Iowa Church Records: Difference between revisions

Church records have been kept in [[Portal:Iowa|Iowa]] since the 1830s. Information from church records varies greatly, depending upon the denomination and the record keeper. Records may contain such information about members of the congregation as age, dates of baptism, christening, or birth, marriage information, wife’s maiden name, and death dates. Records may include names of other relatives who were witnesses at church events or members of the congregation. The members of some churches were predominately of one nationality or ethnic group. Knowing this may help you find the foreign town from which your ancestors immigrated.  

Before 1900 the largest religious groups were the Roman Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches.  

The Society of Friends (Quakers) and other small groups were also early settlers.  

The Family History Library has:  

*Records of churches, including Catholic, Presbyterian and the Society of Friends (see the Family History Library Catalog).  

*Histories of denominations in Iowa, including Mennonite, Congregational, Quaker, Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist-Episcopal.

A useful list of books and articles about the various religious groups of Iowa is found on pages 116–125 in:  

Petersen, William J. ''Iowa History Reference Guide''.  

Many denominations have collected and stored their records in central repositories. You can write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located:  

=== Baptist ===

North American Baptist Conference<br>1 South 210 Summit Avenue<br>Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181<br>Telephone: 630-495-2000<br>Fax: 630-495-0333 <br>Internet: http://www.nabconference.org/  

=== Lutheran ===

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America<br>Wartburg Theological Seminary<br>333 Wartburg Place<br>Dubuque, IA 52001<br>Telephone: 319-589-0200<br>Fax: 319-589-0333<br>Internet: http://www.elca.org/  

The Wartburg Theological Seminary has Lutheran records from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and upper Michigan. Many of the records in this repository can be borrowed for a small fee. For a list of some of the records, see:  

ALC Archives. ''ALC Congregations on Microfilm.'' Dubuque, Iowa: The Archives, [197-?]. (FHL fiche 6330690–93.) The list is alphabetical by state and then by city. Fiche 6330690 has records from Iowa.  

''American Lutheran Church Shelf List Index to Their Church Records'' ''Microfilmed as of 1987''. N. p., 1988. (FHL book 973 K2aL)  

=== Methodist ===

Iowa Wesleyan College Library<br>Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641<br>Telephone: 319-385-6317<br>Fax: 319-385-6324<br>Internet address: [http://www.iwc.edu/Campus Central/index.htm http://www.iwc.edu/Campus%20Central/index.htm] &nbsp;<br>  

You can find two of the library’s collections in:  

''Iowa Churches: A File at the Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa''. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1975. (FHL films 956387–417.) This file consists of church histories, anniversary programs, and newspaper clippings. It is arranged by towns or by the name of the church.  

''Ministerial Biographies: A File in the Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa''. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1975. (FHL films 956418–42.) These films contain biographies, mainly of Methodist ministers.  

=== Presbyterian ===

The Presbyterian Historical Society<br>425 Lombard Street<br>Philadelphia, PA 19147<br>Telephone: 215-627-1852<br>Fax: 215-627-0509<br>Internet: http://www.history.pcusa.org/  

Many of the biographies and church records of this society have been microfilmed. The society and the Family History Library are continuing to collect Iowa Presbyterian church records.  

=== The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ===

The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints<br>World Headquarters<br>P. O. Box 1059<br>Independence, MO 64051<br>Telephone: 816-833-1000<br>Fax: 816-521-3089<br>Internet address: [http://www.rlds.org/ www.rlds.org]  

Records of most Iowa congregations of this church have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library.  

=== Roman Catholic ===

Diocese of Davenport<br>2706 N. Gaines Street<br>Davenport, IA 52804<br>Telephone: 319-324-1911<br>Fax: 319-324-5842 <br>Internet: http://www.davenportdiocese.org/  

Diocese of Sioux City<br>1821 Jackson Street<br>Sioux City, IA 51105<br>Telephone: 712-255-7933<br>Fax: 712-233-7598 <br>Internet: http://www.scdiocese.org/  

Diocese of Des Moines<br>610 Grand Avenue<br>Des Moines, IA 50309<br>Telephone: 515-243-7653<br>Fax: 515-237-5070 <br>Internet: http://www.dmdiocese.org/  

=== Society of Friends (Quaker) ===

Friends Historical Library<br>Swarthmore College<br>500 College Avenue<br>Swarthmore, PA 19081<br>Telephone: 610-328-8496<br>Fax: 610-328-7329<br>Internet address:&nbsp; http://www.swarthmore.edu/x6672.xml  

Magill Library<br>Haverford College<br>Haverford, PA 19041-1392<br>Telephone: 610-896-1161<br>Fax: 610-896-1102<br>Internet address: http://www.haverford.edu/library/about/news/news30.html  

Two collections of the Iowa Society of Friends records are:  

Hinshaw, William Wade. ''Index to Iowa Quaker Meeting Records''. 11 vols. N.p., 19--? (FHL book 977.7 K28h; films 924025–27; fiche 6051154.)  

Hinshaw, William Wade. ''The William Wade Hinshaw Index to Quaker Meeting Records in the Friends Library in Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania.'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1957. (FHL films 002146–213, and 175409–13.) Film 002148 has an index to surnames and indicates in which monthly meetings those surnames are found. These microfilms contain records of many Iowa monthly meetings.  

The Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog lists church records under:  

IOWA - CHURCH RECORDS  

IOWA, [COUNTY] - CHURCH RECORDS