Christian Denominations of America

Adventist

History:  The founder of the Adventist was William Miller of Low Hampton, New York.  He was a veteran of the War of 1812.  He was a Baptist and a diligent student of the Bible.  He had no formal college or seminary training.  The church was made up of mostly Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists, who thought the day a Jesus’ return was soon.  The church formed around 1830’s to the 1840’s.  The Adventists believed that Christ would return on October 22, 1844.  When this didn’t happen it became to be know as the Great Disappointment.  The date was based on the 2300 “days” of Daniel 8:14 and the “seventy weeks of years” of Daniel 9.  When the October 22, 1844, date passed, many left the church and Christianity altogether.  The church reorganized and there are now three Denominations to this day.  Today, there are over 12 million members.

Basic Doctrine:  The theology teaching of the Advent is that of the Second Advent (“coming to” our world) of Jesus Christ.  Great emphasis is placed on the second coming of Jesus.  They are also very pessimistic about the evil nature of people and the present age.  Their hope lies in God’s righteousness and purpose.  They are very devout, disciplined and obedient to God’s teachings, and being wholesome in their personal and family life.

Denominations: 

Advent Christina Church
Church of God General Conference
Seventh-Day Adventist

Apostolic

History:  The first founder of the Apostolic church was S. H. Froelich from Switzerland about the year 1832.  His focus was on the Swiss and German immigrants, founding many churches in the Midwest.  Benedict Weyeneth, a Swiss who came to America about 1847, began a number of Swiss-German churches.  In 1907, Reverend Mrs. Florence L. Crawford organized the Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland, Oregon.  Bishop W. T. Phillips was a former member of The Methodist Church, but he became concerned with the teaching of doctrine.  He organized the Ethiopian Overcoming Holy Church of God in 1916.  The Ethiopian was later changed to Apostolic.  Today, there are over 10 million members.

Basic Doctrine:  Local churches are independent in policy but united in fundamental organization.  The doctrine is based largely on the teaching of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  Most ministers are not paid and they do not prepare sermons.  They depend upon the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Members are required to live “according to the Gospel of Christ, subject to the authorities, strive to be at peace with their fellow men, and fulfill their obligations as good citizens.”  The refuse to fight in the army, but will engage in noncombatant service.  Each church is served by elders authorized to baptize, lay on hands, serve the Lord’s Supper, and conduct meetings for the exercising of church discipline.

Denominations: 

Apostolic Christian Church (Nazarene)
Apostolic Christina Church of America
Apostolic Faith Mission Of Portland, OR
Apostolic Overcoming Holy Church of God

Baptist

History:  Baptist are a third-generation Reformation development that appeared in England about 1610.  They believed that Puritanism needed further reform and they wanted to take Protestantism “to its logical conclusion.”  Baptists are intensely biblical and evangelistic, helping to found the modern missionary movement.  There were many groups that came to form the Baptists in the sixteenth century.  The Pedobaptists, who believed in infant and children baptism; Anti-Pedobaptists, who opposed infant baptism; and Anabaptists, who rebaptized adults once baptized as children.  In 1931, Roger Williams came to America and set up the first Baptists church at Providence, RI.  Around the same time John Clarke established another Baptist church at Newport.  The Providence church started in 1639 and the Newport in 1641.  In 1814, Baptists organized their own General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the Untied States of America for Foreign Missions.  The main purpose of these conventions were to raise money for home and world missions and publications.  In 1845, the great division occurred when Southerners formed their own Southern Baptist Convention.  This occurred mostly because of the issue over slavery, but their was also disagreements over denominational organizational issues that had been around even longer than the slave issue.  The black population has been apart of the Baptist community from as early as 1700.  Many if not most white slaveholders had provided religious teachings and places of worship for their slaves.   Many believe that the Baptist influence effected the idea that the state should not establish any one religion for the land.  Today, there are over 70 million members.

Doctrine:  Baptists generally agree on the following principles of faith:  the inspiration and trustworthiness of the Bible as the sole rule of life; the Lordship of Jesus Christ; the inherent freedom of persons to approach God for themselves; the granting of salvation through faith by way of grace and contact with the Holy Spirit; two ordinance-the Lord’s Supper and the baptism of believers by immersion; the independence of local churches; the church as a group of believer who are baptized upon confession of faith; life after death; the redemption from sin; and the ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom.  While there is no official Baptist creed for all churches, there are two confessions of faith.  The first was written in 1689, called the Philadelphia Confession written in London.  The second was written at the New Hampshire State Baptist Convention in 1832.  The Philadelphia Confession is strongly Calvinist the New Hampshire Confession only moderately so.  While Baptists teachings are linked with Calvinism, the freedom of thought and expression in the pulpit and pews is strongly encouraged.  Each church is free to set up its own leadership and make its on interpretations and applications of the Bible. 

Denominations: 

American Baptist Association
American Baptist Churches/U.S.A.
International Baptist Bible Fellowship
Baptist General Conference
Baptist Missionary Association of America
Bethel Ministerial Association
Central Baptist Association
Conservative Baptist Association of America
Duck River (and Kindred) Associations of Baptists
Free Will Baptist
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
General Baptist
General Conference of the Evangelical Baptist Church, Inc.
Landmark Baptist
National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.
National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A.
North American Baptist Conference
Primitive Baptist
Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.
Reformed Baptist
Separate Baptist in Christ
Southern Baptist Convention
United Baptist
United Free Will Baptist

Brethren

History:  The Brethren were first organized at Schwarzenau, Germany, in 1708.  Today, this church is know as the Church of the Brethren and was formed by 5 men and 3 women.  The Old German Baptist Brethren organized in 1881, the Brethren Church in 1883, the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Church in 1939, and the Dunkard Brethren in 1926.  Brethren are former German Reformed bodies that took their theology from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Lutherans.  They were mostly Lutherans that had become unhappy with the formal worship and ritual in their state church.  Today there are 1.5 million members.

Doctrine:  The Brethren take the New Testament literally and put into practice every last detail.  They have love feast or agape, the serving of the Lord’s Supper, preceded by a ceremony of foot washing.  The saluted each other with a “kiss of peace,” dress in the plainest of clothing, and cover the head’s of women at service.  The anoint the sick with oil and refused to take oaths, go to war, or engage in lawsuits.  These practices with certain modifications, are held today.  They also practice triple immersion.  They dunk three time for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  This is how the Brethren also became know as the Dunkers.  Brethren is more a community of people who love God and one another than as part of an organization that forms doctrine. 

Denominations:

Brethren Church (Ashland)
Brethren in Christ Church
Church of the Brethren
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches
Old German Baptist Brethren
United Zion Church

Episcopal/Anglican

History:  The Anglican communion is the American branch of the Church of England, which was established in 1534 making the English monarch the head of the church as opposed to the Pope.  The first Church of England was established in America in 1579 by Sir Francis Drake and Francis Fletcher.  Later colonists came to Virginia under Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh.  The Church of England became the church of the south and ministers had to be paid 1500 pounds of tobacco and 16 barrels of corn.  During the American Revolution the church came under attack.  The church did survive, but in 1782, the church changed its name to the Protestant Episcopal Church.  In 1784, the first bishop was consecrated by the Church of England.  The church did split during the Civil War, but came back together soon after.  In 1976, the church passed that woman could be priests.  In, 1989, Reverend Barbara C. Harris was elected the first woman bishop.  In 1999, Bishop Robinson became the first homosexual bishop.  The church is now somewhat split with the more conservative groups pulling away over the homosexual issue.  They have not completely pulled away, because the building are owned by the Episcopal church and not the local congregations.  Today, there are over 73 million members. 

Doctrine:  The Episcopal is a federal union with each diocese autonomous, but the associations with others is for the maintenance of doctrine, discipline, and worship.  Bishops oversee each dioceses and a presiding bishop oversees the General Convention.  The convention is made up of bishops, clergy, and other delegates from every congregation.  The members accept two creeds:  the Apostle’s and the Nicene.  The sources of belief and practice are the Bible, The Book of Common Prayer, tradition of the church and reason.  The church expects its members to be loyal to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of all essentials, but permits great liberty in nonessentials.  It allows for variation, individuality, independent thinking, and religious liberty.  The Book of Common Prayer is second only to the Bible.  There are two sacraments, baptism by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion and Eucharist.  This is partaking the communion with the belief in transubstantiation. 

Denominations:

African Orthodox Church
Anglican Orthodox Church
Episcopal Church
Reformed Episcopal Church

Lutheran

History:  The earliest Protestant Reformation began with Martin Luther between 1513 and 1530.  In 1529 Luther wrote his Longer and Shorter catechisms.  A year later, a statement of faith, known as the Augsburg Confession was authored by his scholarly associate Philip Melanchton.  This first major Lutheran service was at Christmas  in 1619, at Hudson Bay.  The first European Lutherans to remain in American was in Manhattan Island in 1623.  In 1988, the American Lutheran Church merged with the Lutheran Church of America and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches.   Today, there are over 64 million members.

Doctrine:  Lutheran faith is based on the salvation of Jesus Christ.  They believe in the idea that we are saved by faith alone.  “The just shall live by faith,” is the beginning and end of Luther’s teaching.  The sole authority of church life and Christian belief is the Bible.  Lutherans confess faith through three creeds:  Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian.  Also the Augsburg Confession, the two catechisms of Luther, the Smalcald Articles, and the Formula of Concord are held to be faithful of Lutheranism and the Bible.  Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are channels through which God bestows forgiving and empowering grace upon humankind.  Worship is centered on the altar.  Congregations are united in synods composed of pastors and lay representative elected by the congregations and have authority.  The synods are united in a general body called “church,” “synod,” or “conference.” 

Denominations:

American Lutheran Church
Apostolic Lutheran Church of America
Church of the Lutheran Confession
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church in America
Protestant Conference (Lutheran)
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Methodist

History:  The Methodist movement came from within the Church of England.  Methodism expanded from 1738 and 1790 under the leadership of John and Charles Wesley.  Between 1739 and 1744 the organizational elements of Methodism were instituted.  In 1739, Wesley drew up a set of general rules, which are still held today.  A Deed of Declaration in 1784 gave legal status to the yearly Methodist conference.  In 1769, New York Methodist had built Wesley Chapel, now known as John Street Methodist Church.  In 1784, the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized, which was no longer apart of the Church of England.  The first General Conference was held in 1792.  The Methodist Book Concern was established in 1789 for ministers to travel by horseback into the frontier.  The Methodist church did have a major split during the Civil War over slavery.  Most were reunited in 1939.  Today, there are over 70 million members. 

Doctrine:  The church teaches the doctrine of the Trinity, the natural sinfulness of humankind, free will, justification by faith, future rewards and punishment, Scripture for salvation, and God’s perfection.  Baptism is done by sprinkling and the Lord’s Supper are observed.  Membership is only given to persons age 13 or older.  The local churches are called charges; minister are appointed by the bishop at the annual conference and each church elects its own administrative board.  The General Conference is the lawmaking body of the church.  Worship is based on the English prayer book with widespread modifications.  Local churches are allowed to worship how it sees fit.

Denominations:

African Methodist Episcopal Church
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Congregational Methodist Church
Evangelical Methodist Church
Free Methodist Church of North America
Primitive Methodist Church, U.S.A.
Reformed Methodist Union Episcopal Church
Southern Methodist Church
Union American Methodist Episcopal Church
The United Methodist Church

Pentecostal

History:  The first Pentecostal church was in 1898 at Anderson, SC.  It was a Holiness church and it later united with two other churches.  The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World officially formed in 1907 and the Assemblies of God formed in Hot Springs, AR.  Today, there are over 105 million members.

Doctrine:  The Pentecostal church gets it name from Acts and the day of Pentecost.  They believe that through the Holy Spirit, what happened during the Pentecost can happen today.  Seeking and receiving the gift of tongues is regarded as a sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, itself requisite to full discipleship.  The also believe in other spiritual gifts like healings, love, joy, answers to prayer, and in some case the handling of snakes.  The Pentecostal have a Methodist and Baptist doctrine background with a concern with perfection, holiness, and the Pentecostal experience.  Women are to dress very modestly and usually have long hair.  Most believe in the Trinity, original sin, salvation through the atoning blood of Christ, the virgin birth, the infallibility of the Scriptures, future awards and punishment.  They also practice baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper.  Foot washing is observed many times with the Lord’s Supper.

Denominations:

General Council of Assemblies of God
Elim Fellowship
Independent Assemblies of God, International
International Pentecostal Church of Christ
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc.
Pentecostal Church of God
Pentecostal Free-Will Baptist Church, Inc.
Pentecostal Holiness Church, International
United Pentecostal Church, International

Presbyterian

History:  Originating between 1534 and 1560 with the theological program of John Calvin in France and Switzerland.  While the foundation of the church is from John Calvin, he didn’t found the church him-self.  By 1560, the Presbyterian church had over 2000 churches.  In Scotland come the Covenanters and John Knox.  From 1643-48 an assembly came together to produce a Larger and Shorter Catechism; a directory for public worship, a form of government, and the Westminster Confession of Faith.   One of the first churches in America was in 1611, at Virginia.  While the Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational, and United denominations are not one family they do share the Calvinist views.  Today, there are over 75 million members of the four.

Doctrine:  Presbyterian gets its name from the Greek presbuteros, “elder.”  The Presbyterian church are governed by representatives.  The theology is that of God’s sovereignty.  The sovereignty of God over the universe, the sovereignty of Christ in salvation, the sovereignty of the Scriptures, in faith and conduct, the sovereignty of the individual conscience in the interpretation in the Will and Word of God.  God is the sovereign and eternal ruler of the world; humans are completely dominated by and dependent upon God.  Local congregations have what is called sessions made up of elders, with pastors as moderator.  The session govern the local church.  Presbyteries are made up of congregations in a district.  They install ministers, review reports, and hear any complaints.  Synods make up large areas and they review the presbyteries records, organized new presbyteries, and help administer denominational matter.  The General Assembly is made up of delegates elected by their presbyteries.  The General Assembly settles all matters of policy and doctrine.

Presbyterian Denominations:

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
Bible Presbyterian Church
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Orthodox Presbyterian Church
The Presbyterian Church in America
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America
Second Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the United States

Reformed Denominations:

Christian Reformed Church in North America
Hungarian Reformed Church in America
Netherlands Reformed Congregations
Protestant Reformed Churches in America
Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in the United States

United Church of Christ Denominations:

United Church of Christ
Congregational Church
Evangelical Church
The Reformed Church in the U.S.
Christian Church (Non-Stone-Campbell Movement)
Christian Congregations, Inc.

Eastern Orthodox

Eastern Orthodox is an off shoot of the Catholic Church that later became total independent.   It is the second largest Christian denomination with 240 million.

Denominations:

Albania Orthodox Archdiocese in America
American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America
Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America
Russian  Orthodox Church
Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. and Canada
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.

References:  Handbook of Denominations in the United States by Frank S. Mead and Revised by Samuel S. Hill