Disciples of Christ
Disciples of Christ Background The following slides provide a basic overview snapshot of the Disciples of Christ denomination which ultimately emerged from the Presbyterian denomination which puts it in the Swiss Reformation family of denominations. Founders / OriginsBarton Stone; Thomas & Alexander Campbell; merged in 1832Denominational FamilySwiss Reformers – due to Presbyterian roots. Officially structured […]
Puritans
Puritan Congregationalists or “Puritans” Information The Puritans are one of two Congregationalist movements which emerged from the Anglican Church in the late 16th early 17th centuries as a response to the “Great Compromise” of Queen Elizabeth. The Puritan congregationalists sought to “purify” the existing Anglican Church which was corrupted by its Roman Catholic roots. They […]
Amish Mennonite
Amish Information The Amish originated from within the Anabaptist movement in Switzerland and were founded in the 16th century by a man named Jakob Amman. They are widely known for their rejection of modern technology in order to avoid appearing anything other than moderate/plain. This enables them to focus more clearly on their relationship to […]
Mennonite Church
The Mennonite Church was one of the main branches to emerge from the Anabaptist movement. The name “Mennonite” comes from the leader Menno Simons (1496-1561), a former Catholic priest from the Netherlands who joined the Anabaptist movement in 1536 and became a prominent leader and organizer of a group of Anabaptists who as followers of […]
Denominations Family Tree Flowchart
Denominationalism vs. Biblical Christianity Christian denominations represent what some refer to as the “visible” church which can defined by ecclesiology of liturgy, tradition, architecture, culture, sight, sound, experience etc. This visible church of denominations (represented in the chart below) is not to be confused with the “genuine” (sometimes called “invisible”) church from a Biblical perspective. […]
Syriac Orthodox (Church at Antioch)
Syriac Orthodox – Church at Antioch Founded by the Apostle Peter at Antioch in 37 A.D. – Mentioned in Acts 11:26 The Syriac Orthodox Church is one of the most ancient Christian Churches tracing its roots to the Church of Antioch. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26). The remnants of this […]
Saint Thomas Christians (India)
ST. THOMAS CHRISTIANS – Founded by Thomas the Apostle in India – Appx. 52-55 A.D. The Saint Thomas Christians are sometimes referred to as “Syrian Christians of Malabar” . Eusebius, the first Christian historian writes at the beginning of the 4th century about the travel, evangelism to, and martyrdom at the hands of the […]
Serbian Orthodox
Background Information for the Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church was established between the 7th-9th centuries A.D. Perhaps the longest process of conversion of all the early denominations, the Serbs were converted to Christianity not long after their arrival in the Balkans which were formerly occupied by various nomadic Germanic tribes like the Goths […]
Romanian Orthodox
Information about the Romanian Orthodox Church – Emerged 1885 As Distinct from the Eastern Orthodox Denomination. Although some claim that the Romanian Orthodox church traces back to Apostolic times i.e. the work of the Apostle Andrew in Scythia Minor (Romania) and other very early missionaries, the history of this branch of the Orthodox faith is […]
Congregational Churches
Congregational Churches Congregational Churches began when many Puritans sought greater reform of the Church of England from within; they sought to “purify” the church as a part of the organisation. Other Puritans were “Independents” and met separately from the Anglican Church. They felt that proper reform of the Anglican Church would not or could not […]
Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church – Founded by Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew – 35-50 A.D. The origin of the Armenian Church dates back to the Apostolic age. According to the ancient tradition, which is well supported by historical evidence, Christianity was preached in Armenia as early as the second half of the first century by the […]
YWAM YFC Parachurch Organizations
Para-chruch ministries work outside of and among the different denominations (interdenominational) but are not denominations themselves. They attempt to perform the functions which the Bible assigns to the elders, Pastors, Bishops, overseers of the local church – e.g. raising up disciples who are equipped to minister the gospel to the lost. A scant few actually […]
Vineyard Churches
Background Information for the Vineyard Church The Vineyard denomination was a Pentecostal group of churches originally founded by Ken Gullickson in 1974 as a group of small churches and bible study groups affiliated with Calvary Chapel. These groups existed in practical anonymity until 1982, when a charismatic seminary professor, Calvary Chapel Pastor, and former professional […]
Calvary Chapel
Background of Calvary Chapel Founded by Chuck Smith in 1965 in the midst of the “Jesus Movement” among the hippie culture of Costa Mesa, California. Chuck Smith and a small group of about 25 broke from the International Foursquare Gospel Denomination and began a ministry to hippies, surfers, and drug addicts. This small movement spread […]
Evangelical Free Church
Evangelical Free Church Background Information The Evangelical Free Church is Swedish/Danish in origin, the modern American EFCA was founded by a merger in 1950 between the Evangelical Free Church of America (Swedish) and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association. The Swedish group had its formal beginnings in Boone, Iowa, at a conference held in October […]