California Church Records

Before 1900 the largest religious groups in California were the Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches. The Family History Library has several histories of the Catholic, Presbyterian, Latter-day Saint, and Methodist churches in California.

Roman Catholic

The first Catholic missions were organized in 1769. Most of the mission records begin in 1770 and are on film. The Family History Library and the Bancroft Library have extensive collections of the early records. For the index to these records, see Thomas W. Temple III, An Alphabetical Listing of the California Mission Vital Records (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1985; FHL film 1307621 item 4; fiche 6047009).

The following sources may help you find Catholic mission records:

Weber, Francis J. A Select Guide to California Catholic History. Los Angeles, California: Westernlore Press, 1966. (FHL book 979.4 K21c.)

Bowman, J.N. "The Parochial Books of the California Missions, 1961," The Quarterly (Historical Society of Southern California), Volume 43, number 3. (FHL book 979.4 B2s.)

Barton, Noel R. "Genealogical Research in the Records of the California Missions," Genealogical Journal, Volume 4, number 1. (FHL book 973 D25gj.)

Many original mission records and other Catholic records have been gathered into central repositories. These include:

Santa Barbara (Old Mission)

Old Mission Santa Barbara

2201 Laguna Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Tel (805) 682-4713
Website: http://www.sbmal.org/ 
E-mail: research@sbmal.org

A guide to this extensive collection is Maynard J. Geiger, Calendar of Documents in the Santa Barbara Mission Archives (Washington: Academy of American Franciscan History, 1947; FHL book 979.491 A5g, Volume 1).

Archdiocese of Los Angeles
3424 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90010-2202
Telephone: 213-637-7000
E-mail: info@la-archdiocese.org
Website: http://www.la-archdiocese.org/

Historical Archives
Archival Center for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
15151 San Fernando Mission Boulevard
Mission Hills, CA 91345
Phone:'818-365-1501
Fax:'818-361-3276
Website: http://www.usc.edu/libraries/archives/arc/lasubject/records/id69.html

Diocese of San Diego
3888 Paducah Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 85728
San Diego, CA  92186-5728
Telephone: 858-490-8200
Fax: 858-490-8272
Website: http://www.diocese-sdiego.org/

Methodist

Holt-Atherton Church Archives
University of the Pacific
3601 Pacific Avenue
Stockton, CA 95211
Telephone: 209-946-2404
Fax: 209-946-2810
Website: http://library.uop.edu/ha/ua/index.asp

Presbyterian

San Francisco Theological Seminary Library
105 Seminary Road
San Anselmo, CA 94960
Telephone: 415-451-2845
Website: http://library.gtu.edu/services/sfts.html

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)