Sudan Church Records

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Church Records

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

Online Resources and Websites

• UK, Foreign and Overseas Registers of British Subjects, 1628-1969, index ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Sudan, index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Africa at Findmypast - index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Sudan , index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Africa at Findmypast - index & images ($)
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials at Findmypast - index & images ($)

Historical Background

At the 2011 division which split off South Sudan, over 97% of the population in the remaining Sudan adheres to Islam. Long-established groups of Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Christians exist in Khartoum and other northern cities. Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox communities also exist in Khartoum and eastern Sudan, largely made up of refugees and migrants from the past few decades. The Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church also has membership. There are approximately 1.1 million Catholics in Sudan, about 3.2% of the total population.

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 Sudan.

b. Click on Places within Sudan 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. See Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.

Catholic Church Records

Dioceses of Sudan and South Sudan

Writing to a Local Parish

Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:

• The Catholic Directory: Sudan

Historical Background

There were approximately 1.1 million Catholics in (pre-partition) Sudan, about 3.2 percent of the total population. Sudan forms one ecclesiastical province, consisting of one archdiocese (the Archdiocese of Khartoum) and one suffragan diocese (the diocese of El Obeid). The vast majority of Sudan's Catholics ended up in South Sudan after the partition.

Anglican (Episcopal) Church Records

Writing for Records

• Website

Historical Background

The Province of the Episcopal Church of Sudan is a province of the Anglican Communion, comprising the Sudan. It is the 39th Anglican province, created in a ceremony that took place in All Saints Cathedral, Khartoum, on 30 July 2017.

Orthodox Church Records

Dioceses and Archdiocese of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria and of All Africa

Sudan is included in the Archdiocese of Nubia.

Writing for Records

• Google Maps search results for Orthodox churches in Sudan

Presbyterian Church Records

Historical Background

The Presbyterian Church in Sudan or also the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan is a major Reformed denomination in South Sudan, when it become independent from Sudan.

It has approximately 1,000,000 members and 500 congregations in Southern Sudan. The denomination was established by American missionaries, namely Rev. Kelly Giffen and H.T. McLaughlin who came from Egypt in the 1890s. They started churches in the southern part of the country, in Dolleib Hill in 1902 leaving the northern congregations to Egyiptian evangelicals. The northern churches become known as the Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Schools and hospitals were built. By 1945 schools and mission work were organised in Malakal, Wauglel, Obel, Bor and elsewhere. The first mission station was established in Malakal.

In 1962 the missionaries left, but the church spread rapidly. It is the third largest denomination in Sudan after the Episcopal and the Roman Catholic Church.