Niue Church Records

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Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Niue, go to the Religious Records page.

Online Resources and Websites

• Church records, 1872-1949: London Missionary Society (Niue), Register of baptisms, 1926-1947 Register of church members, 1872-1912 Logbook and statistics, together with chronicle of important events, 1774-1949 Church roll, last revision, 1948.

Historical Background

Religions:

Ekalesia Niue (Congregational Christian Church of Niue – a Protestant church founded by missionaries from the London Missionary Society) 67%

Other Protestant 3% (includes Seventh-day Adventist 1%, Presbyterian 1%, and Methodist 1%)

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 10%

Roman Catholic 10%

Jehovah's Witnesses 2%

Information Recorded in the Records

Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

Baptisms

In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

baptism date the infant's name parents' names father's occupation

status of legitimacy occasionally, names of grandparents names of witnesses or godparents, who may be relatives

birth date and place the family's place of residence death information, as an added note or signified by a cross

Marriages

Marriage registers can give:

the marriage date the names of the bride and groom indicate whether the bride and groom were single or widowed their ages

birth dates and places for the bride and groom their residences their occupations

birthplaces of the bride and groom parents' names (after 1800) the names of previous spouses and their death dates names of witnesses, who might be relatives.

Burials

Burial registers may give:

the name of the deceased the date and place of death or burial the deceased's age place of residence

cause of death the names of survivors, especially a widow or widower deceased's birth date and place parents' names, or at least the father's name

How to Find Records

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog

Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:

a. Click on the records of Niue.

b. Click on Places within Niue and a list of towns will appear.

c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.

d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.

e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. . The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

Writing for Records

You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. Use Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters. English and Niuean are both official languages. If sending the letter in English fails, you can hie a Niuean translation service.

Catholic Church Records

Dioceses of the Catholic Church in Oceania (Niue diocese is part of the Tonga Archdiocese)

Writing to a Local Parish

St Joseph the Worker – Parish
Parish Priest: Father Anaua Finau
PO Box 26, Alofi North, NIUE ISLAND

Phone no: +(683) 4164
Mob. +(683) 5441
+(683) 5717
Email: anauafinau@niue.nu
anauafinau@yahoo.co.uk

Historical Background

For a detailed history, see History of the Catholic Church in Niue

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Records

Online Records

Online information is available to current members, for deceased members and immediate family members who are still living. Sign in to FamilySearch and then select Family Tree in the drop-down menu.

Historical Background

The first Church members in Niue were Fritz Bunge-Kruger and his family, who arrived in 1952 to do missionary work. He traveled about the island and showed movies, and then, with the contacts he made, started a home Sunday School. It soon grew to an attendance of 80. They moved to a local dance hall for meetings and on 29 May 1952, a Mutual Improvement Association was organized. Because of persecution during open air meetings, activities were held quietly at first, but at times entire villages attended. On 12 February 1955, work commenced on the Alofi Chapel with a handful of members raising money and doing much of the building by hand. They were assisted by labor missionaries. The building was completed in 1958. Additional Church buildings were erected later.

About a third or more of the Niuean members have moved to New Zealand. Devastating hurricanes hit the island in 1959, 1960, and 1990. Many homes were leveled.

In January 2004, a super tropical cyclone destroyed the vital birth, death and marriage records of the island. The Church had microfilmed these records starting in 1994, which preserved the information that had been destroyed. In February 2004, copies of the microfilmed records were presented to the Niueans. Total Church Membership: 308. Congregations: 2.

Congregational Christian Church of Niue Records

Writing for Records

Ekalesia Niue
Fale Senetenali
PO 25
Alofi
Niue (Ocenania)

Telephone: +683 4513, 4409
Fax: +683 4010
Email: ekalesia.niue@niue.nu
Address-No.: 1439 / 5055

Historical Background

The Congregational Christian Church of Niue (abbreviated CCCN, also known as Ekalesia Niue or the Church of Niue) is a Christian denomination in Niue and New Zealand. It is rooted in the Congregationalist part of the Reformed tradition. It is the largest religious denomination in Niue, claiming approximately 75% of Niue's population as members.

In Niue, the church has up to 1,190 members in 16 congregations and 10 house fellowships with 12 pastors. It also has a presence among the roughly 4,500 Niueans living in New Zealand.

The CCCN was founded in Niue by Samoan missionaries from the London Missionary Society (L.M.S.) during the 1840s and the 1850s. The churches was organized along Congregational lines under Rev. William George Lawes and his brother Frank E. Lawes. They also trained missionaries from Niue. Further succession of missionaries between 1910 and 1970 moved toward independence in close association with the Congregational Churches of New Zealand. In New Zealand there are about 15,000 people from Niue, mostly Congregational religion.

The church in Niue has been independent since 1966. It was known as the L.M.S. Church in Niue until 1970, when it became autonomous and adopted the name "Ekalesia Niue". It has since changed its name to its current form.

Seventh-day Adventist Church Records

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Seventh-day Adventist churches in Niue