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Church Records in Family History Research Column published: 23 June 2006 By: Shirley Gage Hodges Biography & Archived Articles 
Church records rank among the very best genealogical records available and were generally kept in a much earlier time period than were civil vital records. We find, however, that church records tend to be one of the least used of the many avenues of research available to the genealogist. This is probably because most folks don't realize what a treasure trove of information is hidden in these records. Perhaps the greatest value of church records is that they do occur far earlier than the civil recordings of birth, marriage, and death. Because civil records are not always available, church records can be vital in reconstructing your family. Baptism, marriage, and burial registers are the records most frequently consulted by genealogists, as they document the vital events of individual congregational members. Other useful records include board and committee minutes, communion rolls and all forms of membership lists; i.e., circuit registers, and historic rolls. You can't expect church records to take the place of vital records and wills and deeds. But never underestimate their potential in solving difficult problems and in providing local color for your history. Church records are also very good supplements to civil vital records. They are excellent sources to fill gaps where official records are missing or were never kept. They often contain important facts that are not recorded in any other source. They help us to tell our ancestor's story. Church records have great possibilities for genealogical research, but they are best used as a way to solve some of the puzzles in our family histories. 
Here are some of the types of records that I will encourage you to look for:
Until next time :) Shirley Hodges, biography & genealogy lectures; email: genealogyshirl@hotmail.com Editor's Note: Shirley Hodges is the author of the popular Guide to United States Census, 1790-1930 Check out the resources at GlobalGenealogy.com:
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