{"id":19644,"date":"2016-07-18T10:06:15","date_gmt":"2016-07-18T17:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/?p=19644"},"modified":"2017-10-17T13:05:34","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T20:05:34","slug":"church-history-top-church-denominations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/church-history-top-church-denominations\/","title":{"rendered":"The History Behind the Top Church Denominations"},"content":{"rendered":"

The simple way to describe the church history is that the Apostles founded churches all over. (Early Church Mission<\/em> by Eckhard Schnabel<\/a> is worth having. It tells\u00a0about their early journeys.) Until 1054, there was institutional unity. That year the Eastern and Western church divided to form what we know now as the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Why? It’s complicated, but the Pope and use of icons were central. Then the protestors against Rome began. Called Protestants, the movement had a long shadow with John Wycliffe<\/a> and Prague priest Jan Hus<\/a>\u00a0predating the chief reformer Martin Luther<\/a>\u00a0who nailed his 95 grievances of the Church in 1517. Unlike Hus and Wycliffe (whose bones were burned later), Luther survived and became the father of the Lutheran movement and the focal point that would be the Protestant Reformation. With this as a simple backdrop of the church history, here are several\u00a0historical snapshots of the\u00a0denominations which\u00a0splintered from the historical foothold\u00a0of 1517. (The importance and need for reweaving denominations is for another article).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Top<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Church History Behind the Top Church Denominations <\/strong><\/h2>\n

The numbers represent US figures, unless noted.<\/em><\/p>\n


\nLutherans<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Start:\u00a0<\/strong>Essentially in 1517, in\u00a0Wittenberg, Germany with the nailing of Luther’s 95 theses against Rome.
\nMajor\u00a0points of theology: <\/strong>Justification by faith alone, Scripture is the sole authority for Christian living, worship in the common vernacular of the people.
\nHistorical figures:\u00a0<\/strong>Martin Luther<\/a>,\u00a0Johann Georg Hamann<\/a>,\u00a0Philipp Melanchthon<\/a>
\nContemporary figures: <\/strong>Rick Steves<\/a>, John Bolton<\/a>, Martin Marty<\/a>
\nChurch Polity:\u00a0<\/strong>Divided into districts and function similar to the Anglican\u00a0model with bishops in charge over churches within particular diocese or districts.
\nDivisions:\u00a0<\/strong>There are many divisions within Lutheranism<\/a>\u00a0in the US. Several larger groups include the\u00a0Evangelical Lutheran Church in America<\/a>\u00a0and the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod<\/a>.
\nNumbers:\u00a0<\/strong>Approximately 80 million Lutherans worldwide;\u00a0ELCA: 10,000 churches, 4 million; LCMS: 6,100 churches, 2.1 million
\nHeadquarters: <\/strong>ELCA: Chicago, IL; LCMS: St. Louis, MO<\/p>\n

Anglicans (Church of England)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Start: <\/strong>1530s in England when Henry VIII wanted an annulment from Catherine of Aragon by Pope Clement VII.
\nMajor\u00a0points of theology: <\/strong>There are 39 guiding articles that include\u00a0the sufficiency of Scripture. They reduce the seven sacraments to two, at least in common practice: baptism and communion. Another point worth mentioning is the introduction of Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer.<\/em>
\nHistorical figures:\u00a0<\/strong>Henry VIII<\/a>, John Wesley<\/a>, Charles Wesley<\/a>, George Whitefield<\/a>, Thomas Cranmer<\/a>,\u00a0John Donne<\/a>, George Herbert<\/a>, and William Laud<\/a>
\nContemporary figures: <\/strong>J.I. Paker<\/a>, Justin Welby<\/a>, John Stott<\/a>, C.S. Lewis<\/a>
\nChurch Polity:\u00a0<\/strong>Dividing the world into 39 provinces, the Anglican communion of bishops meet every seven years but there is no\u00a0strict oversight. Rather, churches within each province are part of a diocese, where more of the decisions are made. However, the local church has a great deal of autonomy.
\nDivisions: <\/strong>At present, the Episcopal church,\u00a0the historic American arm of the\u00a0Anglican<\/a>\u00a0communion, has been sanctioned due to their acceptance of ordination of homosexual priests. As a result, a conservative Anglican denomination is thriving in America<\/a>\u00a0and seeking final approval from the Canterbury\u00a0and Communion, who represent a conservative theology and cultural stance. (Let’s remember too, that the Puritans in America were a conservative Anglican community.)
\nNumbers:\u00a0<\/strong>Approximately 85 million\u00a0in more than 160 countries
\nHeadquarters:\u00a0<\/strong>Canterbury, England<\/p>\n

Presbyterians (Calvinists)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Start: <\/strong>1541 in Geneva, Switzerland
\nMajor\u00a0points of theology: <\/strong>The belief that God is all sovereign is the historic marker. The PCA and EPC denominations both broke in reaffirmation of the inerrancy of Scripture, particularly on the points of the virgin birth and the bodily resurrection of Jesus both being questioned by the PCUSA.
\nHistorical figures: <\/strong>John Calvin<\/a>, John Knox<\/a>,\u00a0Thomas Cartwright<\/a>
\nContemporary figures:\u00a0<\/strong>Timothy Keller<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>Francis Schaeffer<\/a>, Steven Curtis Chapman<\/a>, Michael Card<\/a>
\nChurch Polity:\u00a0<\/strong>Churches are divided into presbyteries, groups of churches where the pastor of each reports to a group of elders who help\u00a0disciple and direct.
\nDivisions:\u00a0<\/strong>The\u00a0Presbyterian USA<\/a> denomination began to break up in the 1970s with the\u00a0Presbyterian Church in America<\/a>\u00a0leaving first, then the\u00a0Evangelical Presbyterian Church<\/a>\u00a0followed in 1981.
\nNumbers:\u00a0<\/strong>PCA: 1700 churches, 330,000 members; EPC: 575 churches, 150,000 members; PCUSA: 10,000 churches, 1.7 million members
\nHeadquarters:\u00a0<\/strong>PCUSA: Louisville, KY; PCA:\u00a0Lawrenceville, GA; EPC,\u00a0Livonia, MI<\/p>\n

Baptists\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Start: <\/strong>Of all the denominations, Baptists have the most challenging when it comes to a straight story. A good\u00a0starting date is 1608\u00a0\u00a0when English refugees\u00a0established a church in Amsterdam, Holland. They were part of the Separatist, Puritan movement (you\u00a0can also trace the group\u00a0back to the 1500s through\u00a0the\u00a0Anabaptist movement, at least in part).
\nMajor\u00a0points of theology: <\/strong>General atonement of Christ,\u00a0Conversion baptism by immersion, independence from the state, and, later, the autonomy of the local church.
\nHistorical figures:\u00a0<\/strong>John Smyth<\/a>,\u00a0Thomas Helwys<\/a>,\u00a0Richard Furman<\/a>,\u00a0Andrew Bryan<\/a>
\nContemporary figures:\u00a0<\/strong>Billy Graham<\/a>, Charles Stanley<\/a>, John Piper<\/a>, Albert Mohler<\/a>, Beth Moore<\/a>, Toby Mac<\/a>
\nChurch Polity: <\/strong>Congregational, meaning the local church is free to act independently and the pastor is a member of the local church with no outside presbytery or diocesan oversight.
\nDivisions:\u00a0<\/strong>Baptist\u00a0roots in America are broad\u00a0and varying. The\u00a0American Baptist<\/a> denomination split in two with the post-Civil War denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention<\/a>. There’s also the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship<\/a>\u00a0that just started in the 199os. But that’s only a fraction of the story. The Amish, Mennonite<\/a>, Primitive Baptist, and Freewill Baptist denominations are also part of this heritage\u00a0and many others worldwide.
\nNumbers:\u00a0<\/strong>Approximately 33 million\u00a0in the United States of America
\nHeadquarters:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong>American: Valley Forge, PA; SBC: Nashville, TN
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

United Methodists (Anglicans)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Start:\u00a0<\/strong>John and Charles Wesley began Bible studies and traveling to many churches throughout England (and later America) preaching the methods of the Christian faith in hopes for renewal. In 1784, John Wesley ordained priests for the American colonies with full sacramental authority. This was the lynch pin that separated\u00a0the Methodist church from the Anglican fellowship.
\nMajor\u00a0points of theology:\u00a0<\/strong>Christian methods applied to Christian life should lead someone into a life of holy perfection, assurance of salvation, priesthood of all believers.
\nHistorical figures:\u00a0<\/strong>Richard Allen<\/a>, Francis Asbury<\/a>, Fanny J. Crosby<\/a>
\nContemporary figures:\u00a0<\/strong>George W. Bush<\/a>, Ralph Reed<\/a>,\u00a0Donald Wildmon<\/a>,\u00a0George Beverly Shea<\/a>
\nChurch Polity:\u00a0<\/strong>Similar to the Anglican denomination, each church is part of a diocese overseen by a bishop who the pastor reports to for accountability and discipleship.
\nDivisions: <\/strong>The United Methodist Church<\/a> remains united since the merger of the\u00a0Methodist Church (USA) and the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968. However,\u00a0a significant split occurred in 1815\u00a0when the\u00a0African Methodist Episcopal Church<\/a> was formed by Richard Allen in\u00a0Philadelphia, PA, after a reluctance to have him serve more fully in the UMC due to his color.
\nNumbers: <\/strong>UMC: 35,000, 12.1 million;\u00a0AME: 7,000 churches, 2.5 million
\nHeadquarters: <\/strong><\/strong>UMC: Unknown; AME: Nashville, TN<\/p>\n

Assemblies of God\u00a0(Holiness)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Start: <\/strong>1914 is the formal date but the\u00a0Azusa Street revivals of 1906-9 served as a\u00a0fertile ground of what would become the denomination.
\nMajor\u00a0points of theology: <\/strong>Pentecost was not just an episode in Acts. The Holy Spirit moves in the speaking of tongues and other gifts that need to be part of church community.
\nHistorical figures: <\/strong>William Seymour<\/a>,\u00a0Charles Parham<\/a>
\nContemporary figures:\u00a0<\/strong>Bill Gaither<\/a>, Gloria Gaither<\/a>,\u00a0John Ashcroft<\/a>,\u00a0Phil Keaggy<\/a>
\nChurch Polity: <\/strong>A modified presbyterian model that\u00a0combines the independence of the local church with oversight by district and national councils.
\nDivisions: <\/strong>The Assemblies of God<\/a>\u00a0has not gone through any significant division. It’s worth noting that the Assemblies of God is different from the Church of God<\/a> (Cleveland, TN), though the casual observer might lump them together given that both stress the gifts of the Holy Spirit. \u00a0
\nNumbers:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong>Worldwide, there are\u00a0<\/strong>66 million in 212 countries and territories
\nHeadquarters: <\/strong><\/strong>Springfield, MO<\/p>\n

There are many other denominations that evolved throughout church history. In America, the 19th\u00a0and early 20th\u00a0centuries are packed full of new start-up groups like the Seventh Day Adventists<\/a>,\u00a0the Foursquare Church<\/a>, the Church of God in Christ<\/a>, for example. All of these would be considered as part of the Christian umbrella. But also in\u00a0the 19th\u00a0century, we have a variety of groups well outside the Christian umbrella including Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and Christian Scientists. Later in the 20th century, new groups have developed like the Vineyard Movement<\/a>, part of the charismatic renewal of the 1970s, and the Willow Creek Association<\/a>, an attempt to organize outside denominational structures.<\/p>\n

All churches have roots, even congregational ones\u00a0who have no formal affiliation. Jesus prays in John 17:20-22, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/sup>that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.<\/span><\/span> I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one\u2014<\/span><\/span> I in them and you in me\u2014so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The simple way to describe the church history is that the Apostles founded churches all over. (Early Church Mission by Eckhard Schnabel is worth having. It tells\u00a0about their early journeys.) Until 1054, there was institutional unity. That year the Eastern and Western church divided to form what we know now as the Orthodox and Catholic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3586,"featured_media":19690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4154,4139],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19644","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-church-resources-church-resources","8":"category-christian-history"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/ChurchHistory.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nChurch History: Top Church Denominations of Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Where did all of these denominations come from? 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