Tennessee Church Records

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U.S. Church Records

Tennessee

Church Records

For greater success, use all the Wiki Articles in this series: What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records? Determining the Church Your Ancestor Attended How to Find Church Records in the United States Searching for Church Records by Denomination Searching for Church Records by U.S. State

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Historical Background

Before 1900, the largest religious groups in Tennessee were the Baptist, Christian (Disciples of Christ), Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.

Information Found in the Records

To effectively use church records, become familiar with their content. Click on these links to learn about a specific record type:

Baptisms or Christenings Marriages

Funerals or Burials Membership Lists

Minutes or Historical Narrative

Finding the Records

Look for online records.

Online databases are incomplete. This can lead to two common errors: Near matches: Researchers might mistakenly accept an entry very similar to their ancestor, thinking it is the only one available. Only use information that matches your ancestor in date, place, relationships, and other details. Stopping research: Researchers might assume the database proves church records do not exist. Actually the record is still out there, just not in this incomplete collection of records. Keep searching!

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• 1816-1995 Tennessee, Church Records, 1816-1995 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images, incomplete.
• 1828-1939 Tennessee, Births and Christenings, 1828-1939 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only, incomplete.
• 1796-1950 Tennessee, Marriages, 1796-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only, incomplete.
• 1810-1965 Tennessee Church Marriages, 1810-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1874-1955 Tennessee, Deaths and Burials, 1874-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only.

Ancestry.com

• 1784-1825 Tennessee Marriages 1784 to 1825 ($)
• 1874-1955 Tennessee, Deaths and Burials Index, 1874-1955, index, incomplete ($)

Baptist

• 1750-1899 U.S., Southern Baptist Church Records, 1750-1899 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1836-1839; 1844-1862;1867-2008 Tennessee Baptist/Baptist and Reflector Digital Project. Online images. The project is working to create an every-name index.

Lutheran

• Marriages, Births and Deaths from Virginia and East Tennessee Lutheran Church in America Records Daughters of the American Revolution. General James Breckinridge Chapter (Roanoke, Virginia)

Presbyterian

• 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)

Other Collections

• Church, cemetery, bible, and family records from Tennessee, prepared by the Historical Records Project and Historical Records Survey

Look for digital copies of church records listed in the FamilySearch Catalog.

FamilySearch Library
Salt Lake City, Utah

• The FamilySearch Library (FS Library) has a substantial collection of original church records and transcripts on microfilm for churches in the United States.
• Online church records can be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under the state, county, or town.
• If you find a record that has not yet been digitized, see How do I request that a microfilm be digitized?
• 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 United States, Tennessee.

b. Click on Places within United States, Tennessee and a list of counties will appear.

c. Click on your county if it appears.

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

e. Click on Places within United States, Tennessee [COUNTY] and a list of towns will appear.

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

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

h. 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.

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Consult available finding aids.

These aids generally provide lists of records that are known to exist and information on their location.

• Guide to church vital statistics in Tennessee
• The Ministerial Directory of the Baptist Churches in the United States of America. Oxford, Ohio: Ministerial Directory Co., 1899.
• Inventory of the Church Archives of Tennessee: Tennessee Baptist Convention, Nashville Baptist Association. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee Historical Records Survey Project, 1939.
• Moore, John Trotwood and Austin P. Foster, editors. Tennessee: The Volunteer State, 1769-1923, 4 vols. Nashville: S.J.Clarke Publishing Co., 1923. . This indexed four-volume set includes church information and Tennessee history in addition to three volumes of biographies.
  
• "Religion," inTennessee: A Guide to the State.Compiled and Written by the Federal Writers' Project of the Work Projects Administration for the State of Tennessee. American Guide Series. This chapter briefly describes the history of Tennessee’s most common religions.

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Correspond with or visit the actual churches.

Some records are still held in the local churches. Contact the current minister to find out what records are still available.

• Make an appointment to look at the records. Or ask the minister of the church to make a copy of the record for you.
• To find church staff available, you might have to visit on Sunday.
• Ask for small searches at a time, such as one birth record or a specific marriage. Never ask for "everything on a family or surname".
• A donation ($25-$40) for their time and effort to help you would be appropriate.
• If the church has a website, you may be able to e-mail a message.
• See the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.
• Each denomination page offers an online address directory of local churches for that denomination.

Check the church records collections in archives and libraries.

Some church records have been deposited for preservation in government archives or in libraries. Watch for links to digitized, online records offered by the archives. Some archives provide research services for a fee. For others, if you cannot visit in person, you might hire a researcher.

Here you will find archive information unique to the state. Many more archives are kept by denomination. For denominational archives, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

State Libraries

Tennessee State Library and Archives
403 Seventh Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243-1102
Phone:615-741-2764

• Guide to Church Records at TSLA: Manuscripts & Books describes what they hold on microfilm, as manuscripts, and as published books. County-by-county, church-by-church listing with description and the the years covered.
• Visiting the Library & Archives
• History and Genealogy
• Tennessee Diaries, Memoirs and Church Records in the Manuscript Division, Tennessee State Library and Archives: Listed by County. Nashville, Tenn.: Manuscript Division, 1965.

Baptist

• 1750-1899 U.S., Southern Baptist Church Records, 1750-1899 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives
The Southern Baptist Convention Building
901 Commerce Street #400
Nashville, TN 37203
Telephone: 1-615-244-0344

• Website
• Church Records on Microfilm Includes information on ordering records.
• 1836-1839; 1844-1862;1867-2008 Tennessee Baptist/Baptist and Reflector Digital Project. Online images. The project is working to create an every-name index.

Disciples of Christ

Disciples of Christ Historical Society
1101 Nineteenth Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212-2196
Telephone: 1-866-834-7563 (toll free)

• Research and Reference

Lutheran

James R. Crumley, Jr. Archives
Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
4201 North Main Street
Columbia, SC 29203
Telephone: 803-461-3234
Contact form

• Archives hold records for closed churches. For open churches write directly to the local church.

• History of the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod. New Market, Virginia, Henkel, 1890.

Methodist

Tennessee is served by three Methodist conferences that oversee the missions and business of the church. The conferences have collected records from churches that have closed. Records of existing congregations are generally still in the churches.

The Holston Conference oversees the eastern third of the state, the Tennessee Conference oversees the middle third, and the Memphis Conference oversees the western third.

Holston Conference
Office:
P.O. Box 850
Alcoa, TN 37701
Telephone: 1-866-690-4080
Fax: 1-865-690-3162

The Kelly Library of Emory and Henry College houses the archives of the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church:
Kelly Library
Emory and Henry College
P.O. Box 948
30480 Ambrister Drive
Emory VA 24327
Telephone: 1-540-944-6668

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Tennessee Conference
520 Commerce Street, Suite 205
Nashville, TN 37203
Telephone: 1-615-263-0518 (call to make an appointment)
The John Abernathy Smith Heritage Center
520 Commerce Street, Suite 205
Nashville, TN, 37203
Phone: 615-601-1581
E-mail:archives@tnumc.org

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Memphis Conference United Methodist Archives
Luther L. Gobbel Library
Lambuth University
705 Lambuth Boulevard
Jackson, TN 38301
Telephone: 1-901-425-3270

Lambuth University Library houses an excellent collection of original Methodist newspapers, such as The Nashville Christian Advocate. Death notices and obituaries for prominent Methodists from all over the region appeared in these newspapers. FS Library has acquired abstracts and indexes:

• Smith, Jonathan K.T. Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Louisville and Nashville Christian Advocate and the Nashville Christian Advocate. [1852-1856] Jackson, Tenn.: J.K.T. Smith, 1997. FS Library book 976.855/N1 V48sj.
• Smith, Jonathan K.T. Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Nashville Christian Advocate. [1847-1914] 10 vols. [Jackson, Tenn.]: J.K.T. Smith, 1997-2003. book 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851; free digital versions at David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository.

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For a general history of early Methodism in Tennessee, see:

• McFerrin, John B. History of Methodism in Tennessee 1783-1818. Vol. 1 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: Southern Methodist Publishing House, 1869-1871.Vol. 2, Vol. 2.

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Presbyterian

Records for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church are sent to:

The Historical Foundation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America
The Historical Library and Archives
8207 Traditional Place
Cordova, TN 38016
Telephone: 1-901-276-8602
Fax: 1-901-272-3913
E-mail: archives@cumberland.org

These archives collect papers of ministers; and session, trustee, and women’s missionary society records. These records may contain baptisms, marriages, and communions of members. The staff at the archives does not do research; however, you can do research in person for a small fee.

The Presbyterian Church in Tennessee is coordinated by the Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. The library of the seminary does not collect records of any congregation, but it does have ministerial directories with information on many ministers. The staff of the library can direct you to congregations in the state where records are. Direct your inquiries to:

Louisville Presbyterian Seminary
1044 Alta Vista Road
Louisville, KY 40205
Telephone: 1-502-895-3411; 1-800-264-1839 (toll free)
Fax: 1-502-895-1096

For a history of early Tennessee Presbyterians, see:

• McDonnold, Benjamin Wilburn. History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Second Edition, Nashville, Tennessee: Board of Publication of Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1888. FS Library film 369750; book 976 K2m.

A collection of genealogical abstracts of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee is:

• Eddlemon, Sherida K. Genealogical Abstracts of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church: 1836 and Beyond. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage, 1995. WorldCat 33036632FS Library book 976 K2es.
• Boisen, Anton T., A Rural Survey in Tennessee. New York: Redfield Borther, Inc., 1912.
• Alexander, John Edministon A Brief History of the Synod of Tennessee, from 1817 to 1887. MacCalla and Company, 1890.

Roman Catholic

Contact the local parish for records information and research requests. Contact the diocese archives for information on the location of records for closed or merged parishes.

Archdiocese of Louisville
P.O. Box 1073
Louisville, KY 40201-1073
Telephone: 1-502-585-3291

• Archives
• Find a Parish
  

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Diocese of Knoxville
805 Northshore Drive Southwest
Knoxville, TN 37919
Telephone: 865-584-3307
Fax: 865-584-7538

• Archives
• Parish Directory
  

The Diocese of Knoxville serves East Tennessee (Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Cumberland, Fentress, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Loudon, McMinn, Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Pickett, Polk, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, Washington counties).

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Diocese of Nashville
The Catholic Center
2400 Twenty-first Avenue, South
Nashville, TN 37212-5387
Telephone: 1-615-383-6393
Fax: 1-615-292-8411

• Archives
• Find a Church
  

The Diocese of Nashville serves Middle Tennessee (Bedford, Cannon, Cheatham, Clay, Coffee, Davidson, DeKalb, Dickson, Franklin, Giles, Grundy, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Overton, Perry, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Van Buren, Wayne, White, Williamson, Wilson counties).

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Diocese of Memphis
The Catholic Center
5825 Shelby Oaks Drive
Memphis, TN 38134-7316
Telephone: 1-901-373-1200
Fax: 1-901-373-1269

• Archives
• Parish Finder
  

The Diocese of Memphis serves West Tennessee (Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, McNairy, Madison, Obion, Shelby, Tipton, Weakley counties).

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Correspond with genealogical or historical societies.

Some church records have been given to historical societies. Also, historical societies may be able to tell you where the records are being held. To find a society near you, consult these lists:
Template:Adoption TNGenWeb

Next, go to the Wiki article for your ancestors' denomination.

There are frequently additional, nationwide or regional archives and online collections for each denomination. Find the article for your ancestors' denomination and follow the instructions there to access these sources.

Major U.S. Religious Denominations
Adventist Amish Anabaptist Anglican Apostolic Christian Armenian Catholic Armenian Evangelical Armenian Orthodox Assemblies of God Baháʼí Baptist Buddhist Catholic Apostolic Church of the Brethren Community of Christ Confucianism Congregational	Coptic Orthodox Disciples of Christ Dutch Reformed Episcopal German Reformed Greek Orthodox Hinduism Huguenot Hutterites Jehovah's Witnesses Jewish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) Lutheran Maronite Catholic Church Melkite Greek Catholic Methodist	Mennonite Moravian Muslim Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Pentecostal Presbyterian Roman Catholic Russian Orthodox Schwenkfelders Serbian Orthodox Sihkism Society of Friends (Quakers) Syriac Orthodox Church Ukrainian Orthodox United Church of Christ United Brethren in Christ Unitarian/Universalist

Carefully compare any record you find to known facts about the ancestor

You will possibly find many different people with the same name as your ancestor, especially when a family stayed in a locality for several generations, and several children were named after the grandparents or aunts and uncles. Be prepared to find the correct church records by organizing in advance as many of these exact details about the ancestor as possible:

• name, including middle name and maiden name
• names of all spouses, including middle and maiden name
• exact or closely estimated dates of birth, marriage, and death
• names and approximate birthdates of children
• all known places of residence
• occupations
• military service details

Carefully evaluate the church records you find to make sure you have really found records for your ancestor and not just a "near match". If one or more of the details do not line up, be careful about accepting the entry as your ancestor. There are guiding principles for deciding how to resolve discrepancies between records that are seemingly close. For more instruction in evaluating evidence, read the Wiki article, Evaluate the Evidence.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

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