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Except for the Dutch Reformed and Lutheran churches in northern New Jersey, few of the earliest church records have survived. | Except for the Dutch Reformed and Lutheran churches in northern New Jersey, few of the earliest church records have survived. | ||
==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: | |||
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*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?#Baptisms or Christenings|Baptisms or Christenings]] | |||
*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?#Marriages|Marriages]] | |||
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*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?#Funerals or Burials|Funerals or Burials]] | |||
*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?#Membership Lists|Membership Lists]] | |||
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*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?#Minutes or Historical Narrative|Minutes or Historical Narrative]] | |||
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==Finding the Records== | |||
===Look for online records.=== | |||
'''Ancestry.com, FindMyPast.com, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local [https://familysearch.org/locations/ family history center] or the [https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Family_History_Library Family History Library] in Salt Lake City, Utah. | |||
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[[File:Caution sign.png|70px]] | |||
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Online databases are <span style="color:Red">'''incomplete'''</span>. This can lead to two common errors: | |||
#'''Near matches:''' Researchers might <span style="color:Red">'''mistakenly accept an entry very similar to their ancestor'''</span>, 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 <span style="color:Red">'''assume the database proves church records do not exist'''</span>. Actually the record is still out there, just not in this <span style="color:Red">'''incomplete'''</span> collection of records. Keep searching! | |||
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===Online Resources=== | ===Online Resources=== | ||