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Church records are usually found in two places. The first of course is the church itself. If it has been in existence for a long time, the records may be in storage or may have been donated to an archives or to a denomination site. For example a small community church may have its records going back only 20 years. The records prior to that time may have been sent to denomination headquarters for the state or region or they may have been given to a regional library. It is important to learn where records may have been sent if they are not at the church. Many church records have been donated to various state archives. Some
websites for national denominations to check include:
Cyndi’s
List has a section on religion and churches and includes a denomination
list.
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As mentioned under Vital
Records, church records can be helpful in determining a person’s birth
and death. They may also include marriage records which often includes the
names of parents or witnesses. Other types of records available in some
churches include the baptism or christening record of a child along with
the names of the parents, and membership records indicating when a person
attended services. There may also be minutes of church business which
could include names of deacons or board members. 
