Ridge Gettysburg PA 17325 Phone: 717-334-6286, ext 2131 [mailto:echrist@ltsg.edu ]

[mailto:echrist@ltsg.edu http://www.ltsp.edu/krauth/archives.html]

Tri-Synod Archives Thiel College 75 College Avenue Greenville PA 16125 Phone: 724-589-2131

The archives has the records for the local congregations that have disbanded in the eastern third of Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, New England, and upstate New York. Those congregations still active will have all their records or will know where their older records are located.

A helpful source is Frederick S. Weiser, Pennsylvania Lutheran Church Records, 4 vols. (Family History Library book 974.8 K2L; films 824350-52). This includes records from Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Lebanon, Northumberland, Snyder, and York counties.

Moravian Church
The Moravian Archives 41 West Locust Street Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018 United States of America

Phone: (610) 866-3255 Fax: (610) 866-9210 info@moravianchurcharchives.org

Presbyterian
Presbyterian Historical Society 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 Telephone: 215-627-1852 Fax: 215-627-0509

Website http://www.history.pcusa.org

The society and the Family History Library have:

Miscellaneous Biographical Collection. (On 69 Family History Library films beginning with 506383.) This is a very large collection of biographies, national in scope.

Inventory of the Church Archives of Pennsylvania Presbyterian Churches. Works Progress Administration, compiled from 1936-1940. (On 24 Family History Library films beginning with 899326.)

Reformed
Archives of the Evangelical and Reformed Church Philip Schaff Library Evangelical and Reformed Historical Library 555 W. James Street Lancaster, PA 17603-2830 Telephone: 717-290-8707 Fax: 717-393-4254 [mailto:library@lancasterseminary.edu ]

[mailto:library@lancasterseminary.edu Website : http://www.erhs.info/ ]

A guide to the records in this library is Florence M. Bricker, comp. and ed., Church and Pastoral Records in the Archives of the United Church of Christ and the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society, Lancaster, PA(Lancaster, PA: The Society, 1982; Family History Library book 974.815/LI K23e).

Roman Catholic
Archives of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia St. Charles Borromeo Seminary 100 E. Wynnewood Road Wynnewood, PA 19096 Telephone: 610-667-3394

For a listing of many vital records, see Albert H. Ledoux. Catholic Vital Records of Central Pennsylvania, 4 vols. (Altoona, PA: A. H. Ledoux, 1993-1996; Family History Library book 974.8 K2Le).

Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records, 1695-1954: This database only contains the French Catholic parish records from the United States; in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Pennsylvania. The types of records include baptisms, marriages, and burials as well as confirmations, dispensations, censuses, statements of readmission to the church, and so on. They are written mainly in French, as well as English, Latin, and Italian.

Society of Friends (Quakers)
For Hicksite records:

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Swarthmore College 500 College Avenue Swarthmore, PA 19081 Telephone: 610-328-8493 http://www.swarthmore.edu

For Orthodox records:

Quaker Collection Haverford College James P. Magill Library 370 Lancaster Avenue Haverford, PA 19041-1392 Telephone: 610-896-1000

A card index to Quaker records is William Wade Hinshaw, The William Wade Hinshaw Index to Quaker Meeting Records in the Friends Library in Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania (on 73 Family History Library films beginning with 2146).

For help in finding Quaker records, see:

''Inventory of Church Archives, Society of Friends in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA: Historical Records Survey, 1941''. (Family History Library book 974.8 A3i; films 982060 item 1, 844541 item 2.)

Hinshaw, William Wade. ''Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. 6 Vols. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Brothers, 1936-1950''. (Vols. 2 and 4 list Pennsylvania records; Family History Library book 973 D2he; vol. 2 is on films 432600-1, vol. 4 is onfilms 432603-4 and fiche 6051377.)

See also The William Wade Hinshaw Index to Pennsylvania Quaker Meeting Records. 8 vols. (Kokomo, Indiana: Selby Publishing &amp; Printing, 1990; Family History Library book 974.8 K2w).

An important resource for Eastern Pennsylvania is Jack Eckert, Guide to the Records of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Philadelphia, PA: Haverford College, Records Committee of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Swarthmore College, 1989; Family History Library book 974.8 K23e). It also contains a bibliography, a glossary, and the record location for the other yearly meetings throughout the United States and Canada. The yearly meeting includes the monthly and quarterly meeting records, etc., under its jurisdiction.

Many sources are also listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under PENNSYLVANIA - CHURCH HISTORY.

A few church records have been indexed for most Pennsylvania Counties in the I Dream of Genealogy website. They are indexed by County, Township and then Church.