Church Archives

We do not allow research to be done using our records.  However, all of the records in our possession are on microfilm and can be easily accessed by contacting the New York Public Library, Schwarzman Building (42nd Street & 5th Avenue) – Milstein Division. A listing of the microfilms is as follows:

  • Reel 1. Protocol (minutes, accounts) 1774-1867 (some earlier entries; pre-1784 for Christ Church); Kirchen-Ordnung, United Churches of NYC 1836 (book, 22p.); deed to Sunday School Society for burial rights in Lutheran Cemetery 1856
  • Reel 2. Protocol 1868-1899; list of names 1810; list of members 1835-40, with seat no., name, address, where born, date enrolled; protocol of women’s circle 1876-99; register (Kirchenbuch) of Christ Church, including baptisms 1752-74, confirmations 1763-66, marriages 1752-74, burials 1752-74; next register (Christ Church to 1784), including baptisms 1774-1807, confirmations 1774-82, marriages 1773-1801, burials 1774-1808, communicants 1774-1807; family record of Conrad Andes and Margaret Myers, married 1775; register of members 1785-91, including communicants 1807-08, marriages 1802-07; protocol of women’s circle 1876-78
  • Reel 3. Christ Church subscription list 1766, and register 1767-73 including baptisms, burials, marriages (with banns and licenses), accounts; register 1808-35, including communicants, funerals, marriages, baptisms; same 1835-38, including baptisms, marriages, funerals; confirmations and communicants 1838-83; interments Lutheran Cemetery, Middle Village 1851-66; members 1870 (with addresses); marriages 1838-45; register 1838-45, including marriages (with index), baptisms, deaths; marriages 1846-54 (with index); marriages 1855-79
  • Reel 4. Marriages 1880-1918 (with index); baptisms 1845-57, 1857-74, 1875-92 (with index), 1893-1920 (with index)
  • Reel 5. Confirmations, communicants 1883-1919; burials 1857-87, 1888-1919; accounts 1767-1804 (pre-1784 Christ Church); index to baptisms 1838-74; marriages 1855-79; 1821 proceedings of committee to form an English-language church; small notebook including baptisms 1847-50; Trinity accounts 1751-66; accounts/cash book 1784-1808; book, Kirchen Agende der Evangelische Lutherischen Vereinigen Gemeinen, 1786; book, Worshipper’s Manual at the Consecration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Matthew’s, 1822; manuscript, Kirchen Ordnung of the United Churches, n.d. (19th century); another copy of 1786 book, above
  • Reel 6. Kirchen Ordnung of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in New York, manuscript, 1784, with long list of signatures; first record book (kercken-boek) of [Trinity] Lutheran Church, 1703, containing: inventory of books belonging to the church, baptisms 1704-43, communicants 1704-69, marriages 1704-72, baptisms 1743-50, burials 1704-71, baptisms 1751-83, communicants 1774-83, burials 1771-75, communicants 1754-69, 1771-74, members 1757 (includes wives and children), elders and deacons 1704-50; deeds to church property and other corporate documents.

 Click HERE to go to the NYPL webpage.

For records during the period 1827-1841, the Rev. Geissenhainer Jr., who was the assistant pastor of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in serving the English-speaking congregation, at the end of his ministry with St. Matthew’s transcribed the events he presided over from the church books into two new ledgers.  These records of baptisms, confirmations, and marriages have been indexed and can be researched at the Mid-Atlantic German Society (MAGS) website at the link http://www.magsgen.com/recordindexes.html  

                  A complete listing of our archival records is as follows:

Church register – records of Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Burials &  Communicants

1703-1743      – Church register
1751-1766       – Church register
1767-1773       – Church  register
1774-1807       – Church register
1808-1838      – Church register

1785-1808}     – Membership list
1802-1807}                  &  marriages
1831-1840       – Membership list

1838-1845       – Baptisms (chronological)
1838-1874       – Baptisms (alphabetical order by year)
1845-1857       – Baptisms
1857-1874       – Baptisms
1875-1892       – Baptisms
1893-1920       – Baptisms
1906-1925       – Baptisms
1899-1912       – Baptisms of Bethlehem Lutheran Church – 239-241 East 62 St, NYC  (a congregation  established by St Matthew) 

1838-1883      – Confirmations, Communicants
1883-1919       – Confirmations
1907-1925       – Confirmations

1835-1838       – Marriages, baptisms, burials
1838-1845       – Marriages
1845-1854       – Marriages
1855-1879       – Marriages – alphabetical listing by year
1880-1918       – Marriages
1906-1925       – Marriages

1839-1845       – Burials
1857-1887       – Burials
1888-1919       – Burials    

1917-1923        – Messiah church book –  Baptism, Confirmation, Marriages, Funeral
1917-1940        – Messiah Church book – includes record of collections
1923-1945        – St Matthew Record book
1941-1954        – Messiah / St Matthew church book*
1955-1958        – St Matthew – Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Deaths   

 In 1945 St. Matthew merged with Messiah.

Church Minutes – Protokoll

1749-1814        – Minutes – Protokoll: Christ Church,  a member of the 1784 incorporation: United German Lutheran Churches of NYC. (Includes transactions of Christ Church, 1773-1776 on loose pages)
1784-1795        – Minutes – The incorporated United Lutheran Churches of NYC
1796-1821        – Minutes – The incorporated United Lutheran Churches of NYC
1821-1839        – Minutes
1839-1856       – Minutes
1856-1867       – Minutes
1899-1913        – Minutes
1911-1913         – Minutes of Uptown Committee – Church at 145th Street
1914-1926        – Minutes

Other records                                                                   

1751 -1767                  Cash book
May 28 1751-1767    Financial records (loose pages)
1767-1803                 Church ledger – financial records
1784-1808                 Cash book
1847-1850                 Pastor’s note books – official acts
1851-1866                 Burial Account Book
1875-1942                 List of voting members
1911                            Correspondence (miscellaneous letters)
1935-1950                 Three (3) guests books
1939-1946                 PTA minutes (manila folders)
1946-1963                 Minutes (books)
1948-1949                 Voters  Assembly records –Attendance, officers, constitution, financial records, & correspondence
1956                          Building specifications for new church (3 blue  folders) 

St Matthew’s School Board 

1874-1915                 School  Board minutes
1961-1965                 School Board Minutes (manila folder)

Messiah’s Church – Ladies Aid Society

1921-1941         Ladies Aid Society minutes (Messiah Luth church)
1942-1958        Ladies Aid Society minutes (Messiah Luth church)
1922-1927        Ladies Aid Society Financial records
1934-1948        Ladies Aid Society expenditures
19th century books –   3 books including German ible, songbooks, memoirs

For a Timeline of St. Matthew’s fascinating history, please click          HERE