Books
How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records
Religious records in the United States often reveal unique genealogical details about a wide variety of people, including those who are underrepresented in other records (women, children, immigrants, people living in enslavement or poverty). But it's not always easy to find your relatives in church records. How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records is a unique, peer-reviewed publication that takes researchers step-by-step through the process of identifying, locating, and gaining access to these genealogical gems. Included are hundreds of links to church research resources, as well as chapters devoted to major Christian denominations before 1900. More than 30 archivists, historians, and genealogical experts contributed to these denominational chapters.
“This is a fantastic resource every genealogist needs on their bookshelf.” – Cari A. Taplin, CG
“I had so much success using her step-by-step guidance that I gave presentations on what I found at both my local elder hostel and my genealogy club. Best genealogy book I ever purchased!” –Donna on “Elevenses with Lisa” YouTube show, episode 41 (chat)
"A 10-star review for this much needed and well-written book.” –George G. Morgan, Genealogy Guys Podcast Episode 369
More reviews below...
Margaret McCrea in Genealogical Forum of Oregon
“The best way to approach this book is to read the first five chapters carefully and completely. They are so useful that I took pages and pages of notes. Sometimes I even put the book down and looked up the resource being discussed right then and there. Imagine my surprise when I found a handwritten record of an early church that I had not previously known about. I didn’t know that this denomination had a national library!"
Peggy Lauritzen, AG,
Always Anxiously Engaged Blog
“…a book that is definitely needed in the genealogy community!…I have taught a Church Records course with the Rev. David McDonald at [the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh], and I wish there had been something like this to help me as I put together my presentations. There have been so many divisions and break-offs from core religions that it can be difficult to trace what you may need back to its original beginnings. This book can help you do that.”
Randy J. Seaver,
Genea-Musings Blog
“This work is well organized, well written by expert genealogists, and very useful for researchers trying to find family history for their ancestral families. Using these records may unlock family stories and mysteries that are only in church records. My opinion is that this book is the best available and most up-to-date resource for this record class, and will be a valuable addition to my family history personal library.”
Searching for Sisters: Researching Catholic Nuns in the United States
COMING IN JANUARY 2026!
An estimated 350,000 Catholic nuns and sisters have served in the United States, and their archives hold valuable genealogical information about the sisters, their families, students, patients, employees, donors, and the communities they served. But these records are fragmented across hundreds of individual archives that are difficult to find and access, leaving countless stories untold and family connections lost. Searching for Sisters is the first comprehensive guide to researching women religious through their own archives. Author Sunny Jane Morton provides step-by-step methodology for identifying whether an ancestor took vows, determining which religious institute she joined, locating the corresponding archive, and understanding what records survive. Multiple detailed case studies demonstrate these strategies in action, showing how to uncover rich discoveries for family historians, genealogists researching clients of Catholic institutions, and historians documenting religious, social, and local history. More than two dozen experts contributed to or reviewed this book, including archivists, sisters, genealogists, historians, and others.