To name a few

Our testimonies are so important to us, 
yet this is the biggest and most telling testimony of all.

Pastors and leaders, not one of our individual testimonies,
​or even our evangelistic exploits will ever impress
​or speak to the world like our unity will.

Over 43,000 denominations and losing count.
Combined they paint a picture to deceive us and the world.


Picture
Jesus told the religious leaders "you search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
​Jn 5:39

Please scan, but don't focus on this 'giant Goliath',
just see the purpose of our
enemy's craftsmanship.
  THE FOLLOWING CONFUSION AND DISARRAY
   IS NOT WHAT WE HONESTLY KNOW OF OUR GLORIOUS LORD JESUS ?   
                                           
A Christian denomination
is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity.[1] Some groups included do not consider themselves a denomination (e.g., the Catholic Church considers itself the one true church and the Apostolic See, and as pre-denominational).[2] Some groups viewed by non-adherents as denominational actively resist being called a denomination and do not have any formal denominational structure, authority, or record-keeping beyond the local congregation; several groups within Restoration Movement fall into this category.

Some groups are large (e.g. Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans or Baptists), while others are just a few small churches, and in most cases the relative size is not evident in this list. Modern movements such as Fundamentalist Christianity, Pietism, Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism and the Holiness movement sometimes cross denominational lines, or in some cases create new denominations out of two or more continuing groups, (as is the case for many United and uniting churches, for example). Such subtleties and complexities are not clearly depicted here.

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Contents Catholicism Main article: Catholicism These are the churches which claim continuity (based upon Apostolic Succession) with the early Church.

Catholic Church Main article: Catholic Church The Catholic Church is composed of 23 Rites: the Western or Latin Rite and the 22 Eastern Rites (i.e., Eastern Catholic Churches).

The Latin Church Main article: Latin Church The Latin Church (not to be confused with the Roman Rite, which is one of the Latin liturgical rites, not a particular Church) is the largest and most widely known of the 23 sui iuris Churches that together make up the Catholic Church.

Eastern Catholic Churches Main article: Eastern Catholic Churches All of the following are Particular Churches of the Catholic Church. They are all in communion with the Bishop of Rome and acknowledge his claim of universal jurisdiction and authority. They have some minor distinct theological emphases and expressions (for instance, in the case of those that are of Greek/Byzantine tradition, concerning some non-doctrinal aspects of the Latin view of Purgatory).[4] The Eastern Catholic churches and the Latin church (which together compose the worldwide Catholic Church) share the same doctrine and sacraments, and thus the same faith.
Audio The Catholic Church considers itself the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded.[5] As such, the Catholic Church does not consider itself a denomination, but as pre-denominational, the original Church of Christ.

Other churches and movements Independent (self-identified as Catholic) See also: Sedevacantism Marian Movement See also: Marian movement Roman Catholic Orders Main article: Catholic religious order Misc. Eastern Orthodox Main article: Eastern Orthodox Church See also: Eastern Orthodox Church organization and Eastern Orthodox Christian theology List provided in order of precedence. Indentation indicates autonomy rather than autocephaly.

Eastern Orthodox Church Main article: Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church considers itself to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded.

Other churches Some Orthodox Churches with not universally recognized autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople:

Oriental Orthodoxy Main article: Oriental Orthodoxy Oriental Orthodoxy comprises those Christians who did not accept the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451). Other denominations often erroneously label these Churches "Monophysite"; however, as the Oriental Orthodox do not adhere to the teachings of Eutyches, they themselves reject this label, preferring the term Miaphysite.

Historically, many of the Oriental Orthodox Churches considers themselves collectively to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded. Some have considered the Oriental Orthodox communion to be a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, a view which is gaining increasing acceptance in the wake of the ecumenical dialogues.

Other Churches The following Churches affirm a Miaphysite christological position but are not in communion with any of the ancient Oriental Orthodox Churches for various reasons:

Church of the East The Church of the East is said to have been formed by St Thomas. It has also been known as the Persian or Sassanid Church. The Church did not attend the Council of Ephesus (AD 431). Historically, it has often been incorrectly referred to as the Nestorian Church. Although at some points throughout their history, Assyrian Christians have been willing to accept the label of Nestorians, they now consider this term pejorative. Recent Christological agreements with the Roman Catholic Church and some of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches have substantially resolved this semantic debate permanently, clearing the way for ecumenical relations.

In the twentieth century, it was divided into two groups which have recently been working towards reunification:

The Church of the East considers itself to be a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded.

Other early Christians Protestantism Main articles: Protestantism and Protestant Reformation See also: Protestantism by country These are the churches "which repudiated the papal authority, and separated or were severed from the Roman communion in the Reformation of the 16th century and of any of the bodies of Christians descended from them."[6]

Diagram showing major branches and movements within Protestantism Pre-Lutheran Protestants Lutheranism Main article: List of Lutheran denominations Anglicanism Main article: Anglicanism Anglican Communion Main article: Anglican Communion Anglicanism has referred to itself as the via media between Catholicism and Protestantism. It considers itself to be both Catholic and Reformed. Although the use of the term "Protestant" to refer to Anglicans was once common, it is controversial today, with some rejecting the label and others accepting it.

The Anglican Communion also includes the following united churches:

Other Anglican Churches Calvinism Main articles: Calvinism and List of Reformed denominations Continental Reformed churches Main article: Continental Reformed church Presbyterianism Main article: Presbyterianism See also: List of Presbyterian denominations in North America Congregationalist Churches Main article: Congregational Church Anabaptists Main article: Anabaptists Brethren Methodists Main article: Methodism Pietists and Holiness Churches Main articles: Pietism and Holiness movement See also: Higher Life movement, Holiness Tabernacles, and Third Great Awakening Baptists Main article: Baptists See also: Baptist beliefs, List of Baptist confessions, and List of Baptist sub-denominations Note: All Baptist associations are congregationalist affiliations for the purpose of cooperation, in which each local church is governmentally independent. The most prominent Baptist organizations in the United States are the American Baptist Association, tending to be more liberal, the National Baptist Convention, tending to be more moderate and the Southern Baptist Convention, tending to be more conservative.

Spiritual Baptists Note: The Spiritual Baptist Archdiocese of New York, Inc has congregationalist affiliations for the purpose of cooperation, in which each local church is governmentally independent.

Apostolic Churches – Irvingites Pentecostalism Main article: Pentecostalism See also: List of Christian denominations#Oneness Pentecostalism Charismatics Main article: Charismatic movement See also: Catholic Charismatic Renewal Neo-Charismatic Churches African Initiated Churches Main article: African Initiated Church Messianic Judaism / Jewish Christians Main article: Messianic Judaism See also: Messianic Movement and Messianic Jewish theology United and uniting churches Main article: United and uniting churches Churches which are the result of a merger between distinct denominational churches. Churches are listed here when their disparate heritage marks them as inappropriately listed in the particular categories above.
Return to Home Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Main article: Religious Society of Friends The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), is considered historically to be a Protestant Christian denomination. It has gone through a small number of doctrinal schisms in its history as a Christian church. Today, the Society exists as several distinct and separate Quaker branches, and it also has an emphasis on Christian belief which ranges from evangelical to liberal.

Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement Main article: Restoration Movement See also: Christian primitivism and Second Great Awakening Southcottites Millerites and comparable groups See also: List of Christian denominations#Bible Student groups Adventist (Sunday observing) Adventist (Seventh Day Sabbath/Saturday observing) Church of God movements (Sunday observing) Church of God movements (Seventh Day Sabbath/Saturday observing) Sabbath-Keeping Movements, Separated from Adventists Sacred Name groups Main article: Sacred Name Movement Movements not related to the Millerites but comparable to them Sabbath-Keeping movements, predating the Millerites British-Israelism Main article: British Israelism Christian Identity Main article: Christian Identity Miscellaneous/Other Nontrinitarian groups Main article: Nontrinitarianism Christians who do not believe in the traditional hypothesis of a Triune God ("one God in three co-equal Persons")

Latter Day Saints Main articles: Latter Day Saint movement and Mormonism See also: List of sects in the Latter Day Saint movement Most Latter Day Saint denominations are derived from the Church of Christ established by Joseph Smith in 1830. The largest worldwide denomination, and the one publicly recognized as Mormonism, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although there are various considerably smaller sects that broke from it after its relocation to the Rocky Mountains in the mid-1800s. Several of these broke away over the abandonment of practicing plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto. Most of the "Prairie Saint" denominations (see below) were established after Smith's death by the remnants of the Latter Day Saints who did not go west with Brigham Young. Many of these opposed some of the 1840s theological developments in favor of 1830s theological understandings and practices. Other denominations are defined by either a belief in Joseph Smith as a prophet or acceptance of the Book of Mormon as scripture. Mormonism is generally considered restorationist, believing that Smith, as prophet, seer, and revelator, restored the original Church of Christ to the earth. Some Latter Day Saint denominations are regarded by other Christians as being nontrinitarian or even non-Christian, but the Latter Day Saints are predominantly in disagreement with these claims. Mormons see themselves as believing in a Godhead comprising the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as separate personages united in purpose. Mormons regard traditional definitions of the Trinity as aberrations of true doctrine and emblematic of the Great Apostasy[7] but they do not accept certain trinitarian definitions in the post-apostolic creeds, such as the Athanasian Creed.

Original denomination "Prairie Saint" denominations
  • Community of Christ - formerly called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (RLDS)
Rocky Mountain denominations Other denominations Oneness Pentecostalism Main article: Oneness Pentecostalism Unitarianism and Universalism Main articles: Unitarianism and Christian Universalism Bible Student groups Main article: Bible Student movement Swedenborgianism Main article: The New Church Christian Science Main article: Christian Science Other non-Trinitarians New Thought Main article: New Thought The relation of New Thought to Christianity is sometimes murky spiritually; some of its adherents see themselves as practising a true form of Christianity, while adherents of Religious Science says "yes and no" to the question of whether they consider themselves to be Christian in belief and practice, leaving it up to the individual to define oneself spiritually.

Esoteric Christianity Main articles: Esoteric Christianity and Western esotericism Syncretistic religions incorporating elements of Christianity See also: Afro-American religion The relation of these movements to other Christian ideas can be remote. They are listed here because they include some elements of Christian practice or beliefs, within religious contexts which may be only loosely characterized as Christian.

Other Megachurches Main article: Megachurch See also: List of the largest Protestant churches in the United States Interdenominational Churches Main article: Ecumenism Non-Denominational Churches Main article: Nondenominational Christianity Revivals Main article: Christian revival Unaffiliated Churches Misc. See also Christianity portal References
  1. Jump up ^ http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/denomination
  2. Jump up ^ "Dominus Iesus". Vatican.va. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  3. Jump up ^ Appendix B: Methodology for Estimating Christian Movements, "Global Christianity: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population", The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, December 19, 2011. "The figures on Christian movements in this report were commissioned by the Pew Forum from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass. CSGC researchers generated their estimates based in large part on figures provided by Christian denominations and organizations around the world. CSGC has obtained denominational membership information from about 41,000 organizations worldwide."
  4. Jump up ^ Anthony Dragani, From East to West
  5. Jump up ^ "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church". Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
  6. Jump up ^ "Protestant, I.2.a" Oxford English Dictionary
  7. Jump up ^ "Articles of Faith, no. 1".
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