Protestant Denominations
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Lutherans    Anabaptists    Calvinists    Church of England    Presbyterians    Puritans
Congregationalists    Episcopalians    Baptists    Quakers    Shakers    Moravians    Methodists

List of Protestant Denominations and Sects    Founders    World Membership    Membership in the USA

Protestant Denominations
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LUTHERANS:

Founded by Martin Luther, in Wittenberg, Germany, 1517; the key figure in the Reformation. - He rejected the authority of the Catholic Pope; retained the bishops, but named by the kings, instead of the Pope.

- The "Bible" was the ultimate authority for all matters of religious belief and practice. Every Christian is a priest, he should read the Bible, and interpret it in his own way (free interpretation).

- Salvation is by grace, by faith alone in Jesus Christ; faith that involves not merely intellectual assent but an act of confidence by the will.

- He retained the sacraments of baptism, penance and Holy Communion. He held that in the Holy Communion the consecrated bread and wine are the Body and Blood of Christ ("consubstantiation", instead of the Catholic "transubstantiation").

- He rejected purgatory, indulgences, invocation of the Saints, and prayers for the dead.

Today, it is the largest Protestant denomination in the world, with 75 million. In the USA, it is the fourth largest denomination with 8.4 million.

Varies from congregational to Episcopal; in the U.S.A., a combination of regional synods and congregational politics is most common.

- It is somewhat divided along ethnic and practice lines: German, Swedish... fundamentalists, liberals...

- There are 20 U.S. church bodies; the Evangelical Lutheran Church, has the headquarters at 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, Ill. 60631.

- Lutheran jurisdictions corresponding to dioceses are called districts or synods in America. There are more than 100, each of them headed by a bishop or president.

- All of Lutheranism is concerned to preserve apostolic succession in life and doctrine. The bishop, or pastor (presbyter/priest) authorized by the bishop, is the minister of ordination.

Authority: Scripture alone.

The "Book of Concord" (1580), has the statements of faith which have shaped the confessional life of Lutheranism: Includes the 3 "creeds": Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian; Luther's large and small catechisms; the Augsburg Confession of 1530; the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope of 1537; and the Formula of Concord of 1577.

In theory, there is "no Pope", and there is "free interpretation of the Bible"... but in the reality, "there is a Pope"!, a "little one"!, not the successor of Peter... and if you don't believe in the "salvation by faith alone", or you don't follow the teachings of the "Book of Concord", you can not be a Lutheran!. see the The 5 Fundamental Principles

- Though Lutheranism is visible in separate denominations and national churches, at its heart it professes to be a confessional movement within the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

ZWINGLI: "Anabaptists":

"Ana-Baptist", means "re-baptism"... and this group of Protestants would splinter the body of Christ into thousands of parts.

Anabaptists are called the "left wing of Reformation", and they developed in Zurich, the German-speaking Switzerland, where "Zwingli" was working as the second great Reformer. It was Zwingli who coined the word "Anabaptist" for a radical group who preferred to be called "Brethren in Christ".

- Ulrich Zwingli, added to Luther that the Eucharist was only a memorial, a symbol, and the physical presence of Christ was a myth, and proposed that the government of the church should be placed in the hands of the congregation rather than under the control of the clergy... and for both ideas he had strong discussions with Luther... both agree that the church should be under the control of the civil government, a state-church.

- "Anabaptists", are many groups who adopted many of the beliefs of Zwingli, but later would fight him, and adopt many of the Calvin's theories.

- With "Grebel" (1920), they started saying that the Reforms of Luther didn't went far enough, keeping the baptism of children and the other sacraments... so, the first thing was to "re-baptize" all the children by immersion at older age, and to leave the Eucharist only as a "symbol".

... The "born-again" experience, is one distinguishing mark of the Anabaptists, giving emphasis upon the emotional, mystical experience, of having born-again at the moment of the Baptism by immersion at adult age.

... "A complete separation of church and state" to protect the liberty of the church, is another feature of the Anabaptists.

- Hoffman tried to erect a "kingdom of God" in Munster, without success.

- Anabaptists are of the "congregational" type, where each local church is autonomous... there is no Pope!... but now each congregation has its own self-named "little Pope", not the successor of Peter, but more demanding!.

- Another group, with Menno Simons, founded the "Mennonites" (after Menno) in Holland, who later went to Pennsylvania in 1653... the Hutterine Brethren", also went to Pennsylvania...

- A fourth group, the "Amish", led by the stern disciplinarian, Amman, went to Ohio, Illinois...

- The "American Baptists", are also heirs of the Anabaptist tradition, with congregational type of churches, but repudiate such a label, because of the pejorative connotations of Anabaptists...

- The same goes for the "English Separatists or Congregationalists", who took many tenets from Calvin... many were persecuted by the Puritans as heretics, fled to Holland for religious freedom and safety, and some of these "heretics" would end up in the USA on the "Mayflower", as the Pilgrim fathers of America.

- Other groups: "German Baptists" or Dunkars, went to America in 1723; the German Moravians, became the United Brethren Church in 1735.

CALVINISTS:

John Calvin, was the third great leader of the Reformation. A Frenchman established in the French-speaking Switzerland... he rejected the Pope, but he became more than a Pope: The virtual religious and political dictator of Geneva, the capital of the non-Lutheran Reformation in Europe...

... In 1536 he established a theocratic government in Geneva in which the affairs of the city were controlled by Calvin's new church. Geneva became a model of Puritan sobriety in which the lives of all citizens were closely policed and all offenses punished severely... all people were expected to live the life of a monastic, with no alcohol, no dancing or singing, no fun...

... Calvin's intolerance for Catholics, Jews, or Muslims, was proverbial... Servetus, the doctor who discovered the pulmonary circulation of the blood, was executed for the heresy of believing in infant baptism, and disagreements on the Trinity... Where is the "free interpretation of the Bible"?... ... His key tenet was absolute "predestination" of some persons to Heaven and others to Hell; the certitude of salvation for the elect, and the incapability of the elect to lose grace. He agreed with Luther on the issues of the Bible, and justification by faith alone...

... His "Eucharistic theory" states that the body and blood of Christ are received in Communion, but in a spiritual manner; it failed to mediate the Luther-Zwingli controversy, and it is at odds with the Catholic doctrine.

... Calvin published the "Institutes of the Christian Religion", which became the classic textbook of Reformed theology, as distinguished from Lutheran... becoming a permanent "little Pope"...

... Calvin opened the way for more radical forms of Protestantism which exist today as worldwide churches:

    - "Presbyterians" of Scotland,
    - "Congregational",
    - "Separatists", "Puritans" of England,
    - "Dutch Reformed Churches",
    - The Huguenots in France...

PRESBYTERIANS:

John Knox, founded the Scotch Presbyterian Church, 1560, in Scotland. Basically Calvinistic, and it is called "Presbyterian" because church policy centers around assemblies of presbyters or elders.

- They have infant baptism; the Lord's Supper is celebrated at intervals. The services are simple and dignified, and the sermon is central.

-The government of the church, is placed in the hands of a small body of presbyters, or elders, elected by the congregation, plus pastors and administrative aids called deacons. However the governing board of the church, the synod or presbytery, is subject to the civil government.

- In the USA, they number 4.5 million in 9 bodies. The General Assembly in 1977 published "The Declaration of Faith" for teaching and liturgical use. "Predestination" is not central issue.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND :

The "Anglican Church" regards itself derived not from Reformation influences but from the renunciation of Papal jurisdiction by King Henry VIII in 1534: With the "Act of Supremacy", the King was declared the supreme head of the English Church, with fullness of authority and jurisdiction.

- Later, in 1563, Queen Elizabeth was declared the head of the Church, its "Supreme Governor".

- Again, they rejected the authority of the real successor of Peter, of the Pope, but they became "little Popes", not the successors of Peter, but with more authority, religious and political...

- Henry VIII denied the Papal authority, but did not reject substantially other principal articles of faith... under James VI and Elizabeth the church was reformed, with respect to such matters as Scripture as the rule of faith, the sacraments, the nature of the Mass, and the constitution of the hierarchy.

- Today, there are 75 million Anglicans in the world, 3 million in the USA, in the Episcopal Church... the second largest Protestant denomination, after the Lutherans.

- In general, the Church of England stuck a compromise between Catholics and Protestants.

- Its basic tenets of beliefs, are stated in the "Book of Common Prayer": Recognize 3 sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, and Penance. Salvation is found in having faith in God's grace and doing good works. Accept the belief in the Virgin Mary, the Holy Trinity, and the Resurrection.

- In many ways the Church of England has much in common with the Catholic Church, and it may be possible to effect a reconciliation between the two churches... however the stumbling block, like in the other churches, is the successor of Peter, the Pope!.

- By 1600, 3 major Christian churches had left the Roman Catholic Church: Lutherans, Calvinists, and Anglicans. A forth group, the radical Anabaptists, were next, and we already commented them, when we talked about the second reformer, Zwingli.

    A variety of communions developed in England in the Reformation and post-Reformation periods... some of them following the lines of the Anglicans, others against them... among them:

1- Puritans.
2- Congregationalism.
    Separatists, Independents, Dissenters.
3- Episcopalians.
4- Baptists.
5- Quakers.
6- Shakers.
7- Methodists.
8- Unitarianism.
9- Universalism.
10- Modernism.

PURITANS:

In 1560, lead by T. Cartwright, the "Puritans" or "Precisians", thought the Anglicans were too Catholic, and the Church should be "purified" of the old leaven of Catholicism, and reformed along Calvinist lines in severe simplicity.

- These are some of the "purifications" they wanted: Reform the government of the Church of England, its worship, and teachings. Stop the clerical dress, the kneeling at the Mass, the sign of the cross... the ministers should be chosen by the people, and the office of the bishop abolished; this amounted to a demand of the Presbyterian form of church as Calvinism, in place of the Episcopalian way of Anglicanism.

- The demand for a known conversion experience, a "relation", as a requirement for full entry into the congregation.

- The use of the term was generally discontinued after 1660.

CONGREGATIONALISTS:

In 1582, lead by R. Brown, some Puritans saw that to reform the Episcopalian Church of England from within was hopeless... therefore, they separated from the Church, and they were called Separatists, Dissenters, Independents, and Congregationalists, because they believe that each congregation should be independent, autonomous, a complete church in itself, and also that no church should have anything to say about any other church. They were Calvinists.

- Those American colonists who established the Plymouth Colony in 1620 were "Separatists", and were called Pilgrims. Those who came 9 years later and established the Massachusetts Colony were "Puritans".

EPISCOPALIANS:

Founded by S. Seabury in 1620, is part of the Anglican Communion, regards the Archbishop of Canterbury as the "First among Equals", though not under his authority, and use the same "Book of Common Prayer", adopted at a General Convention held in 1789, when it became independent of the jurisdiction of England.

- It includes 118 dioceses in the United States with 2.4 million members.

- It is called "Episcopal" ("bishop"), because the church is organized under an Episcopal system, like the Church of England; but presbyters (priests), deacons, and lay persons have an active voice in church affairs. At the parish level, the congregation has the right to select its own rector, with the consent of the bishop.

- The presiding bishop is chief pastor and primate; he is elected by the House of Bishops and confirmed by the House of Deputies. The offices of the presiding bishop are located at 815 Second Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. Their Cathedral in New York is St. John the Divine.

BAPTISTS:

Comprise the largest of all American Protestant denominations, with 37 million members, in 30 bodies; the largest body is the Southern Baptist Convention, with 15 million: 901 Commerce St., Nashville, Tenn. 37203. Worldwide: 45 million.

- Founded by John Smith in 1605 in England. In America, Roger Williams founded the first Baptist church in Providence in 1639 (see Anabaptists).

- Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist, as well as Billy Graham and Jessy Jackson...

- They are called "Baptists" because of their doctrine concerning "Baptism": Called an "ordinance", they reject "infant baptism", consider only baptism by immersion as valid, to persons who can decide to receive it, and can feel the personal experience of being "born again".

- The rejection of "infant baptism" is against the teachings of the Bible: Jesus ordered "to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them", never excluding the children (Matt.28:19). In the houses of Lydia and of the prisoner the whole families were baptized, including children (Act.16:15,33)...

... It is a pity the Baptists have no power to baptize children, it is a church "without power"... in the Church of Jesus there is power to baptize children, with the faith of the Church!... and the most biblical age is 8 days after birth, because circumcision was the type of baptism (Luk.2:21). And to baptize a child is the greatest gift to him: From a slave of the Devil, he becomes a temple of God, even if he doesn't feel anything!.

- "Separation of church and state",

is an important feature of the Baptists; they are strong supporters of it.

- Baptists do not have a formal creed, but subscribe to two professions of faith formulated in 1689 and 1832, and they are in general agreement with classical Protestantism theology regarding Scripture as the sole rule of faith, original sin, justification through faith in Christ, and the nature of the Church.

- They believe that no authority can stand between the believer and God.... that's good!.

- The "Lord's Supper",

called an "ordinance", is celebrated at various times... it is not for them the "our daily bread" of Matt.6:11... and it does not have the importance that Jesus and Paul gave to the Eucharist: "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you"... "all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink his own condemnation. And for this reason many of you (Christians) are week and ill, and some have died" (Jn.6:53, 1Cor.11:29-30).

- Organization:

The organization is congregational; each local church is autonomous.

- Worship":

Services differ in form from one congregation to another, depending on their local tradition. Usual elements are the reading of the scripture, a sermon, hymns, and prayers.

... It is a pity Baptists don't have the daily Eucharist, "our daily bread"! (Jn.6:51, Matt.6:11).

Founded in England, 1654, by a shoemaker, George Fox, who practically the only book he knew anything about was the Bible.

- They are called "Quakers", because in the first days of enthusiasm they "trembled" in their assemblies, but they resent that name... their organization is not called a church but the "Society of Friends".

- For them the Bible remains a closed book unless the mind is illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Fox called this illumination the "Inner Light"... so, their first name was "Children of Truth", and later, "Children of Light".

- In their "meetings", there is no pulpit nor songs, they just sit down and wait in silence for the Spirit to move them. If no one is moved by the Spirit, they leave without a word having been spoken. But if the Spirit moves one of the Friends, he or she gets up and gives his massage. Between massages, a painful silence may elapse... this "divine guidance" applies to all their life.

- There are today about 180,000, but very active, famous for their relief work in wars and disasters, and for social reforms: Feminism, labor union activists... In the USA they are 150,000 noted by their "pacifism". To William Penn, married to a Quaker, was granted the State of Pennsylvania, and converted it into a paradise of peace for any religious belief.... "kindness produces kindness"... They are possessed by an ardent missionary zeal.

"SHAKERS"... "UNION SOCIETY":

It is another radical group that started in England in 1741, by a lady, Ann Lee, who came to believe that she was the Christ reincarnated as a woman...

- They are called "Shakers",

because in their meeting they had emotional movements of the body, sometimes so strong as to cause convulsive rolling on the floor.

- Lee preached an apocalyptic message that Christ would soon come to earth and establish his thousand-year reign.

- They live isolated from the world in "communes", with very strict abstinence life, and became famous for their crafts and seeds. The few remaining Shakers live in a community in Maine.

"MORAVIANS", United Brethren, after Huss:

The English priest "Wycliff", denied the authority of the Pope 200 years before Luther. "John Huss", a Bohemian priest (now western Czechoslovakia), followed his ideas... In 1457, some followers of Huss founded the "Church of the Brotherhood", considered the pioneer and the earliest independent Protestant body, even before Luther. Later, in 1727, it became the "United Brethren, or Moravian Church". There are now 70,000 in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Lititz (Pennsylvania, USA), a small number, but their influence has been enormous, the first to light the torch of Protestant missionary zeal.

"METHODISTS" ("Holy Club"):

Founded in England, 1744, by John and Charles Wesley, it is now the second largest Protestant denomination in the USA, with 15.5 million members; 29 million worldwide.

- The Wesley formed a prayer group, the "Holy Club", nicknamed "Methodists", because they were so faithful and disciplined in the performance of their religion studies and moral lifestyle...

- The "Pentecostals" are their "children".

- Two distinctive features:
    1- A "mystical experience", is the best way to know God: The "witness of the Spirit" to the individual, with personal assurance of salvation, the "heartwarming experience". This "born-again" experience is the first of the four ways to know God; the other 3 are: Scripture, reason, and tradition.
    2- It was the "social conscience" of England, preaching to the "poor" a new message of hope and care: They devoted much time to create private welfare agencies to help the poor, social reforms, improvement of the daily life of workers, legalize labor unions, abolish slavery, protect woman and children; they started schools for children, old folk' homes, orphanages, dispensaries for the sick, agencies for the unemployed and homeless... and they were among the foremost champions of a democratic a free United States.

- John Wesley, preached 42,000 sermons; at the age of 87 he preached three times a day, in different places, traveling 250,000 miles on horseback.

- Organization:

Wesley organized the followers into small cells called "societies", and imposed upon his congregation a semi military form of supervision by appointing a "watchdog" over each society, a supervisor who would report to Wesley any member who strayed from the path of righteousness. Later, such military discipline was abolished.

- John Wesley was the "head of his Church" in England, and in the colonies he appointed subordinate agents called superintendents, later designated as bishops. The system was modeled upon the Episcopal or bishopric form of the Church of England.

- As a Protestant, Wesley rejected the authority of the Pope, the successor of Peter... but he proclaimed himself the "actual Pope of his Church", a "little Pope", not the successor of Peter, but more demanding that the real Pope...

- Theology:

It has a base in Calvinism, against the Church of England, but rejects absolute predestination, and maintains that Christ offers grace freely to all men, not just to a select elite.

- They are in general agreement with Protestant theology regarding the Bible as the sole rule of faith, justification by faith in Christ, the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper (but it is not "our daily bread" of Jn.6:51, Matt.6:11)

-Congregations are free to choose various forms of services: Scripture, sermon, hymns, prayers...

List of Denominations and Sects:

1- LUTHERANS: Martin Luther, Germany, 1517.

2- ANABAPTISTS, (after Zwingli), 1519.
   - Brethren in Christ, German Switzerland.
   - Hutterine Brethren.
    - Mennonites, to Pennsylvania, in 1653.
   - German Baptists, Dunkards, to USA, 1723.
    - German Moravians, who became the "United Brethren Church", in 1735.
    - Separatists and Congregationalists, in England and Holland, came to America as the Pilgrim fathers on the "Mayflower" (repudiated the title of Anabaptists, as they did the "Baptists").
    - The Amish, to Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa.
   - The Baptists in USA (repudiated the title).

3- CHURCH OF ENGLAND, Henry VIII, 1534.
    - Episcopalians, England and America.
    - Methodists (split with the Ch. of England).
   - Evangelicalism, England and America.

4- CALVINISTS, after Calvin, 1536. Switzerland
   - Presbyterians, Scotland and America.
   - Dutch Reformed Church, Holland.
   - Huguenots, France.
   - Puritans, England and America.
   - Separatists and Congregationalists, with many Calvinist tenets.

5- PIETISTS, after Fox, 1654.
   - Quakers, "Society of Friends", England, 1654
   - Shakers, "Union Society", England, 1741.
   - Moravians, Germany, 1727.
   - Pentecostals, USA, 1900
    - Charismatics, USA, 1900.
    - Fundamentalists, USA, 1900.

6- MILLENNIALISM, after Miller, 1818.
   - Seventh-day Adventists, USA, 1818.
   - Seventh-day Baptists.
    - Worldwide Church of God, USA, 1934.
   - Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, 1809

7- CHRISTIANS WITHOUT CHRIST:

    With or without Millennialism... For them, Jesus Christ is not God:
    - Mormons, USA, 1829.
   - Jehovah's Witnesses, USA, 1852.
   - Christian Science, USA, 1879.
   - Moonies, Korea and USA, 1936.
   - Scientology, USA, 1954.
   - Children of God, USA, 1969.
   - Unitarian- Universalist, England, 1774,
   - Transcendentalism (Kant), USA, 1800.
   - Unity School of Christianity, USA, 1889.
   - Worldwide Church of God (Armstrong).
   - Spiritualism, USA
   - The Way International, USA, 1957.
   - Church Universal and Triumphant, 1958.
   - The Holy Order of MANS, USA.

And others:

    - Church of the Living Word, USA.
   - Crossroads Church, England, USA.
    - United Christian... Rev. Ike, USA
   - Penitents, USA.
   - Snake Handlers, 1909, USA.
   - Homosexual Churches, 1868, USA.
   - Branch Davidians. "Waco", USA.
   - People's Temple. "Guayana", USA
   - The Jamalians, USA, 1975.
   - Gnosticism.

FOUNDERS AND WORLD "MEMBERSHIP"

1457- United Brethren (Moravians): Huss.
1517- Lutherans: Martin Luther- 75 million.
1519- Anabaptists: Grebel (after Ulrich Zwingli).
1534- Church of England: Henry VIII- 70 m.
1536- Calvinism: John Calvin-
1560- Presbyterians: J. Knox (Calvin)- 35 m.
1570- Puritans: T. Cartwright.
1582- Congregationalism: R. Brown.
1605- Baptists: John Smith (Zwingli)- 45 million
1620- Episcopalians: S. Seabury (Henry VIII)- 3m
1654- Quakers: Fox- 0.2 million.
1741- Shakers: Ann Lee- 0.03 million.
1744- Methodists: J and C. Wesley- 29 million.
1774- Unitarians: T. Lindsay.
1800- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)- 2m.
1830- Mormons: Joseph Smith- 7 million.
1846- Adventists: W. Miller- 5 million.
1852- Jehovah's Witnesses: C.Russel- 3 million.
1865- Salvation Army: M. Jones- 1 million.
1879- Christian Science: Mary Baker- 1 million.
1900- Pentecostals: C.F. Parham- 58 million.
1934- Worldwide Ch. of God: Armstrong- .05.
1954- Moonies: Sun M. Moon- 2 million.
1957- United Church of Christ- 2 million.
1969- Children of God: David "Mo" Berg- .008.

MEMBERSHIP IN THE U.S.A.

Catholic- 59,858,042 (19,787 congregations).
Baptist- 36,433,523 (95,601).
Methodist- 14,285,851 (53,235).
Pentecostal- 10,281,559 (41,165).
Lutheran- 8,350,212 (19,153).
Mormons- 4,672,850 (11,071).
Presbyterian- 4,273,721 (14,306).
Churches of Christ- 3,679,736 (22,553).
Episcopal- 2,504,682 (7,388).
Reformed Churches- 2,079,634 (7,965).
Orthodox (Eastern)- 1,885,346 (1,482).
Jehovah's Witnesses- 926,614 (9,985).
Adventist- 794, 859 (4,696).
Church of Christ, Scientist- 700,000 (2,400).
Church of the Nazarene- 591,134 (5,161).
International Council- 500,000 (423).
Salvation Army- 446,403 (1,151).
Christian and Missionary Alliance- 302,414.
Churches of God- 267,676 (3,061).
Mennonite- 249,798 (2,656).
Evangelical Free Church- 226,391 (1,202).
Brethren Churches- 218,905 (1,800).
Christian Congregation- 112,437 (1,437).
Quakers, Friends Churches- 84,407 (1,074).
Other Christian churches- 753,550 (5,228).
Jews- 5,981,000 (3,416).
Muslims- 3,000,000
Buddhist- 19,441 (67).

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