Christian Denominations

If the Bible is sufficient for our understanding, why are there so many denominations that all say they interpret the Bible differently?

         As an adult Sunday School teacher, I frequently heard this question, particularly from new converts. It’s a legitimate question, and one that has bothered me over the years as well. I had a cursory understanding of most denominations, but I lacked detailed information about them. So, I decided to delve more deeply into when and why different denominations of Christianity arose—and what those differences were.
         First, a few caveats. Keep in mind that the Bible, on which all these denominations are based, is a translation. Some popular speakers like to say it’s a translation of a translation, which may be true in some cases. For the majority, though, different translators tried to go back to the original copies as best as they could. Why did they need to make new translations, then? Because manuscripts have been found that shed new light on the meaning of words.
         Take a word like the Greek word for perjury, pseudorkía, for example. We all know that perjury is a very specific form of lying, but early translators may have had no idea what that greek word meant. So, they took the meaning from its context in the sentence. The best they might have come up with was lying. Later translators may have had access to newer manuscripts that gave a clearer definition. Hence, some of the differences in translations.
         Second, is my definition of Christianity. After digging through the denominations, I based my definition on those denominations that had as their core beliefs the Nicean Creed, (The full text of the Nicene Creed is in the appendix). upon which, I believe, all true Christian denominations follow. The creed is Christ-centric and believe Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, died for our sins on the cross (substitutionary atonement), rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven (transfiguration), sits on the right hand of God, and will return to judge everyone who is living or dead. Through it, we also believe Christ was both truly human and truly God.
         This is why certain “denominations” like Jehovah Witnesses I’ve excluded and others like Catholicism I’ve included. Recall, at one time, the Nicene Creed was written by those of the Catholic faith. Besides, it’s impossible to understand the roots of Protestant denominations without including.the Catholic Church.
         Also keep in mind this is not a scholarly piece. Certainly I have done appropriate research. but I've written this to be understandable and coherent. So, its not full of footnotes or the complexities of denominationstions—which are many and diverse. Most of what I've written is common knowledge. All I've tied to do is organize diverse knowledge in a factual way and give a positive understanding of why we have so many denominations. That makes it an opinion piece of knowledge I've gained.

CHAPTER I
JESUS TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

         Much has been written about the early church, and I couldn't possibly cover the full scope of it here. For the purpose of discovering the roots of denominations, it should be sufficient to say the beginning of the church was not without disunity. While no denominations arose out of some early conflicts, we can certainly see how the opinion of people worked against the true gospel, which was not of works but of faith. The most serious of these conflicts came from Jewish and Gnostic converts to Christianity.

Jewish Christians

         The earliest Christians were Jewish converts. Later, especially after the apostle Paul’s missionary journeys, gentile (non-Jewish) converts entered the fold in increasingly large numbers. This, at first, caused conflict. Some Jewish converts, called Judaizers, felt new gentile converts needed to be circumcised. The apostle Paul was vehemently opposed to this, even going so far as to say, “I could wish that those who trouble you would even mutilate themselves” (Galatians 5:12).
         Even though Paul and other apostles eventually prevailed, two groups continued to practice circumcision: the Nazarenes (continued to observe the Torah) and the Ebionites (believed Christ was a mere man and called Paul a false apostle). They eventually died out and Modern Messianic Jews don’t trace their lineage back to those ancient Jewish Christians.

Gnostic Christians

         Coming on the heels of the Jewish Christians as a genuine threat were the Gnostics. In truth, those who believed in the precepts of Gnosticism in one form or another had been around for some time. However, by picking up on Christianity, they almost took over in their beliefs and practices.
         The Gnostics were a diverse group, having no unified sects, but almost all believed at least two things:

1) they believed they had access to secret knowledge about the spirit world. Gnosticism derives from Gnosis, which means knowledge. If there’s one thing we can say with certainty, it’s don’t mess around with the spirit world—leave that to Jesus.

2) They emphasized Jesus’ divinity and downplayed his humanity. They believed the physical world was corrupt, so how could a divine being exist also as corrupt matter. This was the real conflict with what the apostles believed, that Christ was fully human and fully divine, which is what Christians believe today.

         Examples of gnostic sects were the Sethians, Valentinians, and Basilideans. All of these gnostic Christianity sects came in direct conflict with Pauline Christianity (from the apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament), which emerged as the true Christian religion. The gnostics sects eventually died out, though modern Mandaeism, until recently practiced in southern Iraq, may trace its roots to ancient Gnosticism.

The Holy Catholic (universal) Church

         Besides the gnostics, there were a number of other heretical sects with whom the new religion had to contend. Marcionites hated the Bible, Montanists were self-denying and prophetical, and Docetists thought Jesus couldn’t have been human. It wasn't until the period between 180-313 A.D. that the Pauline Christians began to coalesce. They became more unified and emerged as a distinct religion.
         To think the Christianity we know today began as a singular religion and then dissolved into denominations is false. I remember inviting a group of evangelizers in to discuss the Faith. Their contention was that Christianity has started out unified and then became disunited. Their religion sought to bring everyone back under "one" religion that hadn't existed since the early days of Christianity. They were surprised to learn just how divisive it had once been. There have always been contentions for the faith, which is just human nature, I suppose.
         Though Christianity finally came together and was growing, it remained illegal in the Roman Empire and Christians were persecuted, often violently. That all changed in 313 A.D. when Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which gave Christianity legal status (though not the official state religion), protecting it from persecution. What followed was a formalize structure to the church under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church.

CHAPTER II
NICEA TO CHALCEDON

         While the Roman Catholic Church gave the new religion structure, it was not without its conflicts. A far as I've been able to determine, there was never a time in the history of the church when all seemed quiet. The need to call ecumenical councils is proof that there were constant divisions among the theologians of the time. It was not long before the first denomination arose, but first, theyh had to sort out just who Jesus was.

The Council of Nicea, 325 A.D. (the 1st Council)

         This was the famous council during which most people think the canon of the New Testament was decided upon. I've heard it said that the books of the New Testament were picked by a bunch of old men sitting around a table. Nothing could be further from the truth. The canon of the New Testament had, for all intents and purposes, been picked by a grassroots movement of the churches. The Gospels and Paul's Epistles were already being circulated from church to church. In fact, there never was a formal declaration of what books of the New Testament were to be included.
         No, the Council of Nice was not called to decided on the books of the Bible. It was called by the Roman Emperor Constantine to put to rest an argument that arose over just who Jesus was. A theologian named Arias said Jesus was like God, but that Jesus didn't always exist. He was made by God and so was subordinate to God, both in his human and divine form. And that made the Holy Spirit subordinate to Jesus. At the Council of Nicea, two bishops said this was heresy, Nicholas (yes that St. Nicholas), and Athinasius.
         The Council finally decided that Jesus was truly God and that God the father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit were co-eternal—they have one essence, but three persons. It developed the Nicene Creed upon which, today, all Christian churches are founded. That became written in stone when in 380 A.D., Roman Emperor Theodosius I (not Constantine) made Nicene Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.
         It seemed Arias had lost, but he refused to concede. He kept pusingh his belief year after year until all of the bishops of the church sided with him, mainly because they were weak and just wanted the argument to go away. It was Athinasius who worked tirelessly over the years following the Council to overcome Arianism (from Arias). At one point, a bishop said to Athinasius that the world was against him, to which he famously relied, “Then I am against the world.”
         He eventually died, but all his papers lived on, which were based on scripture. It was his writings that eventually convinced the world that Arianism was heretical. We owe our thanks to Athinasius for following scripture and presenting the true nature of God the Father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit. Today, few believe in Arianism except the Jehovah Witnesses. They are very much Arian in their theology, which makes them not Christian based on my criterion as stated earlier.

The Council of Constantinople, 381 A.D. (the 2nd Council)

         In 381, another council was called because of errant beliefs put forward by Apollinaris. He proposed that Jesus had a human body, but instead of a human mind, He had a divine mind. Apollinaris's rejection of Christ having a human mind was considered an over-reaction to Arianism. The Council decided that Jesus was fully human in both body and mind and that the Holy Spirit is also God. The beliefs of Apollinaris died out withinin the following decade.

The Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D. (the 3rd council)

         Now it gets a bit messy. In the 400s A.D., a Christian theologian named Nestorius rejected the union of Christ's humanity and divinity in one individual personhood (called hypostatic union). He proposed instead a much looser union. Unfortunately, his ideas, labelled Nestorianism, came to mean radical dyophysitism, in which Christ's two natures are eternally separate—having asserted the existence of two persons, not merely two natures, in Jesus Christ. It is doubtful Nestorius ever denied Christ's oneness, which is why the precise Christological teachings of Nestorius are shrouded in obscurity.
         The reason Nestorianism became popular was because if Christ was fully divine, Mary could be called the mother of God. This was called theotokos, meaning "God-bearer" or "Mother of God." This is what Nestorius objected to. However, under the leadership of Cyril of Alexandria as well as the Ephesian bishop Memnon, they labeled Nestorius's idea as "neo-adoptionist," meaning that the man named Jesus is divine though adopted as the Son of God by grace and not by nature. Cyrill said the whole point was God becoming man to die for us.
         As a result, Nestorius was expelled as a heretic, though some sided with him, seeing more of a distinction between Jesus divinity and his humanity. It coincided with the Antiochene theology (based in Antioch, Syria) of the Assyrian churches. What resulted was a controversial split between the Roman Catholic Church and The Assyrian churches of the East, who considered themselves a continuation of the Church that originally developed among the Assyrians during the first century A.D. They fall under The Assyrian Church of the East, sometimes called the Church of the East and officially known as the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East
         The Assyrian Church of the East belongs to the eastern branch of Syriac Christianity. It's an apostolic church established by Thomas the Apostle, Addai of Edessa, and Bartholomew the Apostle. It’s officially headquartered in northern Iraq, though it spread into southeastern Turkey, northeastern Syria and northwestern Iran—corresponding roughly to ancient Assyria.
         Antiochene theology has its roots in the early church at Antioch and emphasizes Christ's humanity and the reality of the moral choices he faced. The unity of his person is defined in a looser fashion, like Nestorius suggested. The position of the Church of the East was written by Babai the Great during the controversy that followed the Council of Ephesus. Babai held that within Christ there exist two unmingled, but everlastingly united in the one (person) of Christ.
         Since the Third Council of Ephesus decided that Jesus is both truly human and fully divine, it resulted in the first split of the Church. The Church of the East was in the Sassinid Empire, outside of the Roman Empire. So, they were outside of Roman Catholic rule as well. They didn't accept the doctrinal definitions that were adopted at the Council of Ephesus (and later, the Council of Chalcedon) and split from the Roman Catholic Church. You could say, and quite correctly, The Assyrian Church of the East was the first denomination of the Christian Church, though this wasn't the Great Schsism nor the Reformation.

The Council of Chalcedon, 451 A.D. (the 4th Council)

         The Council of Chalcedon led to another split. At this time, there were two distinct beliefs about Jesus:

Miaphysites—Jesus had one united nature. It was a nature that was too united.

Dyophysites—Jesus had two natures, divine and human. They couldn’t separate them like the Nestorians, but couldn’t mix them into one either. So, they said He has two natures united into one person.

         The Diaphysites won out and the Miaphysits weren't happy. So, they split from the Roman Catholic Church.

Oriental Orthodox Church—This is not to be confused with the Eastern Orthodox Church, which comes in the Great Schism. This is just a small schism. The Oriental Orthodox Churches adhere to the Nicene Christian tradition. so are one of the oldest branches in Christianity.
   ↳Armenian Apostolic Church—Is part of Oriental Orthodoxy and one of the most ancient Christian institutions. Armenia was the first state in history to adopt Christianity as its official religion.

         That left five centers of Christianity in the Roman Empire: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. The majority of churches in Alexandria and Antioch were centers of Miaphysite theology, so they split away as well. Each gave self-rule to other churches as well,

Antioch
Syriac Orthodox Church.
   ↳Maiankera Orthodox Church

Alexandria
Coptic Orthodox Church
   ↳Ethiopian Orthodox Church (supposedly has the Ark of the Covenant)
      ↳Eritrean Orthodox Church

         While disputes have always been a signature characteristic of the church, it was now leading to irrepairable breakdowns. This was all in a little over 400 years and the failures in unity were all over the nature of who Jesus was. We haven't even gotten to the nuances of biblical understanding yet—things like differences over infant baptism, the Lord's Supper, and so on,

CHAPTER III
THE GREAT SCHISM TO THE REFORMATION

         The influences from five cities of Christianity were soon reduced to two. The minority of Latin Catholic Churches left in Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem were soon overrun by followers of Islam. As a consequence, their influence waned. What was left was Rome and Constantinople.
         For many years the two centers of Christianity were unified. But in the 11th century, a power struggle developed between them. They drifted further and further apart, with two distinctive empires: Holy Roman in the west and Byzantine in the East. The west lost some of its influence when the Roman Empire fell, though the Church remained. Their difference all came to a head in 1054 A.D. in what would become the Great Schism.

The Great Schism, 1054 A.D.

Their disagreements were two-fold:

1) Rome thought the Bishop of Rome, called the Pope, was over the entire Roman Catholic Church. That was not so according to the church in Constantinople.

2) It has to do with something caledl the filioque, meaning "and from the son." The Pope wanted this added to the Nicene Creed to indicate the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Church in Constantinople said the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father only.

         The second article above was really the major point of contention. Neither side would give in. The disagreements came to a head in 1054 and the Roman Catholic Church spilt down the middle. What remained of the The Roman Catholic Church was centered in Rome, but included 23 eastern churches under the Pope. The new Eastern Orthodox Church was centered in Constantinople.
         After the split, each side had their own primary theologian to speak for the faith. In the west it was St. Thomas Aquinas who wrote about God's divine simplicity—that God is not made of parts, but has one singular nature. We then can understand God and so study Him. Thats why the western church started universities and the study of science (which is the study of God); the attitude that religion is antithetical to science is false. Ih the east, their theologn was St. Gregory Patamas. He wrote that Eastern Orthodoxy believed we couldn't understand what God is, rather they studied what God isn't. They appeaedl to mostly the mystery of God.
         Today, there are many Eastern Orthodox Churches who answer only to God and can be considered denominations: Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian, Albanian, Serbian. Polish, Russian, Georgian, Ruthenian, Czeck & Slovakian, Ukranian, and American. Then there are the three others located in Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. That's 15 altogether.
         Throw in Rome and Constantinople and along with those that previously left, its a lot of denominations even before the Reformation. And it's all because we couldn't figure out who Jesus was and where the Holy Spirit came from. We have been trying to understand the Trinity ever since.

The Catholic Church at the Time of the Reformation

         In my opinion, the Catholic Church became apostate at some point in it's history. Any capable theologian might be able to dig through all the writings and be be able to point to a certain point in time, but I can't. In the beginning, I included the Catholic Church as a Christian church. Don't forget, it gave us the Nicene Creed … but something happened along the way. By the time of the reformation, they had began to see their salvation as faith plus works.
         That’s why they rejected salvation by faith alone. Their salvation became faith that includes cooperation with and participation in the church, specifically through works of the sacraments. As such, it became a different Gospel. That's why, when the reformation come, they were no longer a Christian Church. The Eastern Orthodox Churches that parted from Catholicism remains a Christin denomination—they're rooted in the tradition of the Nicene Creed.
         To the Catholic Church, it was all about authority. That authority descended directly from St. Peter, who was given the keys to the kingdom by Jesus, making him the first “Pope.” Since then, there’s been an unbroken chain of popes leading up to the current Pope—because of apostolic succession. The church wields that authority many ways, but specifically to forgive sins, cast out demons, and interperate scripture (which is why they clung to the Latin Vulgate for so many centuries).
         The Church has the authority over severe other practices as well:

— "transubstantiation" is where the wine and bread literally change into the blood, body, soul, and divinity of Jesus. Only the appearances of the bread and wine remain. This became a major issue among the Protestant reformers. Its the cause of some denominations.

— the Saints that have died and gone to heaven are still part of the church, That's why they pray to the saints and to the Virgin Mary—not as a form of worship, but asking them to pray for us.

— The church had the authority to get payment for their sins. This was the practice of selling indulgences. An indulgence is a remission for the punishment or sin. Absolution is granted by a priest, though its not enough to simply wipe it away. A person is temporally punished for the sins accumulated in life So, an indulgence is a way to reduce that punishment.

         Thats unbiblical enough, but to compound the issue, priests were selling these indulgences, allowing people who paid to get their punishment reduced. Indulgences remain as part of Catholic doctrine, though the practice of selling them has stopped—remission is usually through some sacrament.

The Proto-Protestants

         There are Protestant churches that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church before the actual Reformation instigated by Martin Luther in 1517. Its of value to bear honor to them first.

Waldenses—Founded in southern France, they are followers of Peter Valdes [Waldo] (1140-1205). They believed in living a life of poverty and felt anyone could preach from the Bible, not just priests. There are still Waldenses today in Italy and America, though they are genially considered part of the Calvanistic Reformed branch of Protestantism.

Lollards—Lollard, Lollardi, or Loller was the popular derogatory nickname given to those without an academic background, or if educated at all, were educated only in English. Since John Wycliffe (1330-1384) translated the Bible into English, they were energized and inspired by some of his teachings. Active in England from the mid-14th century until the 16th-century, they became associated with uprisings and assassinations of high government officials, but were eventually suppressed.

Hussites—Followers of Jan Hus (1370-1415), who tried to reform the Catholic Church about a century before Luther. He was unsuccessful in that the movement failed to spread. He was successful in tne sense that he created the Bohemian Reformation with resulted in the Moravian Church (Czech Republic) that still exists today

Millenarianists—They followed the belief in a coming fundamental transformation of society. These were not always churches, but groups that exist exists in various cultures and religions worldwide, with various interpretations of what constitutes a transformation.The native American Ghost Dancers are an example.

The Reformation, 1517 A.D.

         The story of Peter and John who preached at the Temple following Pentecost and healed a lame man is well-known to most Christians. When Peter approached the lame man who was begging for alms, Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
         When St. Thomas Aquinas (1224/25-1274) visited the Vatican, Pope Innocent IV invited him to view the treasures that had been accumulated by the Church. The Pope said, “No longer can the Church say, ‘Silver and gold have we none’!” He was proud of that fact. But Aquinas replied, “Holy Father, that is very true indeed. But neither can we say to the poor and afflicted, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk!'” Is it any wonder that people believed the medieval Catholic Church had grown corrupt. Because of this, people began protesting the church.
         In 1517, Martin Luther wrote his "99 Theses" in which he refuted many of the practices of the Church, particularly the practice of selling indulgences. Luther was not trying to start a new religion; it's doubtful he even posted them on the church door as the story goes. Most likely he simply handed them to his bishop. But they were quickly copied and widely circulated. Possibly someone else posted them.
         Regardless of his intent, he became the seminal figure of the reformation. Unfortunately, others took what Luther was doing and turned it into a revolution. Those who wanted to retain the good vestiges of the Catholic Church and keep a traditional structure were the Magisterial Reformers. Those who wanted to tear down the Catholic Church and start over were the Radical Reformers,

CHAPTER IV
REFORMATION TO 1ST GREAT AWAKENING

         One thing to remember is that the Reformation was not a single movement, but many similar movements at the same time. Although, one could make the case that it was Martin Luther who opened the floodgates.
         The Reformation can be broken down first into two major branches—the Magisterial Reformation and the Radical Reformation—and then three smaller branches under the Magisterial Reformation. Rather than list the denominations chronologically as they arose, it's of more value to list them categorically under these branches to see where they came from and what they believe.
         Also, though the reformation spread world-wide, I've concentrated on only denominations in the United States. Although, I have mentioned churches in other areas of the world where appropriate. Besides the Roman Catholic Church, those denominations found in America are the largests. If I named every single one, this article would be endless.

Magisterial Reformation

         The magisterial reformation included denominations that followed secular authorities, such as local governments, as long as they they didn't conflict with the Bible. It still produced churches that had different ways of conducting Christian worship and Christian life relative to the Roman Catholic Church. Though the Catholic Church continued its claim to be the one true church, the churches that sprung out of the Magisterial Reformation claim that they were part of the continuation of the catholic ("all-embracing"} church as it was referred to in the Nicene Creed.
         The major reformers of the Magisterial Reformation were Luther. Zwingli, and Cranmer. They taught that salvation was by faith alone, not good works. The church was still the Kingdom of God and so it needed to be involved in every aspect of society (connected to universities, hospitals, and secular governments).
         Magisterial reformed churches stopped believing in purgatory, prayers the saints and to Mary, and stopped selling indulgences. They continued to conduct infant baptism, and believed Christianity needed to be institutional (not just about a personal relationship with God).
         Differences between them can largely be traced to differences in the Lords Supper—it was probably the defining issue.The leaders of the Reformation tried to come together in one Protestant Church, but they couldn't agree on it. Instead, they split into Lutheran, Reformed, and Anglican/Episcopal denominations.

Main Magisterial Leaders

         Martin Luther—While the sale of indulgences is often given as the primary justification for the reformation, it was the differences in the Lord's Supper that had just as big an impact. The Roman Catholic Church believed Christs's body remains PRESENT in the bread; His blood PRESENT in the wine. Martin Luther believed the bread WAS the body and the wine WAS the blood. In debates, He said, "IS means IS" (pounding the table), referring to the words of Christ: "This is my body," and "This is my blood."
         In many regards, Luther was an odd duck. He had many quirks and phobias and was actually considered by many to be insane. You'd have to be somewhat nuts to take on the Roman Catholic Church back then. He was also not as bold as many think.
         Upon his trial at the Diet of Worms, when asked if he would recant, he did not reply boldy, but instead whispered, "Give me 24 hours to think about it." The next day he gave his now famous response, "My conscience is captive to the word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I therefore cannot, and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other."
   ↳Melanchthon was his follower. He wrote the official Lutheran document called the "Augsburg Confession," which Calvin signed. He came close to agreeing with other Protestant leaders on the Lord's Supper, but failed.
       ↳Chemnitz—Followed Melanchthon. Caused Lutheranism to take an explicit form, which cut ties to other Protestants.

         Ulrich Zwingli—A Swiss reformer who disagreed with Luther on the Lord's Supper. He didn't believe Christ was in the bread and wine. Initially he was part of the Swiss Anabaptist movement, but soon fell out with their hard-line radical beliefs. For example, he had been a pacifist at first but later actually died in battle. The Aanabaptists felt betrayed by him, and after the martyrdom of their leaders and continued persecution from Catholics and Reformers alike, left Switzerland for Germany, the Netherlands, and France.
   ↳Calvin was his follower. His view of the Lord's Supper was similar to Luther's. He tried to unite with Melanchthon, but the two never connected. Calvin's view of the Lord's Supper was that we receive the body and blood of Christ, but we receive it spiritually. Calvin became well-know for a variety of principles, such as:

         —infant baptism
         —pre-destination
         —conduct of worship
         —sovereignty of God
         —full covenant theology (the entire Bible contains
             God's overreaching covenant of grace).

         However, it was Calvin's view of the Lord's Supper that made his followers Calvinists, not these other principles. The five points of Calvinism was, in truth, based on The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands at Dordrecht in 1618–1619. The earliest known use of the acronym for the five points (TULIP) wasn't until 1905, and the five points weren't popularized until 1963 in The Five Points of Calvinism Defined, Defended, Documented by David N. Steele and Curtis C. Thomas.

         Thomas Cranmer—A leader in the Anglican Reformation, Cranmer helped build the case for the annulment of Henry's marriage. Along with Thomas Cromwell, he supported the principle of royal supremacy, in which the king was considered sovereign over the Church within his realm.
         During Cranmer's tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury, he established the first doctrinal and liturgical structures of the reformed Church of England. He didn't make many radical changes in the Church due to power struggles between Calvinism and catholicism. Because of that, the Anglican Church ended up taking a middle ground approach exhibiting "big-tent" theology, a characteristic still evident today in the Anglican Church and offshoots like Methodists.

Magisterial Denominations

Lutheran (Luther)—The Lutheran Church was founded in Germany by Martin Luther, the man who was given credit, or discredit depending on your perspective, for starting the reformation. They followed Luther in what he believed about communion; believed in infant baptism, but they can loose their salvation if they stop having faith. Faith must produce good works, though they don't save. Luther's main articles of faith were sola fide ("by faith alone") and sola scriptura ("by scripture alone").

Lutheran Churches (USA)—When the Lutheran church began, it spread through first Germany and then to primarily the Scandanavian countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Certainly there were other reformation curches, but the early reformation world was separated into Lutheran and non-Lutheran; that's how important the Lutheran Church was at the beginning of the Reformation. Yet, problems began early over things like the Lord's Supper snd baptism. As a result, some Lutheran churches wanting to worship as they please, found an escape in the New World.
↳Lutheran Church: Missouri Synod ▼

In the 19th-century, Lutherans in the German Kingdom of Saxony found themselves increasingly at odds with Rationalism, Christian ecumenism, and the prospect of a forced union of the Lutheran church with the Reformed church at large. In the neighboring Kingdom of Prussia, the Prussian Union of 1817 put in place what these Lutherans in Saxon considered to be non-Lutheran communion and baptismal doctrine and practice. In order to freely practice their faith in accordance with their Lutheran confessions, Saxon Lutherans left for the United States in November 1838. The immigrants ultimately settled in Perry County, St. Louis, Missouri. It was named the Lutheran Church: Missouri Synod (LCMS). Today, there are congregations in all 50 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, but over half of its members are located in the Midwest.

↳Wisconsin Evangelical Luthera n Synod ▼

The early churches in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) were mainly German; services and church business were conducted in German. Many of the pastors and congregations brought with them a tolerance towards forming joint congregations with those in Reformed theology, similar to the Union Churches they left behind in Germany. In 1864, the German Evangelical Lutheran synod of Wisconsin was incorporated. Several conferences, reorganizations, and a schism later, the conference split in 1881 when the Ohio Synod left over the issue of whether God predestined people according to his foreknowledge of whether they would come to faith. The Norwegian Synod left in 1883, though the Wisconsin and Missouri synods stood together. Mergers with other synods eventually resulted in cooperation and the current name change in 1959.

   ↳Evangelical Lutheran Synod ▼

Originally organized as the Norwegian Synod in the Midwestern United States In 1853. Then in 1872, along with the LCMS and WELS, they formed the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America (ELSC) But disagreement soon arose among members of the Norwegian Synod. The people who became the ELSC had concerns regarding fellowship with those who did not share the same doctrine. The Norwegian Synod had taught that conversion and salvation were entirely the work of God without any cooperation from humans (total depravity found in reformed theology). The new merged church allowed that conversion depended in some degree on humans accepting God's grace (free will found in Anglican theology). In 1918, they reorganized as the Norwegian Synod of the American Evangelical Lutheran Church (also known as "Little Norwegian" Synod). The name was changed to the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) in1957.

↳Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ▼

The ELCA was officially formed in 1988 by merging three Lutheran church bodies: the LCA, ALC, and AELC. The Lutheran Church in America (LCA) from New York City, NY, and Philadelphia, PA, were largely descendants of immigrants in the colonial and mid-19th century period. The American Lutheran Church (ALC), with headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was influenced by descendants of the waves of Scandinavian and German immigration to the Midwest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC), which withdrew from the LCMS in 1975, comprised many congregations throughout the lower Midwest. Over time, church associations' national or ethnic identification lessened as descendants assimilated into general American society. Members across organizations began to have more in common as areas of the country urbanized and more people made their livings in suburbs and cities, rather than in rural farming areas. Today, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States. Its members are largely descendants of Scandinavians and Germans who emigrated from countries where Lutheranism was the state religion.

   ↳Luth. Congregations in Mission for Christ ▼

The LCMC was An association of Lutheran congregations located primarily in the United States. Its an affiliation of autonomous Lutheran churches and not a denomination. It began in 2001 in response to some liberal views of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The LCMC is characterized by the stances it takes on Lutheran politics, biblical authority, and human sexuality. They describe themself as "centrist" or "mainstream," noting that it stands between the more liberal ELCA and the more conservative LCMS and other Lutheran churches.

   ↳North American Lutheran Church ▼

The North American Lutheran Church (NALC) was officially formed in August 2010 as the culmination of dissatisfaction by theological conservatives within ELCA, who perceived those bodies as moving away from the authority of the Bible and the Lutheran Confessions. The primary issue of concern for these groups was a 2009 decision by the ELCA which changed its teaching and policy on sexual ethics, allowing clergy / ministers to be in committed same-sex relationships.

Reformed (Zwingli/Calvin)—Many think the Reformed church started with John Calvin. Though Calvin certainly did a great deal to forward the reformed theology, he was a student of Ulrich Zwingli, who was a contemporary of Luther's. They believed in total depravity (can't turn toward God) and pre-destination (God decides who gets saved). They also believe in infant baptism. The reformed churches are less different in doctrine as they are culturally separated geographically. They all believe the same thing.

Dutch Reformed (the Netherlands)—While the reformed church began in Switzerland with Zwingli and Calvin, one of the main places in became entrenched quickly was the Netherlands. Led by Zacharias Ursinus, who wrote the Heidleburg Catechism, the Dutch Reformed are the most obsessed with theology of all the Reformed Protestants.
↳Reformed Church in America ▼

The North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1628, Jonas Michaelius organized the first Dutch Reformed congregation in New Amsterdam, now New York City, called the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church. A fundamental conviction they have is that they don't belong to themselves. Life, despite its circumstances, is a gift from God, and each individual is its steward. Therefore, they oppose euthanasia.

   ↳The Christian Reformed Church ▼

Rooted in the Dutch Reformed Church of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Dutch immigrants in 1857 and is theologically Calvinist. It split from the Reformed Church in America (then known as the Dutch Reformed Church) in an 1857 secession. Gijsbert Haan (1801– 1874) was the leader and the creator of the Christian Reformed Church in the United States and Canada.

      ↳United Reformed Churches in N.A. ▼

A theologically conservative federation of Reformed churches founded in 1996. Many churches joined it after splitting from the Christian Reformed Church in North America denomination. Over the twentieth century, the Christian Reformed Church grew progressively more liberal. Conservative reformed believers were concerned that the Christian Reformed Churches were departing from scripture to accommodate modern social trends. Specific disagreements arose on issues like women's ordination, evolution cases, and biblical inerrancy.

Hugenots (Continental Europe)—Primarily in France, the Hugenots take after Heinrich Bullinger, a contemporary of Calvin's, who wrote the 2nd Helvetic Confession. All the Protestant groups have written confessions that are backed up with scripture—they don't just believe what they want to believe (contrary to popular opinion). In France, the Protestants did not flourish as well and the Hugenots were often persecuted.
↳United Protestant Church of France ▼

Created in 2013 through the unification of the Reformed Church of France and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of France, its orientation is both Calvinist and Lutheran. Ordination of women and same-sex marriages are allowed.

↳French Huguenot Church ▼

Following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, many Huguenots fled France for various parts of the world, including Charleston.SC, USA. The early congregation of Charleston's Huguenot Church included many of these refugees, and their descendants continued to play a role in the church's affairs for many decades. The church was originally affiliated with the Calvinist Reformed Church of France, and its doctrine still retains elements of Calvinist doctrine. The church's services still follow 18th century French liturgy, but are conducted in English.

Presbyterian (Scotland)—Followers of John Knox, who brought reformed Protestant theology to Scotland. Trained by Calvin, he wrote the "Scots Confession." This confession teaches that baptism saves. Knox was a lot more passionate than Calvin and developed sexists views against women because Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic, was trying to suppress his movement. He didn't believe women should be leaders in the church. It spread to Ireland and then to America.
↳United Presbyterian Church in the USA ▼

The UPCUSA, Founded in 1789, was the primary Presbyterian Church in America up until the Civil War, when the UPCUS—a southern branch—split away. It remained until well after the Civil War (until 1983), spreading throughout the entire United States.

   ↳The Presbyterian Church in the US ▼

The southern branch of the Presbyterian church that had split away after the start of hostilities in the American Civil Was, as old School Presbyterians, in 1861, formed the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America. After the war, this body was renamed the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS) and was commonly nicknamed the "Southern Presbyterian Church" throughout its history..

   ↳Evangelical Presbyterian Church ▼

The EPC is an American church body holding to presbyterian governance and Reformed theology. It is a conservative Calvinist denomination. It is most distinctive for its approach to the way it balances certain liberties across congregations on "non-essential" doctrines. It began as a result of prayer meetings in 1980 and 1981 by pastors and elders increasingly alienated by liberalism in the "northern" branch of Presbyterianism, the United Presbyterian Church in the USA (UPCUSA).

   ↳The Presbyterian Church (USA) ▼

Today, its the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country, though known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and members of the LGBT community as elders and ministers. The UPC(USA) was established with the 1983 merger of the UPCUS (whose churches were located in the Southern and border states) with the UPCUSA (whose congregations could be found in every state, though it had started in northern states).

      ↳Covenant Order of Evangelical Pres. ▼

An evangelical Presbyterian denomination in the United States. As a Presbyterian church, ECO adheres to Reformed theology and Presbyterian polity. It was established in 2012 by former congregations and members of the Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA). Denominational disputes over theology—particularly ordination of practicing homosexuals as pastors and gay marriage—and bureaucracy led to the founding of ECO.

Congregationalist (England)—In England, the Reformed churches were called Congregationalists, though we know them as the Puritans and Pilgrims. They have the simplest form—moving away from extravagant displays, in buildings and elaborate worship services—and didn't celebrate Christmas and Easter. They were followers of John Owen, called, “indisputably the leading proponent of high Calvinism in England in the late seventeenth century."
         Though they weren't Anglican, they wanted to change the Church of England from within. The Puritans were trying to purify the church of anything that had to do with the Roman Catholic Church. They eventually went to America, leaving the English Church behind as "incorrigible." The Great Migration of Puritans was fast and furious, ending in 1642 with the start of the English Civil War (King Charles I shut off immigration to the colonies). Then, they began to decline in America, brought about, for the most part, by the rise of dissenting sects in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. There is no consensus on when the Puritan era ended, though it seems to have been over by 1740. At this time, the Puritan tradition was splintering into different strands of pietists, rationalists, and conservatives.
↳Conservative Congregational Christian Ch. ▼

The most conservative and oldest Congregationalist denomination in America following the dissolution of the Congregational Christian Churches.

   ↳Nat. Assoc. of Christian Congregational Ch. ▼

The church was founded in 1955 by former clergy and laypeople of the Congregational Christian Churches in response to the pending merger with the Evangelical & Reformed Church to form the United Church of Christ in 1957.

↳United Church of Christ ▼

Generally theologically liberal, though the Bible, written in historical times and places, still speaks to them. It resulted from a merger of the Conservative Congregational Christian Church with the Evangelical & Lutheran Church (from various reformed and Lutheran churches in the US) in 1957.

Other Cultural Reformed Churches—Churches among the Reformed faith were often found in culturally distinct regions often based on language, theology, confessions adopted, and so on.
↳Hungary —A Calvinist Constitutional Synod was held in 1567 in Debrecen, the main hub of Hungarian Calvinism, where the Heidelberg Catechism (sometimes referred to as the "Palatinate Catechism") and the Second Helvetic Confession were adopted.
         The Helvetic Confession is expanded beyond the limits of a popular creed into a lengthy theological treatise. It states that the Reformed faith is in harmony with the true Catholic faith of all ages, especially the ancient Greek and Latin Church.
         Surprisingly, Hungarian Calvinism spread more easily in Muslim areas controlled by the Ottoman Empire than in the European Habsburg-controlled areas, due to some counter-reformation policies of the Roman Catholic Church.
↳Germany—Congregational territorial churches offered a form of church organization that was ideally suited to frontier communities in Germany. It also emphasized a vital personal religion growing out of an experience of conversion.
         Yet, the preaching of repentance and conversion was almost unknown to those who were raised in the German Landeskirche (State Church), which by then was Lutheran. The first Congregational missionary to the Germans, Peter Fleury, was told by one, "In our country, thieves, murderers, and such people, have to do repentance, but we are Christians, by birth, baptism, and confirmation.”
         Lutheranism was so strong, that Congregationalism failed to dispel the popular fear that it meant deserting the Lutheran faith. One man, who, when asked if he liked a Congregational sermon, said, “Very much, it is all very good if it were but Lutheran.”

Anglican—Also called the Church of England. Many people point to King Henry VIII as the founder of the Church because of his split with the Pope over his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. However, he was only the political founder. The theological father of the church was Thomas Cramer.
         A broad spectrum of theological views is represented within the Anglican church, from which the Episcopalian, Methodist, and Baptist churches originated. It had spread worldwide until now, an amalgamation of churches in Africa called the "Global South Fellowship" are planning on splitting away over same-sex couples.

Anglicanism—Because of the struggle in the church between catholicism and Calvinism, Anglican churches don't have a unified set of beliefs, rather it ended up having more of a "big tent" tradition. This tradition has carried through to both the Episcopalian and Methodist churches, though not the Baptist churches. Still, the Anglican Church set the stage for what a Protestant church looks like throughout the English-speaking world.
↳The Anglican Catholic Church ▼

A body in the continuing Anglican movement, though separate from the Anglican Communion. The name "Anglican Catholic" is defined as "Anglican' (meaning "English") and "Catholic" (meaning "universal"). A Congress in St. Louis was held in response to the Episcopal Church's revision of the Book of Common Prayer, which organizers felt abandoned a true commitment to both scripture and historical Anglicanism. The decision to allow the ordination of women was one part of a larger theological position opposed by the congress. As a result, they separated from the Episcopal Church and formed the "Anglican Catholic Church" to continue the Anglican tradition as they understood it and have therefore claimed that this church is the true heir of the Church of England in the United States.

   ↳Anglican Church in America ▼

The formation of this church reads like a counter-reformation action-adventure. It was created in 1991 following extensive negotiations between the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC) and the Catholic Church. The traditional Anglicans had been seeking unity with the Roman Catholic Church while still retaining aspects of its Anglican heritage. Most ACC parishes declined to enter the new ACA, resulting in a continuing existence for the ACC, while the remainder of its parishes and some of its bishops joined the American Episcopal Church in forming the new church. In 2011, the chancellor of the Anglican Church in America issued a statement on behalf of the bishops of the ACA announcing that the church would remain a Continuing Anglican Church.

↳Anglican Church in North America ▼

The ACNA was founded in 2009 by former members of the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada who were dissatisfied with liberal doctrinal and social teachings in their former churches, which they considered contradictory to traditional Anglican belief.

Episcopalianism—The only difference between the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church is that the Episcopal church was organized after the American Revolution. It became separate from the Church of England because clergy were required to swear allegiance to the British monarch.
         Both the Anglican and Episcopal Church could describe themselves as "Protestant, yet catholic," though the Episcopal Church asserts apostolic succession, tracing its bishops back to the apostles (Episcopal means "led by bishops"). They follow the via media or "middle way" between Protestant and Roman Catholic doctrine and practices: that is both Catholic and Reformed.
↳The Episcopal Church ▼

…

↳Anglican Province of America ▼

In the 1960s, the Episcopal Church in the United States (ECUSA) increasingly involved itself with the civil rights movement. Some in the church began to question areas of ECUSA's involvement which seemed to them to be supporting radical causes. At the same time, revisions made in Roman Catholic liturgies caused many within the ECUSA leadership to champion an updating of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. Opposition to these actions led to the founding of the American Episcopal Church (AEC) in March 1968. At a meeting held in Mobile, Alabama, it was agreed that a new body was needed in order to preserve traditional Anglicanism, hence, the APA.

Radical Reformation

         The defining feature of all Radical Reformational churches is a retreat from institutions and being separate from society. It was a revolution for them, rather than a reformation. They were also new churches. When churches in the Magisterial branch changed, they didn't change churches—they simply altered their theology and practices in the same buildings. Conversely, when those in the Radical Reformation changed, they created brand new churches with new theology and new practices.
         A characteristic of almost all radical churches following the Reformational was that they didn't baptize infants because they rejected it as a Catholic practice. They believed the Catholic Church was rotten to the core and needed to be torn down. For the most part, these were known as "Peace Churches" because they were pacifists.
English Separtists—The radical reformers in England, who saw the middle road that the Church of England was taking, weren't satisfied. Unlike the Puritans and Pilgrims, they were not content to change it from within. They were more radical and wanted to build the church up from scratch. These were the Baptists, Quakers, Enthusiasts, Shakers, Digger, Ranters, Seekers, and Muggletonians. Most have died out or joined other groups—Seekers became Quakers and Ranters became Primitive Methodists, for example. Today, Baptist are the only vital, modern day descendants of those English Separatists, though there are still Quakers around.

Early Baptists—Baptists were part of the English Separatists groups that left the Church of England in the 1600s. John Smyth and Thomas Helwys started the Baptist denomination in England. After moving to the Netherland, they came in contact with the anabaptists and assimilated their baptismal practices.
         Other than that, though, they kept many of the practices of Anglican churches; It makes it hard to classify them. They deny infant baptism, believe in retreating from institutions, and are skeptical of church history and traditions. They believe in a "born-again" experience where the believer goes from non-Christin to Christian. They must be baptized through full immersion, though baptism doesn't save. Its a symbol of a changed life.
         In America, the first Baptist church was founded by Roger Williams in 1638. Williams had brought his theology to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but wa promptly kicked out by the Puritans (so much for freedom of religion there). So, he left and founded his denomination in Rhode Island.
         Early on, two main branches of Baptists grew: Particular Baptists (Calvinistic) and General Baptists (non-Calvinistic). It's difficult to define them as denominations because Baptists follow a form of structure where each congregation decides their own theology. So, Baptists organize their churches in conventions, which were at the state or national level.
↳Nat. Assoc. of Free Will Baptists ▼

General, or Free Will, Baptists believed, contrary to Calvinism that holds to limited atonement, in general, or unlimited, atonement (Christ's sacrifice benefitted everyone). However they did hold to personal predestination and eternal security. The first of thees churches was founded in North Carolina in in 1727. After 1755, the churches began to decrease and many became Particular Baptists. By 1770, only four churches remained of the General Baptistsn. By the end of the 18th century, these churches were being referred to as Free Will Baptist.

Post Great-Awakening Baptists—The First Great Awakening in the United States aroused in many christians a desire for a more spiritual experience. Unlike the more liturgical forms of Christianity which focused on rituals, evangelical christianity that rose from this awakening focused on the conversion experience of the individual (being born-again).
         Preachers like Jonathan Edwards preached on redemption of sins and receiving salvation. As a result, many churches turned to missionary work. Those who did became Missionary Baptists; those who didn't were called Primitive Baptists.
↳The Triennial Convention ▼

The first convention, it was formed in 1814 by most of the missionary Baptist churches in order to promote missionary work. It was so named because it met every three yeas. But in 1845, the churches split over slavery with the southern churches leaving and forming the Southern Baptist Convention.

   ↳Southern Baptist Convention ▼

It split from the Triennial Convention in 1845 over slavery. It was the more conservative group of missionary churches and continued to keep its name until today.

      ↳Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ▼

It began in 1990 when a group of theologically moderate churches within the Southern Baptist Convention disagreed with the fundamentalists, as well as their opposition to the ordination of women. It officially left the Southern Baptist Convention in 2002.

   ↳The American Baptist Churches USA ▼

The northern branch of the original Triennial Convention that remained after the split in 1845. It was more l\iberal and was reorganized in 1907 as the Northern Baptist Convention; renamed American Baptist Churches USA in 1972.

↳American Baptist Association ▼

Made up of Landmark Baptists, a sect of Baptists that say they can trace their roots back as far as the first century through some fringe movements. The churches in those earlier movements supposedly had practices similar to the baptists of today.

↳Independent Baptists
African-American Baptists—Efforts to plant African-American Baptist churches began in the Antebellum South following the Civil War. Both free blacks and slaves were welcomed into the Baptist movement by missionaries in the First and Second Great Awakenings. Some had been formed before the Civil War, but afterward, african-American churches began in earnest. In 1840, Black Baptists developed a cooperative movement that went beyond state lines, often in the remains of the Confederacy.
↳National Baptist Convention USA ▼

Established in 1895, it is the largest predominantly and traditionally African American church in the United States and the second largest Baptist denomination in the world. From 2015 to 2016, President Jerry Young collaborated with the Southern Baptist Convention on racial reconciliation.

↳National Baptist Convention of America ▼

Has denounced same-sex marriage and same-sex unions, They consider homosexuality to be an illegitimate expression of God's will. It also rejects the ordination of women, though some congregations throughout the United States and Canada have attempted to ordain women as deacons, ministers, and pastors. It split in 1915 over control of the National Baptist Publishing Board, which provided black Baptists with religious materials written by other black Baptists, primarily periodicals and Sunday School materials, but also including some books. At its beginning, the National Baptist Publishing Board took over responsibility for publishing the National Baptist Magazine and it launched the new Teacher's Monthly in 1897. The National Baptist Publishing Board became the principal source of religious publications for black Baptists worldwide. By 1906, it grew to become the largest African American publishing company in the United States.{/dropnote
↳{dropnote:"Progressives National Baptist c Convention"}The Progressive National Baptist Convention formed in 1961 after civil-rights-oriented Baptist ministers failed to replace Joseph H. Jackson, the long-time head of the National Baptist Convention. The older group stood aloof from the civil rights movement which was often led by local Baptist ministers. After a fist fight between reformers and conservatives, in which one elderly minister was accidentally killed, Jackson's supporters won. The goal of using the united power of the black Baptist community to promote civil rights came to nothing. It prompted the formation of the new predominantly African American Baptist denomination.

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)—The Friends were led by George Fox. "Quaker" was a derogatory term, which they got from Fox, who when brought to trial for blasphemy, said, "They should tumble (or quake ) at God's word."—most likely from Isaiah.

         For all those things My hand have made,
         And all those things exist,”
         Says he Lord.
         “But on this one will I look:
         On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
         And who trembles at My word."

Isaiah 66:2, NKJV

Like many of the controversial groups that popped up at the time, they had an outlet in the new colonies. While the Puritans, Pilgrims, and Baptists (Rhode Island) settled in New England, The Friends settled in the middle colonies.
         Those in the New York colony wrote the Flushing Remonstrance (used in the 1st admendment to constitution). Willian Penn, a noteworthy Friend, invited all who wanted to partake of their religion, no matter what it was, to his colony. It started out as Penn's Woods," eventually Pennsylvania (sylvania meaning "woods.")
         Their churches were called meetings. Their emphasis was on the inner light of all human beings, and they practiced silence in their meetings, waiting for that inner light to reveal what needed to be said. But in 1827, the meetings were a victim of a major schism, led by Elias Hicks, an early abolitionist who was involved in the Underground Railroad.
         The schism resulted in three branches pf Quakers: 1) The Hicksite order and most liberal that led to the Friends General Conference, 2) the Wilburites who became the Friends General Conference, and 3) the Gurneyites who became the Friends United Meeting.
↳Friends General Conference ▼

The most liberal of the three main groups of Friends. Devolved from the Hicksites.

↳Friends United Meeting ▼

The Wilburites became the Friends United Meeting, the most conservative branch.

↳Evangelical Friends Church ▼

The third group after the split, the Gurneyites, went a completely new direction. They followed more mainstream christian beliefs and became the Friends United Meeting.

Methodists—Methodism had it's beginnings in The Holy Club at Oxford, England, created by John and Charles Wesley, and their friend George Whitfield. They were all former Anglicans who separated from the church because they believed it had become dry and lifeless. John and Charles were not Calvinists, though Whitfield was.
         Methodists generally believe in free will (they reject predestination). They also believe salvation is a 2-setp work of grace: Yhe 1st is a free-will choice to accept the gospel, the 2nd work of grace is entire sanctification. For them, It's possible to reach a state of perfection. This is called the "Method" to spiritual perfection. They believe that if they pursue this their entire life, eventually they'll become entirely sanctified (state of perfection).
         At the time of the American Civil War, Methodists split over slavery, but then eventually got back together. However, in 2022, the Global Methodist Church was formed that became made of Methodist churches the disaffiiated from the United Methodist church over human sexuality and same-sex marriages,
↳United Methodist Church (UMC) ▼

Founded by John Wesley, who in the 17th century, felt that the Anglican Church had gotten too spiritually dead. He wanted to revive the church by putting a spiritual fire back into the church (which is why there is a flame in the logo). The Weslyan Quadrilateral—scripture, tradition, reason, experience—was, in fact, not Weslyan at all, but was coined by 20th century scolar Albert Cook Outler (1909-1989). To John Wesley, Sola Scriptura meant everything. Following unification with the Evangelical United Brethren, it became the United Methodist
church

   ↳Global Methodist Church (GMC) ▼

In 2022, churches began a "disaffiliation" process from the United Methodist Church because of differences regarding human sexuality and same-sex marriage. To accommodate theses churches, the Global Methodist Church was authorized with fewer demands on the churches under their umbrella.

African-American Methodists formed their own denominations,
↳African Methodist Episcopal (AME) ▼

Founded in the early 1800s in the northern United States.

↳Christian Methodist Episcopal Church ▼

A black Methodist church in the United States. Founded in 1870 by 41 formerly enslaved African Americans as the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, it officially adopted its present name in 1956.

Anabaptists—Anabaptism had its roots in the Swiss Reformation. Anabaptist does not mean anti-baptism like some people believe, rather "re-baptize." They believed the practice of infant baptism was not biblical and so re-baptized people after they reach the age of consent. The original Anabaptists called themselves brethren. Since the movement began in Switzerland, the term Swiss Brethren is also used.
         Early Anabaptists were followers of Menno Simons, of Friesland, in the 16th century. They were called Mennonites and spread their belief in the Dutch Republic. They emphasized adult baptism and rejected institutions, military service, and public office.
         In 1693, there was a schism in which some of the followers left to follow Jakob Ammann. His followers were called Amish and they believed not to reverse time, but to live life more simply—rejecting modern clothes and modern technology.
         A third group were called Hutterites, who were followers of Jakob Hutter. They helped spread Anabaptist ideas to Austria and further east. They were all called "Peace Churches" because they were also pacifists.
         Today, the Amish are the most restrictive and the Mennonite the least, with the Hutterites somewhere in between. Many migrated to America because there was more freedom to practice their religion.
         Instead of immigrating to America, some Mennonites moved eastward from Europe into Poland, Russia, and the Ukraine in the late 1700s. After becoming influenced by the radical Lutheran Pietists, they became Mennonite Brethren. Many of them moved to America and remained Mennonite Brethren.
↳Amish ▼

Originally followers of Jakob Amman. Live completely apart from society. Don't use modern conveniences, rather take a step back in time to previous centuries in how they live (horse-and-buggy, horse-drawn plows, windmills to draw water, no electricity). The point is not to revert in time, but to live life more simply.
↳{dropnote:"Mennonite"}...

↳Hutterites ▼

...

↳Mennonite Brethren ▼

...

Non-denominational Churches—These churches didn't come from any specific church. It's appropriate to put them under the radical reformation because they believe the church does not need to be institutional—they are individually communal. By their very nature, non-denominational churches are not institutional churches. The only churches that have a theological framework suitable for them are the radical reformed churches.

Interdenominational Movements

         One thing that makes it difficult to classify denominations is the aspect of movements that cut across denominational lines. Each have their own peculiar motivating factors.
Holiness Movement—They strive for more spiritual growth than they believe mainline churches have provided.

Pietists—A radical 17th century holiness movement that emphasized revival of piety in he Lutheran Church. They had a big impact because they were the first to focus less on the liturgical and more on the spiritual; less on memorization and more on having a personal relationship.
↳Church of the Brethren ▼

This group was also known as German Baptists or Dunkers. They were formed by Alexander Mack from Schwarzenau, Germany, who created the Schwarzenau Brethren. It was a church heavily influenced by the anabaptists.

↳Swedish Evangelical Free Church ▼

A free-Swedish church made up of Swedish immigrants, known as Mission Friends, who had broken from the Lutheran Church of Sweden. They formed a mission society in the 1880s, and most joined together, forming the Swedish Evangelical Mission Covenant of America in 1885.

   ↳Evangelical Free Church of America ▼

An evangelical Christian denomination in the Pietistic tradition. Formed in 1950 from the merger of the minority percentage (known as the Free Friends) who remained independent of the Swedish Evangelical Free Church and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association. It is affiliated with the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches.

Wesleyan-Holiness—A Holiness Movement within Methodism.
↳Church of the Nazarene ▼

Emerged in North America during the 19th-century. They care about doing good works and becoming baptized in the Holy Spirit which empowers them to pursue holiness.

↳Salvation Army ▼

Part of the Holiness Movement in the Methodist Church of the United Kingdom.

↳Bible Missionary Church ▼

The Bible Missionary Church, founded in 1955, is a movement specific to the Methodist denomination of Christianity aligned with the conservative holiness movement.

Evangelical Movement—This movement generally puts primary emphasis on evangelism. However, they can separate themselves from mainline denominations by a variety of different doctrines. For example, Evangelical Reformed Baptists are confessional in doctrine, which means they follow a historic confession, namely the 1689 2nd London Confession of Faith. This holds to the doctrine of pre-destination, but not the other five points of Calvinism. They also hold to the Christian Sabbath, affirm covenant theology, and are all- or post-millennialists. Evangelical Calvinistic Baptists hold to all of the five points of Calvinism, which is less than the 1689 Confession, are dispensationalists, and are generally pre-millennialists. So, there are differences besides just being evangelical.
Pentecostal Movement—Many people think this is a denomination, but it's not. Churches are diverse and distinct, but they generally add an additional work of grace. They consider themselves Christian immediately, but not a spirit-filled Christian. Their focus is on fruit of the Holy Spirit, so they believe in outcomes like speaking in tongues.
↳World Assemblies of God Fellowship ▼

A global cooperative body of over 170 Pentecostal churches, it was established in 1989 to provide structure. Member churches, which previously related to each other informally, could more easily cooperate on a global basis.

Restorationists

         Restorationists such as the Church of Christ, Seventh-day Adventists, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Disciples of Christ, and to cover all the bases, the Oneness Pentecostals (don't believe in the trinity), are not Christian because they are not rooted in the early Church and certainly not in the Nicean Creed. They have tried to build Christianity from scratch.
         They are called restorationists because of what they all have in common: they want to "restore" Christianity to its true form that they say was lost from early church history. Each one thinks they are the ones to bring it back, when in fact it was never lost in the first place. Beware of any group who says they have the answer to restore the Church. Thats the work of Christ.

CONCLUSION

All these different denominations is what brought us to the original question: how do we know which one tp believe? It's not as diverse as one might think. Thats due to three reasons.

1. Protestants don't believe in a one-church organization. They can still take communion with one another, evan if they're of different denominations. They are fine with having different organizations and church bodies, as long as their core values conform to the Nicene Creed, which they do. There are fewer differences in theology than there are similarities, and those differences are often cultural (Continental European vs. North American). These differences are not about core values but about things like infant baptism vs. baptism of the Spirit, free will vs. predestination, is Christ's body actually in the bread or only spiritually represented, and lately same-sex ordination. In he end, these things won't make much of a difference when we stand before the throne of Grace. The differences aren't over something like is Christ wholly divine or a creation of God (Jehovah Witness). That would be a problem.

2. Many of the denominations were not based on theologic differences, but merely cultural and geographic differences. People tended to congregate with those of similar background. Today, as society changes and cultures unite, many of the churches are actually a result of merging congregations.

3. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would guide the church in all truth.

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13a, NKJV)

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         It stands to reason, then, that the church that Jesus left us with, even if its many churches today, carries the truth just as God intended, through the truth of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel is still the Gospel.