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How can I choose a denomination?

You ask about choosing a church. There are books that do what you ask, but I don't know the titles. I hope someone else can suggest one. I've looked through our local phone book in preparing the following, to try to make sure I didn't miss any major groups. However I have by no means mentioned every group. You shouldn't take the following information as authoritative, as I don't know every church equally well.

Protestant Groups

There are some theological differences between denominations such as Lutheran and Baptist. However they are less than you might expect. Many of the divisions among Protestant groups are simply due to history. And they are differences in the way the church governs itself or in the type of liturgy it uses. No one takes these differences as having any ultimate significance. Theology is more important to me than to many people. I am a Presbyterian because I value the Reformed theological tradition, and I think its form of church government is both effective in practice and in accord with the NT. But most Protestants choose churches because they feel comfortable there, by a combination of compatibility with the people, respect for the pastor, etc. I'm not entirely comfortable with this approach, since I happen to think that doctrine is important.

I would start by trying to determine what general parameters you are interested in. The first dividing line is between what I'm going to call "fundamentalist" and more liberal churches. This comes down to whether you believe that you can apply the words of the Bible directly to modern questions without further examination, or whether you are willing to consider the possibility that the Bible writers heard the Word of God through their own culture, and some adjustment may be needed in applying the Bible to modern times. This shows up with issues such as ordination of women.

In general the "first-generation" Protestant churches are those that go back directly to the Reformers: the Lutheran and Reformed. The Baptists could claim this, going back to the 16th Cent Left Wing, except that in practice the current U.S. Baptists are actually an offshoot of the Puritans in England. The U.S. has been the catalyst for much of the creation of new denominations. The original Lutheran and Reformed churches tended to be territorial -- when a city or country adopted the Reformation, they generally became either Reformed or Lutheran. These turned into multiple denominations in the U.S. as people from each of these areas immigrated, and retained their own language and theological traditions. (Something similar has happened with the Orthodox churches in the U.S.) Further splits occurred because of the civil war, and various controversies involving conservative/liberal approaches.

However the majority of denomination formation seems to have occurred among groups that do not go back to the Reformers. Historically, many (maybe even most) of our denominations can ultimately be traced to the Anglicans. Many of them come through the Methodists. The holiness and pentecostal movements are both originally Methodist. The Baptists can also be connected historically with the Anglicans, as the Baptist movement in the U.S. started from the English Baptists, who were basically radical Puritans. (There are actually some groups in the U.S. that can be traced to the original 16th Cent. Left Wing. However they are fairly small, e.g. the Amish, Hutterites, etc.) There are also a number of denominations that formed in the U.S. from thin air, though not as many as the holiness, pentecostal, and baptist movements. Two major groups are the restoration movement and the adventists, as well as a few "sui generis" groups such as Christian science. (Note that this review is very U.S.-centric. There are "new churches" in many third world countries that I don't list here.)

There are conservative and liberal churches within each of the major families. Some of the major families are as follows. It should be obvious from this that I am a Presbyterian, and so most familiar with the Reformed tradition. I also know the Methodists fairly well.

• Baptist - non-liturgical, non-confession, and non-connectional. Sacraments are simply memorials. Creeds are minimal to non-existent: the important thing is to follow Christ. Though in fact Baptists do generally teach and believe orthodox theology. The point is that they do not believe the church should impose creeds. Each church is independent. There are central organizations through which they cooperate in various ways, but no one can tell a local church what to do. Tend to emphasize the decision for Christ and individual discipleship of Christ. Insist on baptizing only adults, since baptism is a sign of the decision, and only adults can make it
• Reformed - liturgy is still fairly low-key, but do believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the sacrament (although mediated spiritually, not via transsubstantiation). Generally have confessional documents, though the degree of compulsion varies. Presbyterian (USA) requires members only to accept Christ as Lord and Savior, but officers are to be "guided by the confessions". Normally connectional, meaning there is a central organization with some authority over the local church. Elected, of course. Leaders are all ordained. This has a somewhat subtle implication. It means that leaders aren't properly speaking repesentatives. They are chosen by the people, but once ordained are responsible to God. Technically speaking there are no "lay" leaders in these churches. The group responsible for each local church (equivalent of "vestry" or "administrative board" of other churches) are ordained as Ruling Elders. This is the same New Testament office as pastor, though with a different role. Tend to emphasize the church as a covenant community. Thus infant baptism is proper, because infants are part of the community. A bit more emphasis of God's call and the community than on the "decision for Christ", though of course people are still called on to make a commitment. Known for emphasizing election and grace, though not all that many Reformed churches really hold to predestination any more. (The two conservative Presbyterian ones do, though.)
• Lutheran - liturgical, sometimes almost as much as Episcopal. Believe in Real Presence with "consubstantiation", rather than transsubstantiation, i.e. bread and wine are still there physically, as well as Christ's presence. Confessional. Generally theology is more important to them than to Episcopal. Connectional (I think. I confess that I don't know Lutheran church order very well.) Theology very much centered on Christ's incarnation.
• Episcopal - generally the most liturgical Protestant church. Some question even as to whether it is Protestant. Connectional (has bishops, etc.). Role of confessions is limited.
• Methodist - originally offshoot of Episcopal. Has titular bishops, but local church and all policy issues handled by elected bodies. Bishop does assign pastors to churches. Connectional. Somewhat more concern about doctrine than Episcopal, but not as much as the real confessional churches. Liturgy based on Episcopal, but communion not as often, and general orientation not as "liturgical". Originally played a leading role in revivals, emphasized "heart religion". Association with revivals is not longer so visible. Often not all that different in orientation from Reformed churches.
• Holiness - historically an offshoot of Methodism, in the U.S. Wesley originally had the idea that it was possible for a Christian to be freed from sin. This is referred to as "Christian perfection," though the holiness movement is more likely to use the term "entire holiness." The holiness movement was originally within Methodism, but has now separated. Whereas the Methodist Church has deemphasized Christian perfection, the holiness churches emphasize it. Typically they teach "crisis sanctification", by which holiness comes as a gift from the Holy Spirit. This is very close to the "second baptism" of Pentecostalism, and in fact Pentecostalism is an offshoot of the Holiness movement. The Holiness denominations tend to act as the conservative wing of the Methodist movement. The largest church is the Nazarenes, but several groups with names involving Wesleyan, Holiness, etc, can be considered Holiness. The Salvation Army can also be grouped here. There are also Baptist and Reformed participants in the Holiness movement.
• Pentecostal -- the Pentecostal churches are in effect an offshoot of the Holiness movement. The Holiness idea of crisis sanctification has become a second baptism in the Spirit. For much of Pentecostalism this is always (or normally -- depending upon the group) manifested in speaking in tongues. Pentecostal churches generally emphasize all of the gifts of the Spirit, often including healing. Most are still generally Wesleyan, though the Assemblies of God are not. Church polity varies, though it's common to have some sort of bishops (based on the generally Methodist background -- as far as I know, they do not regard consecration of bishops as sacramental, nor do they claim the apostolic succession. For this reason Methodist bishops are called "titular bishops", and I assume this is true of pentecostal bishops as well.) Church in this group often have the word "Pentecostal" in their names, though the "Church of God" and variants are also Pentecostal, as is the Assemblies of God and International Church of the Four-Square Gospel.
• Restoration -- During the 19th Cent, there was a good deal of unhappiness about the number of denominations, and their often acrimonious relationship to each other. A number of people believed that the answer was to jetison the whole set of denominations and start again with the New Testament. These denominations are generally referred to as "restoration". They generally deny being denominations, and sometimes believe that they are the only true church. They generally practice adult baptism. They are congregational, some of them radically so. At least historically they tend to hold communion every Sunday. The movement divided, over issues such as whether it is appropriate to have organized mission societies (and indeed in general the extent to which organizations above the local church are appropriate), the use of musical instruments, and the general fundamentalist/liberal split in the 20th Cent. The major restoration churches are the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which is generally the "liberal" wing, the Christian Church/Churches of Christ (Independent), a conservative offshoot of the Disciples (refusing to accept organized missions, and generally opposing the liberalizing tendencies of the Disciples), and the the Churches of Christ (Noninstrumental), an older conservative offshoot, which accepts neither organized missions nor the use of musical instruments. The Mormons may also be considered a Restoration church. A number of their earliest members came from this movement, and their original intent is quite consistent with the general intent of the restoration. More recently, the "Boston Movement", a.k.a. "International Church of Christ", can be considered an offshoot of this. It strongly emphasizes church discipline and commitment, and practices close supervision of the lives of individual members. It appears to teach that baptism is necessary for salvation, and that no one outside its membership is likely to be saved. (These beliefs have sometimes been held by others in the restoration movement, though it's not clear how widespread they currently are.) It is sometimes classified as a "cult", though definitions of cult can be slippery.

If you want to take the more literal view, then the largest denomination is probably the Southern Baptists. There are also plenty of Baptist churches not associated with any particular denomination, since Baptist organization doesn't require central authority. From the Reformed family we have the Orthodox Presbyterian Church or Presbyterian Church in America, which are smaller conservative branches of Presbyterianism. They would be more connectional than the Baptists, and would hold historically Reformed theology. For someone who wants more liturgy, Missouri Synod or Wisconsin Synod Lutheran are probably worth looking at. (Missouri Synod is known as a very conservative church. Wisconsin is supposedly even more so, though I have a friend from that background, and he seems sane enough.) These are all relatively "cerebral" churches. Wesleyan Methodist is a smaller conservative branch of Methodism. Methodism has emphasized "heart religion" and revivalism, but not to the extent of the pentacostals. I think this distinctive heritage is tending to blur, and there may now be little practical distinction between Methodists and Presbyterians. I'm not as familiar with the holiness and pentacostal churches. But there are plenty of them. Some of the comments under Baptist apply to them, though their polities tend to be different, often involving some sort of titular episcopacy (because of the Wesleyan heritage). These are churches that have more emphasis on speaking in tongues, etc. Churches with names involving "holiness" and "pentacostal" tend to be in this direction. But there are a huge number of denominations, and I have only started the list...

If you are willing to take a more flexible view of the Bible, then there's another set of churches. Roughly the same set of choices present themselves, but you're now dealing with slightly more "liberal" representatives from the same basic families. (Well, more or less the same. I don't think I know of any liberal pentecostal churches, though there are pentecostal wings within several liberal churches.) From the Baptist tradition, we have the American Baptists. Relatively "low church", informal. Believe in adult baptism. Still relatively conservative in their view of Scripture, but they're not purging their seminaries of people who take more liberal views. In the Reformed tradition you have churches like Presbyterian (USA), United Church of Christ (the old Congregational), Congregational (those that didn't join the UCC), and Reformed in America. Slightly more liturgy (though this depends a lot on the church), slightly more central organization (except for Congregational), infant baptism. Generally slightly more liberal on social issues (probably UCC is the most) and Biblical interpretation, but still tend to be "Biblical". Congregational hold Reformed views on most things, but are not connectional. Methodists are often indistinguishable from these, though historically they were more associated with "heart religion" (revivals, etc.), and recently some of them have been involved more in the "social gospel". This depends upon the local church. I've seen Methodist churches with real fire and brimstone preaching, and some very social action. The more liturgical churches are Evangelical Lutheran Church and Episcopal. Lutheran is probably more theologically oriented and Episcopal more sacramentally oriented. The Disciples of Christ are the "liberal" wing of the restoration movement.

I have not mentioned the groups that I consider outside "orthodox Christianity," though among these groups I have a great admiration for the Quakers. (Actually, the degree to which they differ from the mainstream depends upon the branch of Quakerism. There are branches that are orthodox, as well as individuals within other branches.) Everyone should experience a Quaker service at least once. It will change your attitude towards silence and prayer. (I attended a Quaker church for a year in college.) Other groups that I consider outside the scope of this document are the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists, and Unitarian/Universalists. They tend to be "sui generis", though historically I consider the Mormons to be an offshoot of the restoration movement, and the U/U's to be an offshoot of the Reformed. JW's are one part the Adventist movement -- the Seventh-Day Adventists are a reasonably orthodox group from the same movement. (The connection is historical. They wouldn't see themselves as part of the same movement today.)

Catholic Groups

[This section is from Cindy Smith, cms@dragon.uucp. Note that Cindy is an Episcopalian. Her definition of Catholic is common within the Anglican tradition. Roman Catholics would often use a narrower definition, that does not include the Anglican tradition.]

To begin the listing of Catholic churches, I thought I'd begin with a definition from the Pocket Catholic Dictionary (an abridged edition of the Modern Catholic Dictionary) by John A. Hardon, S.J. (Society of Jesus; Jesuits). Pages 64-65. (Modifications in format style for ease of reading only.)

CATHOLIC. Its original meaning of "general" or "universal" has taken on a variety of applications in the course of Christian history. First used by St. Ignatius of Antioch (A.D. 35-107) (Letter to the Smyrneans, 8, 2), it is now mainly used in five recognized senses:

1. the Catholic Church as distinct from Christian ecclesiastical bodies that do not recognize the papal primacy;
2. the Catholic faith as the belief of the universal body of the faithful, namely that which is believed "everywhere, always, and by all" (Vincentian Canon);
3. orthodoxy as distinguished from what is heretical or schismatical;
4. the undivided Church before the Eastern Schism of 1054; thereafter the Eastern Church has called itself orthodox, in contract with those Christian bodies which did not accept the definitions of Ephesus and Chalcedon on the divinity of Christ.

In general, today the term "Catholic" refers to those Christians who profess a continued tradition of faith and worship and who hold to the Apostolic succession of bishops and priests since the time of Christ. (Etym. Latin catholicus, universal; Greek katholikos, universal.)

ROMAN CATHOLIC. Liturgical, connectional, sacramental. Members believe this Church was founded by Jesus Christ and is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Current ecumenical beliefs encourage broader definition encompassing Orthodox, as well as already accepted Uniates, Coptics, other groups with irregular orders. Less warm towards Anglican Catholics, although ecumenical discussions still in progress. Members in communion with the Bishop of Rome whom they believe to be the Vicar of Christ (the Living Representative of Christ on Earth) and the visible head of the Church founded by Christ. The usage of the term "Roman Catholic Church" became prominant only after the Protestant Reformation, although its origin dates back to the early Middle Ages. Belief in the Roman Primacy, to wit: the Bishop of Rome, the Supreme Pontiff, possesses by divine right the supreme and full power of jurisdiction over the whole Church (all Christians) in matters of faith and morals and in matters pertaining to discipline and government of the Church around the world. Not a symbolic power but real and actual; not dependant on human authority; affects all people. Veneration of saints. Saints ("ones set apart" for holiness) implies Christians in general; specifically refers to distinguished Christians whom the Church honors for heroism, martyrdom, great teachings, and whom the Church honors by an official designation in a process called canonization. Official recognition of sanctity implies that said saints are in heavenly glory and can be publicly invoked anywhere, anytime, to the greater glory of God, so that their virtues or holy death are an example to the faithful. Believes in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Advocates process called transsubstantiation to explain phenomenon. Apostles and Nicene creeds formulas of belief containing fundamental doctrines of Christianity.

Organization. Pope (Italian, Father) is the Head of the Church; Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church (Body of Christ); Pope is living representative of Christ on earth. College of Cardinals is considered an organized community of prelates serving the Bishop of Rome. Also refers to cardinals who gather for the purpose of electing a new Pope. Collegiality is a reference to the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church who are in union under the Pope as an episcopal (bishopric) community. According to Vatican II, "St. Peter and the other Apostles constitute a single apostolic college. In like manner, the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, successors of the Apostles, are linked together (Constitution on the Church, III, 21). The community of which the Pope and bishops comprise was created by our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore belongs by divine right to the nature of the Church he founded.

Church hierarchy is three-fold: teaching, pastoral, and sacerdotal. Prophet or teacher, pastoral or royal office of ruler, and the priestly office of sanctifying the faithful. Christ transferred this three-fold office to his divinely appointed Apostles and their successors.

Catholic hierarchy down the line: Pope, Cardinal, Arch-Bishop, Bishop, Priest, Deacon, Sub-Deacon. (Sub-Deacons, according to my sources, get stuck doing the laundry; washing vestments in the sacrarium).

EPISCOPAL. Liturgical, connectional, sacramental. Makes use of all seven sacraments instituted by our Lord. Believes in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist; generally not interested in how the process works, i.e., some Episcopalians believe transsubstantiation adequately and properly explains the process, others do not. Episcopal hierarchy does not insist members believe anything other than the Real Presence. Apostles and Nicene Creeds formulas of belief containing fundamental doctrines of Christianity.

The Episcopal Church of the United States, along with the rest of the Anglican Communion, has long been at the forefront of the ecumenical movement. Due to increased interest in forms of worship, the Church has undergone many revisions, some painful, of its prayer book. The Liturgical Movement has seen the introduction of new forms of worship including the reintroduction of many old forms of worship. Such changes have spurred changes not only in the Anglican Communion as a whole but also in the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches as well. The Episcopal Church keeps at the forefront the knowledge that it was founded by Our Lord Himself and, in the course of its history, the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church has seen many forms of government and many forms of worship in many languages. At the center Episcopal theology is the belief that the Episcopal Church received from the apostles the revelation of God in the Person of Jesus Christ and is guided by the Holy Spirit in the spread of the Good News.

The Church which Our Lord founded is based on four characteristics: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.

• One: Our Church is One. Our Lord founded only One Church comprised of disciples of Christ. Our Lord is not responsible for the various sects into which Christianity is now divided. Perhaps one day the Roman Catholic Church will become a member of the Anglican Catholic Communion, healing many wounds in the current rift. Or perhaps the Roman Catholic Church will accept the Episcopal Church as a separate rite with irregular orders, like the Uniates, Coptics, etc. Or perhaps both.
• Holy: The Church is set apart as Israel was always set apart for God. The Church is sacred, intended to be a bastion of righteousness against the forces of evil.
• Catholic: Our Lord was a light to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. All peoples of all cultures, regardless of economic status or social condition, can embrace Jesus Christ and become one with God.
• Apostolic: The Church was founded by the Apostles who were the first members and leaders of the new communities of faith. The business of the Apostles was to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to all peoples, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Today, the Church is unfortunately divided into what, for the purposes of this discussion, I shall loosely call Protestant and Catholic. The Catholic churches include the Church of Rome, the Old Catholics, the Greek Orthodox Church, and other various national Eastern churches. The Protestant churches include the Lutheran Church, various Reformed Churches begotten by John Calvin among which are the Hugeunots, the Dutch Reformed, and the Presbyterian Churches. Later, the Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, and other Protestant churches arose. However, the Episcopal Church of the United States, being the offspring of the Church of England, is both Catholic and Protestant.

To be considered Catholic a church must meet several requirements among which are:

1. A three-fold ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons, in the tradition of the Apostolic succession sometimes called the historical episcopate
2. Catholic creeds including the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed; the Bible; the Sacraments of Baptism and Communion.

These are conditions which must be met for the union of the Episcopal Church with any other Church (Chicago Lambeth Quadrilateral of 1886-1888).

To be considered Protestant a church must meet different criteria among which are:

1. It must proclaim a protest, or witness to, or proclamation of the fundamental truths of the Gospel
2. It must proclaim a protest, or witness against, or proclamation against the unique authority of the Pope or Bishop of Rome over other bishops and clergy, his right to rule all Christians, and to exercise power accordingly

Obviously, the Episcopal Church meets the essential criteria for membership in both Churches. Consequently, the Episcopal Church is often called the "Bridge Church" since it exists between the extremes, inviting people of all denominations to be strengthened by participation in the Holy Eucharist. The Episcopal Church is governed by bishops; however, its finally authority rests in the General Convention which meets every three years. The structure is very similar to that found in the Constitution of the United States for reasons noted earlier: It consists of a House of Bishops and a House of Deputies, the latter comprised of priests and laity. Each diocese has the right to send four delegates from among the clergy and four >From among the laity. Each diocese of the Episcopal Church is governed by a diocesan convention which meets every year. Every parish has the right to send a certain number of delegates who are members of the laity in addition to clergy.

The House of Bishops is roughly similar to the Senate; the House of Deputies roughly similar to the House of Representatives. The Presiding Bishop is like the President and the Executive Council is like the Cabinet. A diocese is like a state, a diocesan convention like a state legislature, a bishop like a governor. A parish is like a city, a vestry like a town council, and a rector like a mayor. All members of the Church have the right to vote, electing representatives to the vestry and, usually but not always, delegates to diocesan conventions. Delegates to diocesan conventions elect delegates to the General Convention.

Parishes are grouped together into dioceses presided over by bishops; dioceses are divided into Provinces presided over by archbishops; these in turn are joined together into patriarchates presided over by patriarchs. In the Episcopal Church, however, there are no archbishops or patriarchs but instead an elected administrative head of the Church known as the Presiding Bishop, who is the President of the Executive Council, which supervises and guides the Church and also acts as the Board of Directors of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, which holds the endowment funds for the Church.

Every ten years the Episcopal Church joins with all the other members of the Anglican Communion to consult together at the Lambeth Conference in England. The Archbishop of Canterbury is considered the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion.

Certain churches are considered to be members of what is known as the Wider Episcopal Fellowship, meaning that we are either in full communion with them or a relationship of intercommunion; these churches include: Old Catholic Churches, the Philippine Independent Church, united churches containing former Anglican dioceses, such as those of South India, Pakistan, and North India, Bandgladesh, and a number of other national Churches.

The Episcopal Church is sacramentally based. A Sacrament is "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual base." As such, there are an unlimited number of sacraments. However, over the course of time, the Church settled on seven Sacraments: Holy Baptism, Holy Penance, Holy Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Holy Matrimony, Holy Unction, and Holy Orders. The Episcopal Church recognizes two which are generally necessary for salvation: Baptism and Communion. However, it recognizes the other five as valid "outward signs of inward and spiritual grace."

Not everyone in the Episcopal Church partakes of all the Sacraments or believe all the same things (aside from the Creeds, obviously). So what makes us Episcopalians? What binds us together as a People? Answer: The Book of Common Prayer, second only the Bible in its influence upon our language and culture. Our common worship. The Pope binds together the Roman Catholic Church as a People; the Book of Common Prayer binds us together as a People.

Episcopalians are people who ask questions in the belief that faith needs reason and reason needs grace. Strong in Anglican tradition is the use of reason in matters religious. Reason, when not misled by passion, nevertheless works in tension with Scripture and tradition, always subservient to the Word of God. Reason thus requires the revelation to which Scripture and tradition attest. The Church acknowledges reason, therefore, as guided by the Holy Spirit as a valid guide. "Redeemed reason" therefore can be thought of as a yearning for God through which Scripture and tradition are the paths. In many ways, the Episcopal Church encourages the struggle between individual reason and Church authority. In many ways, the revision of our Prayer Book is an outstanding example of this attitude at work. Thus, Episcopalians seek to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ by word and example through Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. Episcopalians are not afraid of worldy wisdom, we embrace it, and use it to propogate our faith, when such is helpful.

This, then, is what it means to be an Episcopalian: To be a Christian guided by Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience, while experiencing other traditions and seeing their value, and thus being more ecumenical in a vast array of Christian churches by proclaiming to the world that we are truly One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

[Note that the Anglican tradition uses the term "catholic" differently than the Roman Catholic tradition. For Roman Catholics, the term catholic is a witness to the fact that the church is universal and united. The idea of more than one catholic church is self-contradictory. There is only one universal Church, which traces itself through the apostles to Christ. This currently consists in the churches in communion with Rome. It most specifically does not include the Anglican church. The Anglican analysis uses a somewhat wider concept of catholic, which is shown here.

I would point out that the definition of Protestant given above seems to include the Orthodox churches. Of course no reasonable person would consider them Protestant.

--clh]