Denominations

Founded Various dates; major formal unions include the Council of Florence (1439) and the Union of Brest (1596) · 18M adherents

Eastern Catholic Churches are a family of 23 self-governing (sui iuris) churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome while preserving their own Eastern liturgical, theological, and canonical traditions. The Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholics—including the Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Melkite Greek Catholic, and Romanian Greek Catholic churches—represent the largest portion of Eastern Catholics worldwide. They celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and share deep liturgical heritage with Eastern Orthodoxy, while affirming papal primacy and full communion with Rome.

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Founded Tradition traces to St. Maron (c. 350–410 AD); institutionalized as a distinct church by the 7th–8th century · 4M adherents

The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic church of Antiochene (West Syriac) origin that claims an unbroken communion with the Bishop of Rome since its founding. Named after St. Maron, a 4th-century Syrian ascetic, the church is concentrated in Lebanon and in large diaspora communities in Brazil, Argentina, the United States, and Australia. The Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, based in Bkerké, Lebanon, leads the church. Its ancient West Syriac liturgical tradition was substantially Latinized following the Crusades and the Synod of Mount Lebanon (1736), giving Maronite practice a character closer to the Latin Rite than that of most other Eastern Catholic churches.

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Founded 1870 · 500K adherents

The Old Catholic Church emerged in 1870 when a group of German, Swiss, and Austrian Catholics refused to accept the First Vatican Council's definition of papal infallibility and universal jurisdiction. Maintaining valid apostolic succession through the Utrecht Union and the Church of Utrecht (which had separated from Rome in 1724), Old Catholics preserve Catholic sacramental practice, the historical episcopate, and seven sacraments while rejecting the doctrine of papal infallibility. They have since ordained women to the priesthood in most branches, allow married clergy at all levels, and have moved toward greater ecumenical engagement with Protestant and Orthodox churches.

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Founded Apostolic foundation traced to St. Peter; institutional papacy established 1st century; present structure developed through Ecumenical Councils · 1.3B adherents

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world, with approximately 1.3 billion baptized members. It understands itself as the one Church founded by Jesus Christ on the Apostle Peter, whose episcopal succession continues in the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). Governance is hierarchical, with the Pope holding supreme authority in matters of faith and morals, exercised in communion with the college of bishops. Catholic doctrine is comprehensively articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992) and is shaped by Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium—the Church's teaching authority.

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Founded c. 52 AD (Syro-Malabar organized 1887) · 4M adherents

The Saint Thomas Christians, or Nasrani, claim apostolic origins through the Apostle Thomas who, according to tradition, arrived in Kerala, India, in 52 AD. Over centuries they developed a unique liturgical and cultural identity blending East Syriac Christianity with Indian traditions. After contact with Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century, the community divided; the Syro-Malabar Church is the largest Eastern Catholic branch in full communion with Rome, using the Chaldean (East Syriac) liturgical rite. Other Thomas Christian bodies (Malankara, Jacobite, Orthodox Syrian Church of the East) are not in communion with Rome. This entry focuses on the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

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Founded c. 1st century (organized 410 AD) · 400K adherents

The Assyrian Church of the East is one of the oldest Christian churches, tracing its origins to the apostolic mission of Thomas, Addai, and Mari in Mesopotamia. It was formally organized at the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in 410 AD and rejected the Council of Ephesus (431 AD), which condemned Nestorius. As a result it has traditionally been called 'Nestorian,' though the church itself rejects this label, preferring to describe its Christology as the teaching of Theodore of Mopsuestia. It uses the ancient Anaphora of Addai and Mari in its liturgy and has historically been associated with the Syriac Christian tradition of Mesopotamia and Persia.

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Founded Tradition traces founding to St. Mark the Evangelist in Alexandria, Egypt, c. 42 AD · 15M adherents

The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, tracing its founding to St. Mark the Evangelist's mission to Alexandria around 42 AD. Centered in Egypt with significant diaspora communities in North America, Australia, and Europe, it holds a miaphysite Christology that resulted in its separation from Chalcedonian Christianity after the Council of Chalcedon (451). The Coptic Pope of Alexandria serves as the symbolic head of the entire Oriental Orthodox communion. The church is known for its rigorous fasting traditions (observed on more than 200 days per year), intense Marian devotion, an unbroken monastic heritage tracing to the Desert Fathers, and the partial use of the ancient Coptic language in its liturgy.

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Founded Apostolic foundation; the Great Schism of 1054 formally separated Eastern and Western Christianity · 260M adherents

The Eastern Orthodox Church is a communion of autocephalous (self-governing) national churches—including the Russian, Greek, Serbian, Romanian, and Bulgarian Orthodox churches—bound by shared doctrine, sacramental communion, and the Byzantine liturgical tradition. It understands itself as the one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church established by Christ, preserving the faith of the Seven Ecumenical Councils without the innovations of Rome. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople holds a primacy of honor as 'first among equals' but exercises no jurisdictional authority over other autocephalous churches. Eastern Orthodox theology is characterized by Palamite theology (the distinction between God's essence and divine energies), theosis as the goal of salvation, and a conciliar model of authority.

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Founded Christianity adopted as state religion under King Ezana of Axum c. 341 AD through St. Frumentius; tradition also references the Acts 8 Ethiopian eunuch · 45M adherents

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is the largest Oriental Orthodox church in the world, with approximately 45 million faithful, and one of the oldest Christian institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. 'Tewahedo' (Ge'ez for 'being made one') expresses its miaphysite Christological confession. Ethiopia adopted Christianity as a state religion under King Ezana of Axum around 341 AD through the missionary St. Frumentius. The church is distinguished by its 81-book biblical canon (the broadest of any Christian tradition), dual Saturday and Sunday Sabbath observance, the veneration of the Tabot (replica of the Ark of the Covenant) in every church, circumcision as a religious practice, extensive fasting traditions, and liturgy celebrated in the ancient Ge'ez language.

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Founded Emerged as a distinct ecclesiastical communion following the Council of Chalcedon (451); individual member churches trace origins to the Apostolic era · 80M adherents

The Oriental Orthodox churches are a family of ancient Christian churches that rejected the Council of Chalcedon (451) and its two-natures Christological formula, instead affirming a miaphysite theology: that Christ has one united nature, fully divine and fully human, without separation. The family includes the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India. Each church is self-governing, maintains its own ancient liturgical language, and traces its episcopal succession to the Apostles. Contemporary ecumenical dialogues have suggested that the Christological differences with Chalcedonian churches are largely terminological rather than substantive.

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Founded Act of Royal Supremacy 1534 under Henry VIII; theological identity shaped under Thomas Cranmer, Edward VI, and Elizabeth I; Thirty-Nine Articles finalized 1571 · 85M adherents

The Anglican Communion is a worldwide fellowship of churches in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury, sharing a common heritage rooted in the Church of England's Reformation settlement of the sixteenth century. Anglican identity is defined by the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral (1888): the Holy Scriptures as the rule of faith, the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds, the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, and the historic episcopate. The Thirty-Nine Articles (1571) and the Book of Common Prayer provide doctrinal and liturgical standards, though Anglican theology is deliberately broad, functioning as a 'via media' between Roman Catholicism and continental Protestantism. Anglican churches span a wide spectrum from Anglo-Catholic (emphasizing apostolic succession, sacramentalism, and continuity with Catholic tradition) to evangelical (emphasizing Scripture, preaching, and justification by faith), with a 'broad church' middle that incorporates liberal theological methods.

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Founded Origins with Ulrich Zwingli (Zurich, 1519) and John Calvin (Geneva, 1536–1564); Heidelberg Catechism 1563; Canons of Dort 1619 · 80M adherents

The Reformed tradition is a branch of Protestant Christianity originating in the Swiss Reformation under Ulrich Zwingli and developed systematically by John Calvin in Geneva. It is defined by its confessional standards — principally the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), the Belgic Confession (1561), the Canons of Dort (1619), and the Second Helvetic Confession (1566) — as well as the Westminster Standards (1647) in the Presbyterian tradition. Reformed theology is characterized by the absolute sovereignty of God in all things, a robust doctrine of double predestination, covenant theology as the organizing framework of Scripture, the spiritual (not bodily) presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, the regulative principle of worship, and the TULIP doctrines of grace. Reformed churches are found worldwide, from the Dutch Reformed tradition in the Netherlands and North America to Reformed churches in Korea, Hungary, and sub-Saharan Africa.

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Founded Puritan Separatist origins c. 1620s; Cambridge Platform 1648; Savoy Declaration 1658; United Church of Christ formed by merger in 1957 · 900K adherents

Congregationalism originated among Puritan Separatists in seventeenth-century England and New England, who insisted that the local congregation — gathered under Christ as its sole head — is the basic and autonomous unit of the church, with no authority above the local church binding in matters of faith and order. Historically Calvinist in theology, Congregationalism is defined primarily by its polity rather than its doctrine. The United Church of Christ (UCC), formed in 1957 by the merger of Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church, is the primary Congregational body in the United States. The UCC is explicitly non-creedal ('no creed but Christ'), affirms radical congregational autonomy, and has moved far from its Calvinist origins to become a broadly progressive denomination — the first major denomination to ordain a woman (Antoinette Brown, 1853), an openly gay person (1972), and an openly gay bishop (2016). It affirms LGBTQ+ inclusion, a this-worldly social justice focus, and wide theological diversity.

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Founded Origins in Martin Luther's 95 Theses (1517); Augsburg Confession presented 1530; Book of Concord compiled 1580 · 80M adherents

Lutheranism traces its origins to the reforming work of Martin Luther (1483–1546), whose protest against indulgences and subsequent writings precipitated the Protestant Reformation. The tradition is defined by its confessional standards—principally the Augsburg Confession (1530) and Luther's Small Catechism—collected in the Book of Concord (1580). Its central theological commitments are justification by grace alone through faith alone (sola fide) on account of Christ alone, Scripture as the sole norm of doctrine (sola Scriptura), and the real presence of Christ's body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper. Lutheran churches worldwide range from confessionally conservative bodies (e.g., the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod) to theologically progressive mainline denominations (e.g., the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), united by shared confessional heritage but diverging on issues such as biblical inerrancy, women's ordination, and sexuality.

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Founded 1847 · 2M adherents

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) is a confessional Lutheran denomination founded in 1847 by German Lutheran immigrants in Missouri. It holds strictly to the Lutheran confessions, especially the Book of Concord, maintains verbal inerrancy of Scripture, practices closed communion, and restricts ordained ministry to men. The LCMS is the second-largest Lutheran body in the United States, known for its theological conservatism and traditional liturgical practice.

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Founded Oxford Holy Club c. 1729; Wesley's evangelical revival 1738; Methodist Episcopal Church organized 1784; World Methodist Council founded 1881 · 80M adherents

Methodism originated in the evangelical revival led by John Wesley (1703–1791) within the Church of England and spread rapidly through Britain and North America. Wesley's theology combined a strong doctrine of justification by faith with an equally strong insistence on sanctification and Christian perfection — the belief that believers can be wholly sanctified and freed from the dominion of sin in this life. Methodist theology is Arminian in its soteriology: it teaches universal atonement, prevenient grace (God's grace enabling all people to respond to the Gospel), conditional election based on foreseen faith, and the possibility of apostasy. The 'Wesleyan Quadrilateral' — Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience — describes Methodist theological method, with Scripture as the primary authority. The United Methodist Church, the largest Methodist body, is the third-largest Protestant denomination in the United States.

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Founded Reformation in Scotland under John Knox c. 1560; Church of Scotland established 1567; Westminster Assembly 1643–1649 produced the Westminster Standards · 75M adherents

Presbyterianism is the Scottish and Anglo-American branch of the broader Calvinist-Reformed tradition, distinguished primarily by its form of church governance and its confession of faith. Presbyterian churches are governed by ruling and teaching elders (presbyters) organized into sessions (local), presbyteries (regional), synods, and general assemblies — a democratic, non-hierarchical polity without bishops. The confessional standard of the Presbyterian tradition is the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) and the Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms, produced by the Westminster Assembly convened by the English Parliament during the Civil War. Presbyterian theology shares the classic Reformed doctrines of TULIP, covenant theology, the sovereignty of God, double predestination, and sola Scriptura, while placing particular emphasis on the moral law and explicit Sabbatarianism. Major Presbyterian bodies include the Church of Scotland, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Presbyterian Church in America, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and numerous churches in Korea, Nigeria, and Australia.

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Founded 1628 · 145K adherents

The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is the oldest continuously operating Protestant denomination in North America, tracing its roots to Dutch Reformed settlers in New Amsterdam in 1628. It holds to the Three Forms of Unity (Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Canons of Dort) and historically maintained a Calvinist theological identity. In recent decades the RCA has experienced significant internal tension over the ordination of women, same-sex marriage, and other social issues, leading to the departure of many congregations.

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Founded 1845 (Southern Baptist Convention); Baptist movement originated in early 17th century · 13M adherents

The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, rooted in the broader Baptist tradition that emphasizes believer's baptism, congregational church governance, and the priesthood of all believers. SBC churches affirm salvation by grace through faith alone and hold the Bible as the supreme and inerrant authority for faith and practice. While each congregation is autonomous, the SBC maintains cooperative fellowship through shared confessional documents such as The Baptist Faith and Message.

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Founded 1965 · 2M adherents

Calvary Chapel is an evangelical Christian movement founded by Pastor Chuck Smith in Costa Mesa, California in 1965. It became a major force in the Jesus Movement of the early 1970s, emphasizing verse-by-verse expository Bible teaching and a welcoming atmosphere for seekers. Calvary Chapel occupies a deliberate middle ground between strict Calvinism and Arminianism, and affirms continuationist spiritual gifts while rejecting the doctrine that tongues are the required initial evidence of Spirit baptism.

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Founded 1887 · 700K adherents

The Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA) was founded in 1887 by Albert B. Simpson, a Canadian-American pastor who emphasized a fourfold gospel: Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. Rooted in the Keswick holiness movement, it teaches a deeper-life experience of sanctification (subsequent to justification) and divine healing as provided in the atonement. The C&MA is known for its strong missionary vision and has planted churches in over 90 countries. It holds to an Arminian-leaning soteriology with modified Calvinist elements and maintains believer's baptism as normative while not requiring a specific mode.

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Founded 1857 · 230K adherents

The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) was founded in 1857 by Dutch immigrants who separated from the Reformed Church in America over concerns about Freemasonry membership and lax discipline. It adheres to the Three Forms of Unity (Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Canons of Dort) and holds to a Calvinist theology with strong emphasis on worldview transformation, Reformed education, and cultural engagement. In recent years the CRCNA has faced significant internal divisions over the question of women's ordination and human sexuality.

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Founded 1908 (Pilot Point, Texas, through merger of several Holiness groups) · 3M adherents

The Church of the Nazarene is a Wesleyan-Holiness denomination that emerged from the late 19th-century American Holiness Movement. It teaches John Wesley's doctrine of entire sanctification — a second definite work of grace subsequent to conversion in which the believer's heart is cleansed of the inclination toward sin and filled with perfect love for God and neighbor. The denomination affirms evangelical Protestant orthodoxy, including biblical inspiration, the Trinity, salvation by grace through faith, and the physical return of Christ.

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Founded 1885 · 280K adherents

The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) traces its roots to the Swedish Pietist revival of the nineteenth century and was organized in the United States in 1885. It emphasizes personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, the importance of the Holy Spirit, and a commitment to mission. Theologically, it occupies a space between strict Calvinist and Arminian positions, allowing diversity on secondary matters such as predestination, baptism mode, and eschatology. The ECC is known for its motto 'in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity' and has ordained women since 1976.

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Founded 1950 (merger of the Evangelical Free Church of America and the Scandinavian Evangelical Free Mission) · 400K adherents

The Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) is a conservative evangelical denomination that traces its roots to Scandinavian free church movements of the 19th century. The EFCA is known for its strong doctrinal commitments — affirmed in a detailed statement of faith revised in 2008 — combined with a deliberate policy of allowing secondary doctrinal freedom on non-essential questions such as the precise millennial position, modes of baptism, and the nature of spiritual gifts. The denomination is congregational in polity and places a high premium on biblical authority, evangelical mission, and church planting.

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Founded 1930 · 65K adherents

IFCA International, formerly the Independent Fundamental Churches of America, was founded in 1930 as a fellowship of fundamentalist congregations committed to biblical inerrancy, ecclesiastical separation, and historic Protestant doctrines. It emphasizes separatism from apostasy and compromise, premillennial dispensationalist eschatology, and verbal inerrancy of Scripture. Member churches are autonomous congregations that voluntarily associate. The IFCA has historically practiced secondary separation, declining fellowship with denominations deemed theologically compromised.

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Founded 1727 · 250K adherents

The Free Will Baptists trace their roots to the General Baptist tradition in England and early colonial America, organized formally in North Carolina in 1727 and restructured as the National Association of Free Will Baptists in 1935. They hold to Arminian soteriology, believer's baptism by immersion, the possibility of apostasy, and congregational polity. Distinctive practices include foot washing as a third ordinance alongside baptism and the Lord's Supper. They emphasize personal conversion, biblical authority, and evangelical mission.

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Founded Emerged primarily in the latter 20th century; no single founding date · 75M adherents

Non-denominational evangelical Christianity encompasses a broad movement of independent congregations that identify as Christian and broadly evangelical but are not formally affiliated with any historical denomination. These churches typically emphasize personal conversion, biblical authority, contemporary worship, and direct access to God without denominational hierarchy. While there is no central confessional body, most non-denominational evangelical churches share core orthodox convictions regarding the Trinity, salvation by grace through faith, the authority of Scripture, and the physical resurrection of Christ.

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Founded 1914 (Assemblies of God); Pentecostal movement originated at Azusa Street Revival, 1906 · 69M adherents

The Assemblies of God (AG) is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination, founded in 1914 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, out of the early 20th-century Pentecostal revival. AG theology combines evangelical Protestant orthodoxy with a distinctive emphasis on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in other tongues, and the continuing operation of all spiritual gifts. The denomination maintains a strong commitment to biblical inerrancy, personal salvation through faith in Christ, and world evangelism.

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Founded 1973 · 390K adherents

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) was founded in 1973 as a conservative alternative to the Presbyterian Church in the United States, from which it separated over issues of biblical inerrancy, women's ordination, and social liberalism. It adheres strictly to the Westminster Confession of Faith and catechisms, holding to Reformed soteriology (TULIP), male-only ordination, and verbal inerrancy of Scripture. It is the second-largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States.

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Founded 1689 · 100K adherents

Reformed Baptists are Calvinist Baptist churches that hold to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, which adapts the Westminster Confession for a Baptist ecclesiology. They affirm TULIP soteriology (total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance of saints), believer's baptism by immersion only, and a strict regulative principle of worship. Unlike paedobaptist Reformed churches, they reject infant baptism while maintaining five-point Calvinism. Reformed Baptist congregations are typically independent with loose associational ties.

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Founded 1968 · 400K adherents

The Wesleyan Church was formed in 1968 by the merger of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection and the Pilgrim Holiness Church. It holds to Wesleyan-Arminian theology, emphasizing free grace, the necessity of personal conversion, entire sanctification as a second work of grace enabling the believer to love God and neighbor fully, and the witness of the Spirit. The denomination ordains women to all levels of ministry and has a strong tradition of social engagement. It maintains that salvation can be forfeited through willful apostasy.

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Founded 1850 · 360K adherents

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) is an ultra-confessional Lutheran denomination founded in 1850 in Wisconsin. It stands among the most theologically conservative Lutheran bodies, affirming strict verbal inerrancy, practicing closed communion, and restricting ordained pastoral office to men. WELS maintains deliberate separation from the LCMS and other denominations based on confessional differences and emphasizes historical-grammatical Scripture interpretation and doctrinal purity in all fellowship and ecumenical matters.

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Founded 1960s · 500M adherents

The Charismatic Movement is a broad renewal movement that began in mainline Protestant and Catholic churches in the early 1960s, emphasizing the continuing presence and gifts of the Holy Spirit — including tongues, prophecy, and healing — outside of classical Pentecostalism. Unlike Pentecostalism, the Charismatic Movement does not form a single denomination but operates as a renewal current within existing churches across Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. Estimates of affiliated adherents reach into the hundreds of millions worldwide.

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Founded 1881 · 250K adherents

The Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) emerged in 1881 from the holiness movement under Daniel S. Warner, who rejected denominationalism and ecclesiastical creeds in favor of direct spiritual unity among believers. It holds to Wesleyan-holiness theology, emphasizing entire sanctification, the Spirit-led church, and unity of all regenerate Christians. It has no formal creed beyond Scripture and rejects organizational distinction between clergy and laity in principle, though it has developed voluntary cooperative structures. Women have been ordained throughout most of its history.

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Founded 1886 · 7M adherents

The Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) is one of the oldest and largest Pentecostal denominations in the world, founded in 1886 and reorganized around Pentecostal experience in 1907. It holds to Wesleyan-Arminian theology, emphasizing entire sanctification as a second definite work of grace, the baptism of the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in tongues, and divine healing. The denomination is headquartered in Cleveland, Tennessee, and has a global presence with particularly strong growth in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

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Founded 1923 · 9M adherents

The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel was founded by evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson in Los Angeles in 1923. Its theology centers on four aspects of Christ's ministry: Savior, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Coming King. It holds to Arminian soteriology, believer's baptism by immersion, the ongoing gifts of the Spirit including tongues, and premillennial eschatology. The denomination has grown significantly in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and has historically allowed women in pastoral leadership.

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Founded 1982 · 95K adherents

Vineyard Churches is a charismatic evangelical denomination founded by John Wimber in 1982, growing out of a church he had planted in Anaheim, California. The movement is known for its 'naturally supernatural' approach to ministry — integrating biblical scholarship with an expectation of signs, wonders, and healing — and its 'already/not yet' Kingdom theology, influenced by George Ladd. Vineyard has approximately 2,400 churches in over 95 countries.

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Founded 1693 · 370K adherents

The Amish are an Anabaptist Christian community tracing their origin to the 1693 division in Swiss-Alsatian Mennonitism led by Jakob Ammann, who insisted on stricter application of the ban (Meidung) and other practices of separation from the world. Old Order Amish are known for their rejection of modern technology, horse-and-buggy transportation, plain dress, and the German dialect of Pennsylvania Dutch. They practice strict Gelassenheit (yieldedness/humility) and maintain a sharp boundary between church community and 'the world.' Concentrated mainly in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, their population has doubled roughly every twenty years.

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Founded 1778 · 35K adherents

The Brethren in Christ Church is a small denomination rooted in Anabaptist tradition with significant Pietist and Wesleyan influences. Founded in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, around 1778, it emphasizes nonresistance, community, believer's baptism, and a disciplined Christian life. The denomination holds to Wesleyan-Arminian soteriology with Anabaptist ecclesiology, practices trine immersion baptism, and maintains a historic peace witness while allowing increasing flexibility in contemporary cultural engagement.

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Founded 1708 · 90K adherents

The Church of the Brethren traces its origins to a group of German Pietists who organized in 1708 in Schwarzenau, Germany, under Alexander Mack. Combining Anabaptist principles with Pietist spirituality, it practices trine (three-fold) immersion baptism, pacifism, simple living, and the Love Feast (which includes foot washing, a fellowship meal, and the Lord's Supper). In the twentieth century it joined the historic peace church tradition alongside Mennonites and Quakers. The denomination has moved toward more progressive positions on social issues in recent decades.

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Founded 1528 · 50K adherents

The Hutterites are an Anabaptist communal Christian movement founded by Jakob Hutter in Moravia in 1528. They are distinguished from other Anabaptist groups by their practice of full community of goods — all property is held in common by the Bruderhof (colony) — which they understand as the literal New Testament model of the Jerusalem church in Acts 2–4. Hutterites live in agricultural communal colonies of 60–150 people, primarily in the prairies of Canada and the northern United States. They speak a Tyrolean-Austrian German dialect and maintain plain dress and separation from the wider culture.

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Founded 1525 · 2M adherents

Mennonites are an Anabaptist Christian movement tracing their origins to the Swiss Brethren of Zurich in 1525 and named after the Dutch reformer Menno Simons (1496–1561). Core convictions include believer's baptism, nonresistance and pacifism, separation of church and state, simple living, and the priority of community discernment. Mennonite communities range from conservative Old Order groups to progressive urban congregations, with the largest concentrations in North America, Africa, and Latin America.

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Founded 1832 · 340K adherents

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant denomination emerging from the American Restoration Movement co-led by Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell in the early 19th century. Formally organized as a denomination in 1968, Disciples are known for their commitment to Christian unity, weekly communion, believer's baptism by immersion (though other modes are accepted for those baptized elsewhere), an open communion table, and a congregational polity. The denomination is theologically progressive and an active member of the ecumenical movement.

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Founded 1804 · 2M adherents

Christian Churches and Churches of Christ represent the conservative, instrument-using branch of the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, which began in early nineteenth-century America under Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell. This fellowship uses instrumental music in worship (distinguishing it from a cappella Churches of Christ) and generally maintains a more conservative theology than the Disciples of Christ. Each congregation is autonomous with no denominational structure, but they cooperate informally through Bible colleges and missionary societies. They emphasize the sole authority of Scripture, believer's baptism by immersion for remission of sins, and weekly communion.

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Founded 1906 · 2M adherents

Churches of Christ are autonomous, non-instrumental congregations that emerged from the American Restoration Movement of the early 19th century, formally recognized as a distinct fellowship in the 1906 U.S. Religious Census. The movement holds that the New Testament alone provides the pattern for Christian faith and practice, rejects creeds and denominational hierarchy, requires baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and worships a cappella (without musical instruments). Congregations are entirely independent, with no central governing body.

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Founded 1979 · 75K adherents

The International Churches of Christ (ICOC) is a fellowship of churches that emerged from the mainline Churches of Christ, founded by Kip McKean in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The ICOC is known for its intensive discipling model — requiring members to have a personal 'discipling partner' accountable for their spiritual growth — its expectation that every member is an active evangelist, and its practice of baptism by immersion as essential to salvation. After controversies over authoritarian practices in the 1990s, the movement underwent significant reforms in the early 2000s and remains a global fellowship.

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Founded 1863 · 21M adherents

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a global Protestant denomination founded in 1863 in Battle Creek, Michigan, emerging from the Millerite movement. It is known for Saturday Sabbath observance, conditional immortality (soul sleep), a distinctive sanctuary doctrine in which Christ's heavenly high-priestly ministry is ongoing, and the prophetic ministry of co-founder Ellen G. White. With over 21 million baptized members, Adventism operates one of the world's largest Protestant healthcare and educational systems.

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Founded 1457 · 1M adherents

The Moravian Church, or Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren), traces its origins to the followers of the Bohemian reformer Jan Hus, formally organized in 1457. After near extinction it was renewed in 1722 under Count Nicolaus von Zinzendorf at Herrnhut, Germany, becoming one of the first Protestant missionary movements. Moravians are known for their music, ecumenical spirit, warm piety, 'heart religion,' and the Daily Watchwords (Losungen) devotional. The church confesses the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds and lives by the motto: 'In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things love.'

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Founded 1820s · 1M adherents

The Plymouth Brethren are a conservative evangelical movement originating in Dublin and Plymouth, England in the late 1820s, associated with John Nelson Darby and others. They rejected ordained clergy and denominations, emphasizing the priesthood of all believers, the breaking of bread weekly, simple New Testament church order, and the authority of Scripture alone. Darby's dispensationalist theology, including the pre-tribulation rapture, has been enormously influential in evangelical Christianity. The movement is divided into 'Open' and 'Exclusive' (Closed) branches, with significant differences in practice.

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Founded 1650s · 400K adherents

The Religious Society of Friends, known as Quakers, emerged in 1650s England through the ministry of George Fox, who taught that every person has an 'Inner Light' — direct experience of Christ — making clergy, sacraments, and formal creeds unnecessary. Quakers meet in unprogrammed worship (silent waiting on God) or programmed worship (with a pastor), believe in continuing revelation, and have historically been committed to pacifism, equality, simplicity, and social justice. The movement spans evangelical, liberal, and conservative expressions.

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Founded 1671 · 50K adherents

Seventh Day Baptists are a Baptist denomination that observes the Saturday Sabbath as the biblically commanded day of rest and worship. Formally organized in North America in 1671, they share mainstream Baptist theology — salvation by grace through faith, believer's baptism by immersion, congregational polity, and biblical authority — while observing the seventh-day Sabbath. They are distinct from Seventh-day Adventists in rejecting Ellen G. White's prophetic ministry, soul sleep, and the sanctuary doctrine.

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Founded 1865 · 2M adherents

The Salvation Army is an evangelical Protestant denomination founded in London in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth, structured as a quasi-military organization with ranks, uniforms, and territorial commands. It is known globally for its social services — food banks, disaster relief, homeless shelters, and addiction recovery programs — which are understood as expressions of the gospel. The Salvation Army does not practice water baptism or the Lord's Supper, holding that outward sacraments are unnecessary for salvation. It ordains women on equal terms with men as officers (ministers).

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Founded 1917 · 3M adherents

The True Jesus Church was founded in Beijing, China, in 1917 through the ministry of Paul Wei and others, following a Pentecostal revival that emphasized speaking in tongues, baptism by immersion with the face downward, foot washing, and Saturday Sabbath observance. It claims to be the one true restored church, holding a non-Trinitarian theology similar to Oneness Pentecostalism, teaching that the name of Jesus alone embodies the fullness of the Godhead. It rejects the creedal formula of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as distinct persons, requiring baptism in 'Jesus' name only' and teaching that speaking in tongues is necessary evidence of the Holy Spirit. The church is strongest in Taiwan, China, and Southeast Asia.

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Founded 1977 · 8M adherents

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG, Portuguese: Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus) was founded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1977 by Edir Macedo. It is a neo-Pentecostal denomination with a strong emphasis on spiritual warfare against demonic forces, financial prosperity as a sign of divine blessing, and miraculous healing. Its theology is characterized by the prosperity gospel, seed-faith giving, and an aggressive evangelism model. The UCKG has spread to over 100 countries and operates major media channels. It has been controversial for its financial practices and its adaptation of Christian practice to compete with Afro-Brazilian spiritual traditions.

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Founded 1170s · 45K adherents

The Waldensian Church is one of the oldest Protestant movements in Europe, tracing its origins to the reforming movement of Peter Waldo in Lyon, France in the 1170s. Persecuted for centuries by the Catholic Church, the Waldensians joined the Reformed Protestant tradition in 1532 and today are a member church of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Based primarily in northwestern Italy, they emphasize Scripture alone, social witness, ecumenism, and have pioneered progressive stances on interfaith dialogue, ecology, and inclusion.

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Founded No single founding; modern movement emerged in the 20th century drawing on earlier Socinian and Arian traditions; significant growth via online communities from c. 2000 · 50K adherents

Biblical Unitarians (also called Christian Unitarians or Socinians in historical contexts) are Christians who affirm the sole authority of the Bible while rejecting the doctrine of the Trinity on scriptural grounds. They hold that God is strictly one person — the Father — and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, a distinct human being who was not pre-existent as a divine being before his birth. Unlike the Unitarian Universalist Association, Biblical Unitarians are committed to biblical authority and orthodox Christian ethics; they regard Trinitarian theology as a post-biblical philosophical innovation incompatible with the New Testament's portrait of God and Christ.

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Founded 1848, founded by John Thomas in the United States and United Kingdom · 50K adherents

The Christadelphians are a non-Trinitarian Christian movement founded by physician John Thomas, who rejected mainstream Christian creeds in favor of what he regarded as a return to first-century biblical teaching. They hold that God is one person — the Father alone — and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God born of Mary, with no pre-existent divine identity. Christadelphians also affirm conditional immortality (soul sleep) and expect a literal, earthly kingdom of God centered in a restored Israel at Christ's return. They are organized in autonomous local ecclesias with no ordained clergy.

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Founded 1921 (General Conference formally organized); movement roots in the Abrahamic Faith revival of the 1820s–1840s · 7K adherents

The Church of God General Conference (COGC), associated with the Abrahamic Faith tradition, is a small non-Trinitarian body that emphasizes a return to the plain teaching of Scripture on the nature of God, human mortality, and the coming kingdom of God on earth. It holds that God is one person (the Father), that Jesus is the Son of God (not a pre-existent divine being), and that humans do not possess an immortal soul — the dead are unconscious until the resurrection. The COGC's eschatological vision centers on a literal, earthly kingdom of God inaugurated by the return of Christ.

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Founded Founded by Charles Taze Russell in the 1870s; Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society incorporated 1884; current name adopted 1931 · 9M adherents

Jehovah's Witnesses are a restorationist Christian movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the 1870s, organized under the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and governed by the Governing Body based in Warwick, New York. The movement rejects the doctrine of the Trinity, teaching that Jehovah alone is God and that Jesus Christ is a distinct, subordinate divine being—God's first creation. They are distinguished by their intensive door-to-door evangelism, strict organizational discipline, a non-Trinitarian theology derived from their own translation of Scripture (the New World Translation), their absolute prohibition on blood transfusions, refusal of military service and political involvement, and non-observance of traditional Christian holidays.

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Founded 1945 (United Pentecostal Church International, through merger); Oneness theology emerged within Pentecostalism c. 1914 · 4M adherents

Oneness Pentecostals hold a non-Trinitarian understanding of God, teaching that God is absolutely one — not three persons — and that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not distinct divine persons but three titles or roles of the one God, fully revealed in Jesus Christ. The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI), the largest Oneness Pentecostal body, teaches that salvation requires repentance, water baptism specifically in the name of Jesus Christ (not the Trinitarian formula), and the baptism of the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in tongues. The UPCI also maintains distinctive standards of holiness in lifestyle and dress.

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Founded 1961 (merger of American Unitarian Association and Universalist Church of America); Unitarian roots trace to 16th-century Transylvania; Universalist roots to 18th-century America · 200K adherents

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is a non-creedal religious body that emerged from the merger of Unitarianism and Universalism, both rooted in liberal Protestant Christianity. Today the UUA encompasses a wide theological spectrum — from liberal Christians to humanists, pagans, agnostics, and atheists — united not by shared doctrinal beliefs but by shared values: the inherent worth and dignity of every person, a free and responsible search for truth, and justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. The UUA rejects binding creeds, dogmatic authority, and supernatural claims as tests of membership.

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Founded 1860 · 250K adherents

Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints / RLDS) was organized in 1860 by Joseph Smith III, son of the LDS founder. It claims continuity with the original church of Joseph Smith while diverging from the Utah-based LDS Church on many distinctive doctrines: it affirms the Book of Mormon and other Restoration scriptures, but does not require temple endowment for salvation, ordains women to all offices including the apostleship (since 1984), and has moved theologically toward mainline Protestantism in recent decades. The denomination is headquartered in Independence, Missouri.

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Founded 1830 · 17M adherents

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) was founded by Joseph Smith in Fayette, New York on April 6, 1830. It holds a unique theological position among Christian traditions: it affirms that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three separate and distinct beings; that the priesthood authority was restored through Joseph Smith; that the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price are additional scriptures alongside the Bible; and that human beings can progress toward exaltation (theosis). With over 17 million members worldwide, it operates one of the largest privately funded welfare and disaster relief programs in the world.

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Founded 1934 · 60K adherents

Armstrongism refers to the theological tradition founded by Herbert W. Armstrong through the Radio Church of God (later Worldwide Church of God, founded 1934), perpetuated today by splinter bodies such as the Philadelphia Church of God, United Church of God, and Living Church of God after the WCG's mainstream evangelical reformation in the 1990s. Key doctrines include mandatory Saturday Sabbath observance, annual keeping of all seven Old Testament feasts (with rejection of Christmas and Easter as pagan substitutes), British Israelism (Anglo-Saxon nations identified as the lost ten tribes of Israel), and a binitarian theology (Father and Son as two distinct divine beings; Holy Spirit as God's power rather than a person). Strict dietary laws and avoidance of military service and pagan-origin holidays are also practiced.

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Founded 1879 · 85K adherents

The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded by Mary Baker Eddy in Boston in 1879, based on her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (1875). It teaches that God is divine Mind and infinite Spirit, that matter and evil are illusions of mortal mind, and that prayer and spiritual understanding—rather than medicine—are the proper means of healing. Jesus Christ is revered as the supreme exemplar of the healing power of Truth, though the church rejects orthodox Trinitarianism. Membership has declined significantly from a mid-20th-century peak, but the church remains headquartered in Boston and publishes the internationally distributed Christian Science Monitor.

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Founded 1787 · 30K adherents

Swedenborgianism is based on the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772), a Swedish scientist-mystic who claimed visionary access to heaven and hell. Swedenborg taught that God is one divine Person—Jesus Christ—in whom Father (divine love), Son (divine wisdom), and Holy Spirit (divine activity) are united aspects, not separate persons. Salvation comes through conjunction with God by shunning evil and practicing charity. The Bible is understood through Swedenborg's revealed inner or spiritual sense. Main bodies include the General Church of the New Jerusalem and the New-Church (Swedenborgian), organized after Swedenborg's death in 1787.

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Founded 1914 · 3M adherents

Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) was founded by Félix Manalo in the Philippines on July 27, 1914, with the conviction that he was the angel of Revelation 7:2—the last messenger sent by God to restore the true church. The church teaches strict biblical unitarian theology: God alone is the Father Almighty, Jesus Christ is God's highest creature and Savior but is not God himself, and the Holy Spirit is God's power rather than a distinct person. Salvation requires baptism by immersion into the INC. The church is governed theocratically through the Executive Minister (currently Eduardo Manalo) and is known for its disciplined bloc voting in Philippine politics and its massive Arena of Reconciliation gatherings.

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Founded 1955 · 500K adherents

The Message Movement derives from the ministry and teachings of William Marrion Branham (1909–1965), an American faith healer who attracted wide Pentecostal audiences before developing increasingly distinctive doctrines. Branham taught that he was the end-time Elijah prophet of Malachi 4:5–6 whose message would restore the original apostolic faith. His recorded sermons are regarded by followers as divinely inspired and equal to or surpassing the Bible in authority for this age. The movement espouses Oneness theology (rejecting the Trinity), the serpent seed doctrine (the Fall involved literal sexual union between Eve and the serpent), and strict predestination. Message churches are loosely networked worldwide, centered on listening to Branham's taped sermons.

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Founded 1960s · 250K adherents

Messianic Judaism is a movement of Jewish and Gentile believers who affirm Yeshua (Jesus) as the Jewish Messiah while maintaining Jewish religious practice, identity, and culture. Emerging primarily in the 1960s–70s in the United States, it holds that faith in Yeshua fulfills—rather than abolishes—Jewish covenant life, including Shabbat observance, the biblical feasts, Hebrew liturgy, and dietary guidelines. Most Messianic congregations are broadly Trinitarian, using Hebrew terminology (Elohim, Yeshua, Ruach HaKodesh). The movement is represented by organizations such as the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) and the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC).

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Founded 1863 · 10M adherents

The New Apostolic Church (NAC) traces its roots to the Catholic Apostolic Church in England (1830s), which believed in the restoration of the apostolic office. The NAC was formally constituted in Hamburg in 1863. It holds that Christ has restored living apostles to earth, led by the Chief Apostle, whose authority is binding on members. It teaches three sacraments: Holy Baptism, Holy Sealing (confirmation by an Apostle), and Holy Communion. The NAC teaches that only those sealed by an Apostle can receive the full gift of the Holy Spirit, and maintains an unusual doctrine of sacraments for the departed. It is strongest in Germany, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia.

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Founded 1925 · 2M adherents

The Cherubim and Seraphim Church was founded in Nigeria in 1925 by Moses Orimolade Tunolase and Abiodun Akinsowon during a period of intense Aladura (prayer people) revival. It is a Spirit-type African Independent Church characterized by emphasis on prayer, visions, dreams, healing, and spiritual warfare. Members wear distinctive white garments as a symbol of purity and to ward off evil spirits. The church combines evangelical Protestant Christianity with African traditional spiritual sensibilities, emphasizing direct encounter with the Holy Spirit, angelic intercession, and ongoing prophecy alongside biblical authority.

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Founded 1921 · 6M adherents

The Church of Jesus Christ on Earth through the Prophet Simon Kimbangu (EJCSK) originated in 1921 in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, when Baptist lay preacher Simon Kimbangu (1887–1951) conducted dramatic healing revivals. Belgian colonial authorities suppressed the movement and imprisoned Kimbangu for 30 years until his death. The EJCSK was formally organized after Congolese independence and joined the World Council of Churches in 1969. A distinctive theology developed: Simon Kimbangu is revered as the Holy Spirit incarnate—the Paraclete promised in John 14—making the Kimbanguist Trinity consist of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and Kimbangu the Holy Spirit in human form. The church imposes strict ethical codes including total abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, pork, and dancing.

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Founded 1952 · 5M adherents

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) was founded in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1952 by Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi and has grown under the leadership of Enoch Adeboye into one of the largest and most influential Pentecostal denominations in Africa and globally. It holds to evangelical Protestant theology with a strong emphasis on the prosperity gospel, divine healing, prayer, and missions. The RCCG operates in over 190 countries and has thousands of parishes. It maintains that salvation is by grace through faith, practices believer's baptism by immersion, and expects the active operation of spiritual gifts including tongues, prophecy, and healing.

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Founded 1924 · 6M adherents

The Zion Christian Church (ZCC) was founded in 1924 by Engenas Lekganyane in Limpopo, South Africa, after breaking from the Christian Catholic Church in Zion. It is the largest African Initiated Church in southern Africa, with its holy city at Zion City Moria, which draws millions of pilgrims each Easter season. The ZCC combines orthodox Christian beliefs—affirmation of the Trinity, salvation through Christ, and biblical authority—with African spiritual practices including healing prayer, holy water, blessed garments, dream interpretation, and a nuanced relationship with ancestral veneration. Members are recognizable by the green star badge worn on their clothing. The church is governed by the Bishop (currently Barnabas Lekganyane) and maintains strict ethical codes requiring total abstinence from alcohol and tobacco.

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