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New York Church Records

New York Church records for genealogical purposes include membership lists, baptism records, birth, marriage and death records. The information these church records provide tends to depend on the denomination and the record keeper. They often 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. Church records are a great source for substitute census records, as they place a person at a certain location at a certain time. Church records are generally the best source for early vital records, as many cities, towns or counties didn't record vital records till the late 1800's.


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New York Church Records By County


Repositories for New York Church Records

Some denominations have collected their records into central repositories. You can contact the following repositories to learn more about their holdings and how to access them.

Baptist Church Records

American Baptist Historical Society
3001 Mercer University Dr.
Atlanta, Georgia 30341
Phone: (678) 547-6680


Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

Early church records, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for New York Wards and Branches are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City.


Congregational Church Records

The Congregational Library
14 Beacon Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
Phone: (617) 523-0470


Dutch Reformed Church Records

The Archives of the Reformed Church in America
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
Gardner A. Sage Library
21 Seminary Place
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1159
Phone: (732) 246-1779


Episcopal Church Records

Episcopal Diocese of New York
1047 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, New York 10025
Phone: (212) 316-7400
Fax: (212) 932-7345

There are also dioceses of Albany, Central New York, Long Island, Rochester, and Western New York.


Jewish Church Records

Most synagogue records have not been centralized, so you must write to the local congregation.


Lutheran Church Records

Library of the Council National Lutheran
50 Madison Avenue
New York City, NY 10010

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
ELCA Archives
321 Bonnie Lane
Elk Grove Village, Illinois 60007
Phone: (847) 690-9410

Atlantic District Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
171 White Plains Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
Phone: (914) 337-5700
Fax: (914) 337-7471


Methodist Church Records

United Methodist Archives Center
General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church
Drew University Library
P.O. Box 127
Madison, New Jersey 07940
Phone: (973) 408-3189
Fax: (973) 408-3909

Moravian Church Records

The Moravian Archives
41 West Locust Street
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018
Phone: (610) 866-3255
Fax: (610) 866-9210
Website: Website


Presbyterian Church Records

Presbyterian Historical Society and Department of History
United Presbyterian Church in the USA
425 Lombard Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19147-1516
Telephone: (215) 627-1852
Fax: 215-627-0509


Roman Catholic Church Records

Most Catholic records have not been gathered to central repositories. You must determine the town where your ancestors lived and the parish they most likely attended and then write to that parish. If a parish has closed, the records may have been sent to the diocesan archives or a nearby parish. If the diocese does not have an archives, the diocese chancellor usually knows where the records are.


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