Local Church Records

Baptism and local church membership records are the two most frequently requested materials. The General Commission on Archives and History does not hold such records. In United Methodist practice these records are kept at the local church. If the local church has closed and merged with another church then the records should be transferred to the new church. If a church closes and there is no successor then the records are transferred to the annual conference archives – the regional depository. When searching for such records the best place to start is with the annual conference archvist. The Directory of Annual Conference Archives for The United Methodist Church will list the appropriate contact person. Look for the contact information for the archivist, historian or researcher.