Kansas Church Records
This entry was originally written by Marsha Hoffman Rising, CG, FUGA, FASG and Mary Clement Douglass, CGRS for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
The earliest churches were established among the native tribes settled in Kansas long before it was organized as a territory. The Methodist, Baptist, Society of Friends, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches all had early missions that grew as the white settlers immigrated. Records of the Quakers can be found at Friends University in Wichita; Methodists at Baker University in Baldwin City; Mennonite at Bethel College in Newton; Lutheran, especially Swedish, at Bethany College in Lindsborg. Forsyth Library at Fort Hays University in Hays, KS 67601, holds numerous ethnic and religious group records. Volga German records here are outstanding.
The Kansas State Historical Society solicits church rolls, membership lists, records, and histories. The published material is located in the library; the unpublished material is located in the manuscript department. A few church records have been microfilmed.
