How many denomination

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So, in the absence of an authoritative count, this author had to dig into actual lists of denominations and tally them up himself. One starting point is the Pew Research Center. For their report on changing religious affiliation they include an index of major Protestant denominations. But once you start going through it, it becomes clear the list needs some trimming. The Pew list has its limitations.

However, the only list that was readily accessible on their site enumerated every single religious group they track—which includes Judaism, Hinduism and Muslims. So once again, the list has to be whittled down to just Protestant denominations.

Once that was done the tally was So, it seems we are safe in saying there are at least nearly major Protestant denominations or denominational categories in the United States. The real number is likely higher, but the ARDA list covers at least the major ones.

When viewed historically and globally, we are safe in saying there are hundreds, likely thousands, of Protestant denominations. But the multiplicity of denominations only masks an even greater disunity.

The truth is that denominational identity is on the decline today. A number of evangelical Protestants freely float among several closely related denominations, spanning a spectrum of some Baptist, Congregationalist and Presbyterian churches. Moreover, increasingly, there is a widespread desire to escape the boundaries of traditional denominations.

This urge is manifested in a number of Protestant movements, such as the emerging church and home church movements. Then, beyond these, there is a plethora of so-called Bible churches scattered throughout Protestant America. There are said to be thousands of these churches, each potentially with its own doctrines, disciplines and ecclesiastical structures—as much as they all proclaim to be following a single authority. All told, there are an estimated 35, independent or non-denominational churches according to ARDA.

It turns out that correcting an inaccurate fact has only clarified rather than changed the underlying truth: the scandal of Protestant disunity is really as bad as the official numbers suggest. Maybe this is why Jesus focused so much on unconditional love and forgiveness as an expression of the kind of people he wants us to be.

Another reason Christians are sometimes divided is legitimate disagreements about secondary areas of belief or practice. What does baptism mean and who should get baptized? How should local churches be structured? Who should fill leadership roles? How often should communion be practiced? How should certain passages in the Bible be interpreted? Perhaps this is the reason the Bible exhorts us to exercise wisdom and humility when it comes to secondary issues where genuine differences exist Romans A third reason that so many different groups of Christians exist is differences in personality, passions, and talents.

Some people are more inclined to worship God through the exercise of their minds. They therefore focus on analytical thinking and biblical knowledge. Others are more artistically or creatively wired and the way they express their faith is quite different. Still others are more engaged in their relationship with God when they serve others.