Quick Guide to Christian Denominations

Trevin Wax

Our oldest son recently asked us some good questions about different kinds of churches.

In our conversation, I fielded a number of questions like this and helped him distinguish the three major branches of the Christian church and the distinctives of some of the subbranches.

In case it’s helpful to you as well, here’s a quick guide to Christian groups that differ by name, polity, and doctrines. I plan to update this guide in the weeks to come, so feel free to let me know what changes or improvements you’d suggest.

THE THREE BIG BRANCHES

EASTERN ORTHODOX

Name: The Eastern Orthodox churches are often just called “orthodox” or described by nationality or geography, such as the Greek Orthodox or Russian Orthodox, or Antiochian Orthodox.

History: In 1054, the Eastern and Western churches divided over the inclusion of a new phrase in the Nicene Creed (the Western churches said the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son), but there were many cultural, political, and ecclesiastical reasons for the split. Ecumenical overtures between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics have seen a measure of success in recent times.

What Church Is Like: The Eastern Orthodox Churches place a high priority on the particulars of liturgical worship (called The Divine Liturgy). Sanctuaries include various icons for veneration. The Orthodox believe there is a place for praying to saints and to Mary. A worship service engages all the senses, with incense, chanting, Scripture-reading, and a homily, culminating with the celebration of the Eucharist.

Polity: Bishops, following in the succession of the apostles, appoint male priests (also known as elders or presbyters) to pastor the people. Deacons serve the material needs of the congregation and play a key role in liturgical life. Synods (teams of bishops) lead the church, not a single bishop or pope.

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: Patriarch Photius, Vladimir Lossky, Alexander Schmemann, Kallistos Ware, John Behr, Hank Hanegraaff.

ROMAN CATHOLIC

Name: Roman Catholic churches are often just called “Catholic,” which means “universal” or “all-encompassing.” The “Roman” refers to the primacy placed on the pope, or bishop of Rome.

History: Before the split between East and West in 1054, there were seven ecumenical councils accepted by most churches in the world as correctly defining Scriptural teaching on the nature of the triune God and the divinity of Jesus Christ. Augustine of Hippo is the most influential theologian in the Western tradition. The Western church (Roman Catholics) continued to develop theologically in the years following the division with the East, with historical figures such as Anselm of Canterbury, Thomas Aquinas, and Francis of Assisi leading schools and movements. Disputes over the papacy, theology, and various practices prompted the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. Here is a brief essay on Roman Catholic theology.

What Church Is Like: The Roman Catholic Church places a high priority on the particulars of liturgical worship. Sanctuaries include various statues and images for veneration. Catholics believe there is precedent for praying to saints and to Mary. A worship service engages all the senses, with incense, singing, Scripture reading, and a homily, culminating with the celebration of the Eucharist.

Polity: Authority rests with the bishops who follow in the succession of the apostles. Bishops are helped by male priests (also known as elders or presbyters) to pastor the people. Deacons serve the material needs of the congregation. The pope, the bishop of Rome, is the key human authority over the church, who is infallible when speaking ex cathedra (from the full seat of authority on issues of faith or morals).

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: Thomas Aquinas, Francis of Assisi, Erasmus, Teresa de Avila, Blaise Pascal, Mother Teresa, Thomas Merton, John Henry Newman, Pope John Paul II, Dorothy Day, Robert Barron. 

THE PROTESTANT TRADITION

Here’s where we will devote most of our attention, as many denominations stem from the Reformational branch.

History: During the Reformation in the 1500s, Protestants leaders such as Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli opposed corruption in the medieval Catholic Church and sought to correct what they believed to be aberrant, extrabiblical theological positions that did not align with Scripture or with Augustine and other church fathers.

Themes: The Reformation tradition is often summed up by five solas (the Latin word for “alone”):

The Anglican Communion

Name: The Anglican Communion is the third-largest international Christian family of churches, with congregations in more than 165 countries.

History: As part of the Protestant Reformation, the Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534. The expansion of Anglicanism coincided with the spread of the British Empire in subsequent centuries. The Thirty-Nine Articles (1571) define the Reformational beliefs of the Church of England. Here is a brief essay on Anglican theology.

What Is Church Like: Services are formal, following a liturgical pattern and valuing historic traditions, culminating in the preaching of the Word and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The Book of Common Prayer guides Anglican worship services and personal devotion. Some churches include statues and paintings, incense and candles, while others do not.

Polity: Anglicanism resembles Catholicism in organizational structure, with an archbishop presiding over other bishops, who preside over priests and deacons in local congregations. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and symbolic head, as a first among equals.

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: Thomas Cranmer, Richard Hooker, C. S. Lewis, J. I. Packer, John Stott, N. T. Wright, Fleming Rutledge.

Sub-Groups:

Lutheranism

Name: “Lutheran” started as a negative title for those criticizing Martin Luther’s teaching, but Martin Luther later agreed it was an acceptable title only because it identified one who was teaching the truth of the gospel.

History: Lutheranism finds its first expression in its namesake, Martin Luther, who taught in Wittenberg, Germany, in the early 1500s. Initially viewing his teachings as a reform movement within the Roman Catholic Church, he was later excommunicated from the Catholic Church because of his teachings. Philip Melanchthon continued his teachings in Germany, and it expanded into Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Lutheranism spread to America initially through Swedish immigrants in the 17th century. Here is a brief essay on Lutheran theology.

What Church Is Like: Lutheran churches are more liturgical than some of the other Protestant denominations, with the pastor wearing vestments and leading in a set order of worship like the one followed in The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. This includes confessions and absolution, offertory, sermon or homily, recitation of the creed (normally the Nicene Creed), and other prayers.

Polity: Lutheran Churches can vary between a more episcopal form of government and a more congregational form of government. Lutheran churches in America tend to be more congregational, though with some authority given to synods at different levels.

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, Philipp Jakob Spener, Carl Braaten, Robert Jenson, Robert Kolb, Timothy Wengert, Harold Senkbeil.

Related Groups:

Presbyterianism

Name: The word “Presbyterian” comes from the Greek word for “elder” (presbuteros).

History: During the Reformation, churches influenced by the French theologian John Calvin and/or the work of Scottish priest John Knox came to agree on particular doctrinal issues related to salvation and the sovereignty of God, while also developing different ecclesiastical districts (presbyteries). Two streams flowed from Geneva, the city where Calvin ministered. The Presbyterian stream is known for the Westminster Confession of Faith (1640s), which summarizes the distinctive beliefs of this branch of Protestantism. The Continental stream (Dutch and German) is known for the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort. Here is a brief essay on Presbyterian theology.

What Church Is Like: Presbyterian services tend to be more formal, following a liturgical pattern and placing emphasis on the preaching of God’s Word. Some churches celebrate the Lord’s Supper every week, while most do not. Presbyterian sanctuaries tend to be more austere than those of Anglicans, Catholics, and Orthodox.

Polity: Local congregations are governed by teams of elders (teaching and ruling elders), who take part in a larger assembly of elders (presbyteries), which take part in an even larger assembly (synod or a general assembly).

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: B. B. Warfield, J. Gresham Machen, J. Vernon McGee, James Montgomery Boice, R. C. Sproul, Eugene Peterson, Tim Keller.

Related Groups:

Methodism

Name: “Methodists” started as a derogatory term to describe the Holy Club, started around 1729 by Oxford students John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield. The term was used to describe their focus on how Christians should live holy lives.

History: Several groups in the Wesleyan tradition trace their roots back to John Wesley and his teachings. Wesley initially served as a priest and missionary with the Church of England to the American colonies in the 1700s. Methodism spread rapidly through the American Colonies due to the evangelistic efforts of ministers and laypeople. Wesley named his successors in 1784, which created Methodist groups as a separate legal group from the Church of England. The final break between the Methodist Church and the Church of England occurred in 1797 after several failed attempts to bring the two groups together. Here is a brief essay on Methodist theology.

What Church Is Like: While they may not follow a scripted model for reciting various prayers, Methodist churches still follow a common and consistent structure to their worship. One common order includes a musical prelude, singing at various points, Scripture readings from the Revised Lectionary, congregational prayer, a sermon, offering, benediction, and musical postlude.

Polity: The Methodist system follows the polity of connexionalism, which teaches the importance of connection among believers at various levels. Methodism uses conferences at different levels composed of both elected laypeople and ordained ministers to govern the needs and concerns of local churches up through the entire denomination.

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: John and Charles Wesley, Richard Allen, E. Stanley Jones, Albert Outler, Thomas Oden, Richard Hays, Joel Green.

Related Groups:

Baptists

Name: “Baptist” comes from the Greek term baptizō, meaning “to baptize.”

History: Baptists originally started in the early 1600s as a separatist movement from the Church of England. Two streams of Baptists appeared early on in England: the General Baptists, who leaned more Arminian in their views of grace, sin, and salvation, and the Particular Baptists, who were more Calvinistic in their understanding of these doctrines. Due to increasing persecution by the Church of England, Baptists began to flee England for the American colonies where they also were persecuted. Baptist churches continued to grow as the U.S. enshrined religious liberty into its newly formed constitution and has branched out into many American denominations. Here is a brief essay on Baptist theology.

What Church Is Like: Baptists can have a variety of worship practices, but most commonly, Baptists will worship through singing, prayer, receiving tithes and offerings, listening to the Word preached, and giving a time for response. New believers may be baptized during or at the end of the service, while the Lord’s Supper may be celebrated as well. Baptist churches differ on how frequently they should observe the Lord’s Supper.

Polity: Baptist churches believe that Christ is the head of the church and that Christ guides every local church through the Spirit living within the members of each church. While Baptists may voluntarily join associations, each individual church is autonomous. Most Baptist churches are congregation-ruled, but some are led by single pastors while others are led by a plurality of elders, selected by church members.

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: Thomas Helwys, John Leland, John Gill, Andrew Fuller, John Bunyan, William Carey, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Lottie Moon, Martin Luther King Jr., Carl F. H. Henry, Billy Graham, David Dockery, Timothy George, Millard Erickson.

Related Groups:

Evangelical Free Church

Name: The term “evangelical” signifies associations of churches that trace their heritage to the birth of evangelicalism in the modern era, while “free” identifies it as part of the “free church” heritage that sought to separate church doctrine and practice from government control.

History: In 1950 the Swedish Evangelical Free Church and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association merged to form the Evangelical Free Church of America. Both groups were started by immigrants in the 1880s.

What Church Is Like: Worship services are much more in line with Baptist churches than high church liturgies like Roman Catholic and Anglican.

Polity: Evangelical Free churches follow a congregational model of church governance.

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: C. T. Dyrness, L. J. Pedersen, Walter Kaiser Jr., Grant Osborne, D. A. Carson, Fred Sanders, Chuck Swindoll.

Related Groups:

Restorationist Movement

Name: The name “restorationist” refers to the focus on recovering the pure faith of the early church as described in the New Testament.

History: Sometimes referred to as the Stone-Campbell movement, the Restorationist movement started in the Second Great Awakening and focuses on restoring the local churches in their faith and practices to what the Bible teaches in the New Testament.

What Church Is Like: Many Churches of Christ do not use musical instruments since these aren’t mentioned in the New Testament, singing unaccompanied by music (a cappella). Some, however, do include musical instruments in worship. The Lord’s Supper is observed every Sunday.

Polity: Churches of Christ are independent congregations with elders, deacons, and ministers leading the congregation.

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: Barton W. Stone, Alexander Campbell, Max Lucado, Kyle Idleman.

Related Groups:

Pentecostal and Charismatic Traditions

Name: The term “pentecostal” highlights the focus on the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2 at Pentecost. “Charismatic” derives from the Greek word charisma, which means “gift” and most relevantly refers to the gifts given by the Spirit (see Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12).

History: Pentecostal themes can be traced back to early-19th-century movements like the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition and the Higher Life movements. However, the two most prominent events identified as the beginning of modern Pentecostalism are revivals in the early 1900s: one at Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas, and another at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles. Here is a brief essay on Pentecostal theology.

What Church Is Like: While Pentecostal churches will share some common church practices like singing, preaching, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and receiving offerings, these churches may include times for giving prophecies along with those who speak in tongues and interpret them.

Polity: Pentecostal churches are congregationalists. They may be independent congregations or local congregations that associate with other like-minded churches (“cooperative fellowships”). However, the Charismatic movement will adapt to the specific church polity of its denomination.

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: Charles Fox Parham, William Seymour, Aimee Semple McPherson, J. Rodman Williams, Gordon Fee, Amos Yong.

Related Groups: Pentecostalism has grown rapidly and adapted to its environment, so not all can be listed in such a brief guide. Here are a few representative groups.

Non-Denominational Churches

Name: The name identifies that the church has no affiliation with any specific Christian denomination.

History: In the 20th century, more and more churches began to identify as “independent” or “non-denominational,” with no historic ties to other denominations.

What Church Is Like: Non-denominational churches tend to be more low church in their worship like Baptist and Evangelical Free churches, though a non-denominational church can have as much or as little liturgy as the individual church decides. Most non-denominational churches are more like Baptists than other denominations.

Polity: Non-denominational churches will be congregational since they have no commitment to any specific denomination.

Distinctives:

Famous Figures: Gene Getz, Tony Evans, Francis Chan.

Related Groups:

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