| Church |
Date Begun |
Founder |
Baptism of
Believers Only
(Mark 16:16)
(Acts 2:38) |
Baptism by
Immersion Only
(Romans 6:4)
(Colossians 2:12) |
Baptism for
Remission of Sins
(Acts 2:38)
(Acts 22:16) |
Autonomy of
Local Church
(Acts 14:23)
(1 Peter 5:1,2) |
Lord's Supper
Every 1st Day
(Acts 20:7)
(1 Corinthians 11:26) |
Believe Salvation
Can Be Lost
(James 5:19,20)
(2 Peter 3:17,18) |
Christ's Church
(the pattern) |
~33AD
(Acts 2) |
Jesus Christ
(Matthew 16:18) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Catholic |
~3251 |
Constantine1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No7 |
Yes5 |
| Lutheran |
~15171 |
Martin Luther1
|
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No8 |
? |
| Episcopal |
~15351 |
Henry VIII1 |
No1 |
No1 |
Yes1 |
No1 |
? |
No2 |
| Presbyterian |
~15901 |
Calvin/Knox1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
| Baptist |
~16071 |
John Smyth1 |
Yes1 |
Yes1 |
No1 |
No2 |
No1 |
No1 |
| Methodist |
~17291 |
John Wesley1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
No1 |
Yes2 |
Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) |
~18322 |
Stone/Campbell1
|
Yes2 |
Yes2 |
No2 |
No2 |
Yes2 |
No2 |
| Church of God |
~18962 |
R.G. Spurling2 |
Yes2 |
Yes2 |
No2 |
No2 |
No2 |
Yes2 |
Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints
(Mormons) |
~18303 |
Joseph Smith, Jr.3 |
No6 |
Yes6 |
Yes5 |
No5 |
Yes6 |
? |
| Jehovah's Witnesses |
~18792 |
Charles Russell/
Joseph Rutherford3 |
Yes6 |
Yes |
No1 |
No1 |
No3 |
? |
Seventh-Day
Adventists |
~18432 |
William Miller/
Ellen G. White2 |
Yes2 |
Yes2 |
No4 |
No2 |
No1 |
No2 |
Click here to see a list of congregations patterned after Christ's church.
SOURCES USED:
1Jennings, Alvin. Traditions of Men versus The Word of God. Fort Worth, TX: Star Bible Publications, 1973.
2Steig, Shelly. Finding the Right Church: A Guide to Denomination Beliefs. Grand Rapids, MI: Word Publishing, 1997.
3Cochrane, Mike. Christianity, Cults & Religions. Torrance, CA: Rose Publishing, 1994.
4Stewart, John David. A Study of Minor Religious Beliefs in America. Austin, TX: R.B. Sweet Co., 1962.
5Stewart, John David. A Study of Major Religious Beliefs in America. Austin, TX: R.B. Sweet Co., 1962.
6Algermissen, Konrad. Christian Sects. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1962.
7Mead, Frank S. Handbook of Denominations in the United States. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1975.
8Tomlinson, L.G. Churches of Today in the Light of Scripture.
Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962.
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