Hi Donna, It depends greatly on what church it is. Most churches in the county are no longer in existence, so there would be no records. The only exeption *might* be in either Mattoon or Charleston, but even that is highly unlikely. However, if you are looking for a church in the county, there were very few churches, must less organized religions. Mostly there were itinerant ministers who came around every 3-6 months and it was a 2-3 day revival, so to speak. If you know the church, let me know and I'll see what I can find. Linda Listowner At 09:05 AM 8/28/98 -0700, Donna Chernick wrote: Are there any birth records recorded for churches in early Coles Co., say starting about 1840? Donna Sears Chernick Bellevue, WA donna.chernick@internetMCI.com