Baptist Researchers

What kinds of records are available in the Atlantic Baptist Archives?

• Minutes
• Membership lists
• Correspondence
• Annual reports
• Photographs
• Manuscripts
• Committee records
• Unpublished histories
• Bulletins

What kinds of things are generally not available in the Atlantic Baptist Archives?

• Cemetery plot maps
• Marriage records
• Death records
• Baptismal records

What kinds of things are available in Special Collections?

• Baptist newspapers and periodicals
• Baptist Yearbooks and published reports
• Published church histories
• Biographies
• Histories of the denomination

Doing Archival Research

The Atlantic Baptist Archives at Acadia University preserves the records of nearly 800 Baptist Churches in Atlantic Canada. We have archival record inventories of some, but not all, church records in the Archives. New records inventories will continue to be added as they are created.

Search or browse our inventories at https://archives.acadiau.ca/baptist-records.

If you do not see your church listed, please email us: archives@acadiau.ca.

If you are looking to conduct research using CBAC records, please email us: archives@acadiau.ca.

Doing Research in Special Collections

Published material relevant to Baptist research can be found in many of our Special Collections, including the Baptist Collection, the Annapolis Valley Collection, the Zeman Collection, and others.

You can browse our Special Collections or use the Vaughan Memorial Library's search page.

Church Clerks

Acadia University has an agreement with CBAC to house and provide access to the Atlantic Baptist Archives. Records deposited to the Atlantic Baptist Archives remain the property of individual churches or the CBAC. Do you have church records to deposit? See the Atlantic Baptist Archives deposit guide for more information.

Church Historians

Published and unpublished histories, church minutes and membership lists, the Baptist Yearbooks, and even service bulletins are all great sources of information. Occasionally, churches will have deposited photographs and other graphic material that may also be helpful.

Denominational Historians

Published and unpublished District and Association minutes, correspondence, published and unpublished reports, the Baptist Yearbooks, and Baptist newspapers and periodicals are great places to research the Baptist denomination more broadly.

Baptist Biographers

Church minutes, correspondence, the Baptist Yearbooks, published and unpublished District and Association minutes and Baptist newspapers contain a wealth of information on pastors and occasionally other church elders. The Esther Clark Wright Archives also hold the private papers of many Baptist clergy.

Missionary Work and Missionaries

CBAC committee and sub-committee records, published and unpublished District and Association minutes, published and unpublished reports, correspondence, the Baptist Yearbook, and Baptist newspapers and periodicals give insight into Baptist missions and the lives of missionaries at home and abroad. The Esther Clark Wright Archives also hold the private papers of many missionaries. More information can also be found at the Canadian Baptist Archives at McMaster Divinity College.

Genealogists

The Atlantic Baptist Archives at Acadia holds administrative records, and not Baptist marriage, death, or baptism documents. For this reason, the Baptist Archives are not a good source of genealogical information. The records here document the business and history of the churches (i.e., minutes, annual reports, bulletins, etc.) – none of which have many details about the members of the congregation.

Central-Western Canada

Researchers interested in Baptist churches outside of Atlantic Canada should contact McMaster Divinity College’s Canadian Baptist Archives.

Copying Material

Church records are not available digitally. Researchers must contact individual churches to receive permission to photograph materials in the Atlantic Baptist Archives.