The first church I ever attended was a Baptist church a couple of streets away from where I spent most of my childhood in the suburb of Blakehurst, Sydney, Australia. I started going there because I met people who went there at an ISCF (Inter-School Christian Fellowship) camp I attended in 1994 who encouraged me to come. It took me a couple of months but finally I did and I attended that church for close to four years, even being baptised by full immersion (as was their practice) on 18th October 1998. When I got married, I started going to an Anglican church simply because Ben's family went there. Instead of staying in our seats and getting “pew service” from the elders who brought around the bread and grape juice, I got up with the rest of the congregation and knelt around the communion rail where we received bread and port. Instead of sharing time where we would get prayer points from congregation members, I read bits of liturgy off coloured cards and occasionally from the Book of Common Prayer. It took some getting used to and I've now been part of an Anglican church for about five years.
If you're like me, you don't identify with the denomination of the church that you attend. I don't call myself a Baptist or an Anglican; it's just the name of the church that I happen to go to. Still, if you're like me, you find the plethora of denominations very confusing. Why are there so many in existence and what makes them all different? Does that difference matter? What's in a name?
Much as I would like to address all these questions, I must confine myself merely to the mammoth task of helping you to distinguish the differences. I realise that denominations may differ from congregation to congregation, parish to parish (for example, the character of Sydney Anglicanism is markedly different from that of the rest of Australia). I have also made a lot of terrible generalisations. But I hope that I have been fair to the denomination and that you will be able to glean a brief picture of what makes that denomination that denomination. If you are interested in reading further, I have provided a host of links to official websites in Australia and a bibliography at the end of my brief and cursory reading.
The denominations I have listed here alphabetically are the ones that appear as being “Christian” denominations in the 2001 Australian census. It is up to you to distinguish which ones truly live up to the label of being Christ's followers.
“denomination: a large group of religious congregations united under a common faith and name and organized under a single administrative and legal hierarchy.” (Source)
“Anglican” denotes the fellowship of churches in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury, however individual parishes have no formal or legal ties with Canterbury. Anglicans do not claim to be the one true church. Their statement of faith, the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, rejects transubstantiation (the idea that the bread and wine become the actual blood and body of Christ) and affirms justification by faith, the Trinity, and the simultaneous divinity and humanity of Jesus. Unfortunately, adherence to the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion varies from clergy to clergy. The Book of Common Prayer is used for liturgy.
The roots of the Anglican church come from England's break with the Roman Catholic church under Henry VIII who was seeking to get an annulment from the pope from his marriage to Catherine. (The pope was a puppet of Charles V of Spain, Catherine's nephew.) Reforms were passed through parliament to make the Church of England independent of Rome with the king substituted as the head of the church instead of the pope. Yet, in the early days, the Church of England was still very Roman Catholic in character, and it was only later during the reign of Elizabeth I that it fell under the influence of the Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries. This is reflected in the character of Anglican churches today which are usually “low” Anglican (evangelical) or “high” Anglican (tractarian/Anglo-Catholic). The Anglican church in Australia was founded by Richard Johnson who was a chaplain on the First Fleet.
The head of the Baptist church is Christ and he rules the church through the Holy Spirit working through the minds and hearts of church members. Membership is voluntary and members are regarded as all being equal in that each has a right and duty in the government of the local church. Each church is governed independently of other churches. Freedom of government is fiercely upheld—perhaps because of their history. Baptists do not claim to be the one true church.
In 1606, John Smyth (1570-1612), a clergyman and graduate of Cambridge University, separated from the Church of England and gathered around him a group of like-minded men who began to meet at Gainsborough. Because of persecution, the group fled to Amsterdam where they sought to develop a church according to their understanding of the New Testament model. Their thinking was influenced by the Mennonites and the Anabaptists. Smyth eventually became convinced that adult baptism, done upon profession of the faith, had to be the basis for church membership. He held that the infant baptism received in the Church of England was worthless. The first Baptist church was founded in Amsterdam in 1609.
Smyth believed that the state should not interfere with matters of religion and should not force people to a particular set of religious beliefs or doctrines. He argued strongly for religious freedom for all people. Eventually his group split in two with one group joining a Mennonite church in Amsterdam and the other returning to London under Thomas Helwys (1550-1616) who founded the first Baptist church in England in 1612. The Baptists further divided into Particular (Christ died only for the elect) Baptists and General (Christ died for all) Baptists. During the 17th century, due to reforms passed throug the English parliament outlawing all nonconformist churches other than the Church of England, Baptists were persecuted and punished for meeting. However in 1687 William of Orange passed the Law of Toleration which allowed them to enjoy some of the freedoms which Smyth had fought for.
The central emphasis of the Brethren is to do as Jesus did—in practising obedience and Christ-likeness, and in meeting the spiritual and physical needs of others. This is done through peaceful, compassionate and simple living (with the New Testament a guidebook), a commitment to social justice and group decision-making. Brethrens celebrate four ordinances in imitation of Jesus:
The Brethren church grew out of the actions of five men (among them, Alexander Mack, a religious dissenter who had been influenced by both Pietism and Anabaptism) and three women who gathered at the Eder River in Schwarzenau, Germany, to be baptised in August of 1708. At the time, this act was considered illegal as all had been baptised as infants, however the group's members saw this baptism as being an outward symbol of their new faith and their commitment to living that faith within their community. The early Brethren church was active in evangelism throughout Europe, however, due to persecution and increasing poverty, Brethren began emigrating to North America where they founded new parishes. Brethren do not regard themselves as being the one true church, demonstrating a willingness to work alongside other denominations both locally and overseas on the mission field.
The term “Roman Catholic” (from the Greek katholikos meaning “throughout the whole”, “general” or “universal”) is used to describe the faith and practices of Christians in communion with the pope. It is a little hard to pin down their beliefs as Catholicism is an evolving religious system, articulated through a number of councils over the centuries of its existence. It has reversed its past positions on basic issues time and time again. Roman Catholicism's current “statement of faith” (if you can call it that) comes from Vatican Council II (1962-1965). Prior to Vatican II, the Roman Catholic church claimed to be the only true church of Christ with all other churches considered as false. The pope was seen to be infallible. Mary was considered to have lived a life of perpetual virginity and sinlessness (Immaculate Conception). They claim she didn't die but was taken up into heaven (Assumption) and she stands beside Christ as co-mediator between us and God (Mediatrix). Since Vatican II, the Roman Catholic church:
The Roman Catholic church grew out of the early church under the influence of teachers like Ignatius, Irenaeus and Cyprian who gave rise to the offices of elders and bishops and the concept of the universal unity of the Christian church. Bishops were appointed to oversee various areas of the ancient world. Eventually the Roman bishop claimed primacy over all the others which then led to the institution of the papacy and, eventually, the institution of the Roman Catholic church.
The Churches of Christ (not to be confused with the International Churches of Christ which founded the Sydney Church of Christ) are a denomination characterised by:
(This list was taken from “Characteristics of Our Churches” which expands on each point.) They do not believe that they are the one true church.
Churches of Christ have their roots in the Restoration movement and the ecumenical unions of churches in the United States and the United Kingdom during the early part of the 19th century. Through the influence of Barton Stone (1772-1844), Thomas Campbell (1763-1854), Alexander Campbell (1788-1866) and Walter Scott (1796-1861) who were concerned about divisions within the Protestant movement and who wanted to bring together all those who wanted and needed a direct relationship with Jesus without the restrictions of church hierarchy, Churches of Christ were founded around America and eventually throughout the world.
The Congregational church has a strong tradition of independence which is reflected in its mode of self-governance at the level of the local congregation. Jesus is seen to be the head of the local church which consists of members who are all part of the family of God. There are no bishops or elders. Local Congregational churches are often connected to each other by way of a mutual union which has no power over the local congregation but is merely an administrative body. Congregationalists do not claim to be the one true church.
Congregationalism arose from the Separatists, a movement within the English Reformation who maintained that the church could not be reformed within state-dominated churches. They saw the church was a fellowship of committed believers who, within that body, represented their own authority rather than the authority of a bishop, archbishop or king. Forbidden to put this into practice in England, many crossed to Holland. It was from the Leiden church that the Pilgrim fathers sailed for America in 1620 and established the Congregational church in America.
The Jehovah's Witnesses owe a lot to the influence of rationalism and demonstrate a strong reaction to the scientific worldview (this is why they refuse to accept blood transfusions). Jehovah's Witnesses are pacifists and discourage involvement in worldly politics. In brief, they believe:
The group was founded by Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) in the 1870s. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1852 into a family of Congregationalists. When he was 18, he started teaching a Bible class in Pittsburgh. The Jehovah's Witnesses grew out of this group. The organization was originally based in Brooklyn. The Zion's Watchtower (eventually renamed Watchtower) was started in 1879. During his lifetime, Russell was exposed for perjury several times during libel suits thrashed out in the local courts. Nevertheless, his legacy remains strong. The group took on the name “Jehovah's Witness” in 1931.
This name was applied to Martin Luther's (1483-1546) followers by his enemies in the 1520's. Lutheran doctrine is charactersed by three main tenets of the Reformation:
These three fundamental doctrines shape other distinctive teachings, namely:
The Lutheran church originates in the movement of reforms instigated by Luther. In 1580 he published the Book of Concord which is a set of doctrinal standards/confessions of the Lutheran church. These are mostly applied throughout the Lutheran world. Lutherans do not claim to be the one true church.
The Methodist church is distinguished by an emphasis on practical faith and by its rich Wesleyan theological heritage. Methodism emphasies:
The Methodist church has its roots in the work of John (1703-1791) and Charles Wesley (1708-1788), George Whitefield (1714-1770) and the Holy Club of Oxford University, a society for young members of the Church of England. Their involvement led to an emphasis on the inward religion of the heart. Their insistence on exacting discipline in scholastic and spiritual matters resulted in their branding as “Methodists” in 1729 by those who mocked them.
After a failed stint in America as a missionary, John Wesley experienced a renewal in his spiritual life at Aldergate where he came into contact with some Morovian missionaries in 1738. By 1739 the Methodist movement spread rapidly through field preaching, lay preaching, bands and societies, weekly prayer meetings, an itinerant system of travelling preachers, annual conferences, the establishment of chapels, tracts, letters and sermons—all under the superintendency of John Wesley. Wesley was never seeking to start up a new denomination; instead he encouraged his listeners to attend their local Anglican church. However, the Anglican churches of the day were not adequately meeting the needs of people of the new labouring classes, and the success of the American Revolution demanded separation (Methodism separated from the Anglican church in England about the same time). The Pentecostal movement grew out of Methodism. Methodists do not claim to be the one true church.
The Mormon church, largely based in America, is characterised by the following beliefs:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was founded by Joseph Smith Jr. (1805-1844). On 21st September 1823, Smith claimed he was visited by the angel Moroni who told him where to find a set of golden plates which he then dug up and translated using the magic stones “Urim” and “Thummin” (or gold spectacles in some versions). Though Smith claimed that the writing on the plates was Reformed Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac and Arabic, he supposedly “translated” them into English in the style of the King James Bible of 1611. This translation became The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. “The Testimony of Three Witnesses” appears at the front of every copy of The Book of Mormon. Interestingly, two of these witnesses, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, later left the Mormon the church due to accusations of theft and counterfeiting, and the third, Martin Harris, later admitted to only having seen the plates covered up with a cloth.
The Book of Mormon tells the story of the colonisation of America by the Jaredites (refugees of the Tower of Babel) and, later, by Lehi and his family—Jews descended from Joseph who left the Promised Land around the time of the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. The descendents of Lehi became the Lamanites and the Nephites. In 34 AD Jesus came to them post-resurrection, taught them about baptism and communion, and preached to them the entire Sermon on the Mount. In 385 AD the Lamanites destroyed the Nephites. The Lamanites were cursed with dark skin. Mormons say the American Indians are descended from them. Numerous archaeologists, anthropologists and Bible scholars have proved The Book of Mormon to be historically incorrect.
In addition to The Book of Mormon, Smith revised sections of the King James Bible—especially Genesis, into which he wrote a prophecy concerning himself. These are quoted in The Pearl of Great Price. He also wrote Doctrine and Covenants. All three works are regarded as sacred by the Mormons.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their main temple is situated there. Only ceremonies of celestial marriage and baptism of the dead can be performed in Mormon temples. Mormons claim to be the one true church as their leaders apparently continue to receive revelations from God. They claim that their church possesses the powers of the priesthood of Aaron and Melchizedek.
“Orthodox” (meaning “correct teaching/worship”) describes the theological tradition associated with national churches of the Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, and with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople—a theological tradition stemming from Jesus and the apostles. The Orthodox church sees itself as the one true church, responsible for the preservation of the integrity of the divinely-inspired and infallible doctrines taught by the fathers of the seven ecumenical councils which took place between the fourth and the eighth centuries:
The beliefs of the Orthodox church include:
The first 1,000 years of Orthodox church history is shared in common with the rest of Christendom. In 1054, the inclusion of filioque clause by the Roman Church caused a schism that resulted in the formation of the Orthodox church.
Often Orthodox churches were situated in places dominated by foreign powers. This made church and church membership a focal point for people in maintaining a spiritual, and, ultimately, national identity (in the preservation of language and culture). Even today, to belong to a particular Orthodox church may mean more than just accepting a set of beliefs but also a national, social and cultural identity.
Pentecostals see themselves as being an evangelical charismatic reformation movement. They believe that the experience of Pentecost in Acts 2 where the believers are baptised into the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues for the first time should be the normative for all Christians, thus elevating the importance of the practice and giving it doctrinal primacy (Pentecostals are the first group to do this although the phenomenon was well-known elsewhere and previously). They do not claim to be the one true church, however they do see themselves as restoring the character of the apostolic New Testament church. There is an emphasis on a “Spirit-filled” life for all believers. Speaking in tongues is practised at most services and it is expected that people will experience miraculous healing as a result of prayer and the activity of the Holy Spirit.
The Pentecostal movement has its roots in the “Holiness” movement that developed out of 19th-century American Methodism. However, Pentecostalism in Australia was started somewhat differently. Mrs. Janet Lancaster, a Methodist who was born in Williamstown, Melbourne, became convinced that healing through faith was possible and started practising it. After reading a pamphlet from England called, Back to Pentecost, she sought to have an experience of the Holy Spirit which she says she later gained. Others became convinced of the reality of her experience and joined her in founding the Good News Hall in North Melbourne, 1909. This became the meeting place of the Pentecostal Mission. Though this institution gradually disappeared because of the death of Mrs. Lancaster and doctrinal schisms, Pentecostalism spread throughout the rest of Australia through the “Good News” periodical (which eventually had a circulation of 3,000 per month), the distribution of tracts and visits from overseas speakers.
The Pentecostal church did not develop as an organisation but rather it emerged in places and then Pentecostals sought links with each other. The Australian movement took on the name “Assemblies of God” in 1926 and went on to form a supreme policy-making body known as the National General Conference which meets biennially. Each assembly (or congregation) is autonomous and may adopt its own bylaws subject to the national constitution, but to be accepted as part of the Assemblies of God, they need to have a membership of 25 people or more and a board consisting of a pastor and at least two deacons, including a secretary and treasurer. Pentecostalism has entered other denominations (eg. Anglican and Catholic) however, to distinguish the phenomenon from the denomination, these are known as “charismatic” churches.
Presbyterian churches are characterised by their system of government through groups of elders (presbyters) who look after their local congregation. Presbyterians, however, do not hold that this model is the only model to be found in the New Testament, nor do they claim to be the one true church. Presbyterian churches usually operate independent of one another.
The Presbyterian church grew out of the Reformation and originated in Scotland. John Knox (1514?-1572) was one of the reformers who occupied St. Andrews Castle which was attacked by French artillery fire in 1546. Knox was amongst those captured and spent nineteenth months as a French galley slave. He became a pastor of an English congregation (1549-1554) and then fled to the continent where, in Geneva, he came under the influence of the Swiss Reformed leaders, particularly John Calvin. Knox returned to Scotland in 1559 and helped establish the Scottish Reformed church. He helped draft The First Book of Discipline which outlined an order of church government based around ministers, elders and deacons. This idea was unpopular with the Stuart monarchy who were opposed to the Scottish church. The Presbyterian church became more established when the Stuarts were removed from power in 1688.
The beliefs of the Salvation Army are summed up in 11 main doctrines:
(Taken from The Salvation Army: About Us: Beliefs. These doctrines are expounded more fully in The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine.)
Salvationists don't practice the sacraments of baptism and communion however they do observe Christmas and Easter. Members must abstain from things which are harmful to the mind and body (tobacco, drugs, alcohol and gambling). Women are allowed to preach and are encouraged to participate in ministry, being commissioned and appointed on the same terms as men. Traditionally the organisation has had a strong focus on social justice.
The Salvation Army was founded by William Booth (1829-1912) in 1865. A former Methodist pastor, Booth became convinced that faith in God had to manifest itself in doing works—fighting injustice, freeing the captive and the oppressed, sharing food and home, clothing the naked and carrying out responsibilities to the family. He began to work amongst the poor and the working class in the slums of London. His original intent was to link them up with established churches however these were the very people the established church was seeking to exclude. Booth then sought alternative means to bring Christ to the people. Originally known as the Christian Mission, Booth's organisation was renamed the Salvation Army in 1878 and has been organised along military lines ever since—fighting a war against poverty and sin. Booth married Catherine Mumford in 1855 who spoke out against the exploitation of women and fought for their right to preach. The Salvation Army do not see themselves as being the one true church.
The Seventh-Day Adventist church is characterised by the keeping of the Sabbath and a strong traditional concern for diet (they advocate vegetarianism) and health (alcoholic beverages, tobacco, drugs [including caffeine in coffee and tea] and narcotics are all forbidden because the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit). In the twentieth-century they became more and more influenced by evangelical thought which is reflected in their doctrines. They do not claim to be the one true church.
The Seventh-Day Adventist church grew out of Adventism which was started by William Millar (1782-1849), a Baptist minister in New York who, during the 1830's, predicted the return of Christ (the “Second Advent”) to occur on specific dates between 1843-1844. When Christ didn't return on 22nd October 1844, this led to the Great Disappointment—out of which other individuals (including Hiram Edson [1806-1888] and Ellen G. White née Harmon [1827-1915], a disciple of Millar's) arose claiming to have received revelations and prophecies from God which revealed that Jesus would not return in 1844 but he would begin a special ministry in heaven for his followers.
The group began to grow—mainly in the New England states of America—with Ellen G. White coming to prominence in leadership until her death in 1915. Many regarded her counsel as being divine, however that is questioned by some Seventh-Day Adventists today. In 1860, at Battle Creek Michigan, the group took on the name “Seventh-Day Adventists” and organised a formal church body in 1863. During the post-World War II years, the church grew rapidly, however the denomination still tends to keep to itself.
The Uniting Church is characterised by its emphasis on ecumenism and the furthering of unity between Christians and churches, social justice, and the ordination of women. Uniting churches do not see themselves as being the one true church.
The denomination represents the union of Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian churches in Australia which took 20 years of negotiation. This occured after different Methodist denominations and Presbyterian synods formed unions in early colonial Australia. Discussions were started initially by the Presbyterian Church of Australia and then were later taken up by Methodists and Congregationalists under the spirit of the ecumenical movement which encouraged churches to work together, ideally culiminating in an organisational unity which would be a visible symbol of the fundamental unity or universality of the Christian church.
The decision to unite was made differently in each denomination. In Congregational churches, decisions were made at the parish level and the majority decided to join. A few scattered congregations decided not to and became independent. In the Methodist church, the decision was made at the level of the national conference however it was made to reflect the positive voting patterns at different levels of the church. As a result, the denomination lost individuals and ministers who were not in favour of the move. In Presbyterian churches, like their Congregational siblings, the decision was made at the level of the local congregation. Just over half decided to join and the rest remained independent. The Uniting Church of Australia was inaugurated on 22nd June 1977.
I have included this note because I think that some people might come to the end of this long study on denominations and ask the question, “What does the author believe? What bias is she bringing to this?” Although I do not identify myself as a Baptist or an Anglican, I do identify myself as an evangelical. Evangelicalism is not a denomination but rather it is a movement in modern Christianity that transcends denominational boundaries. The word was first employed by Martin Luther who used it to define those Christians who stressed justification by faith alone and who saw the Bible as being the final authority on matters of faith and practice. This is why at Hippocampus Extensions we stress the importance of serious study of the Scriptures:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
“Karen” means “pure” or “genuine”. It is the Danish form of “Katherine”.
Comments
some of the material here is either out of date, so generalised as to give an incorrect impression or simply shows a lack of research - this is especially true of material on the Catholic (RC) and Orthodox but even the Lutheran and Anglican material is alittle misleading. For example the low/high:evangelical/tractarian parallels are not as clear as suggested.
Raymond Heslehurst on 22 January, 2004 10:39 AM
Please supply us with some concise up-to-date information then.
/Karen/ on 22 January, 2004 6:12 PM
I think they are nice little potted histories of each denomination.
But you forgot about the Reformed Churches! They officially endorse more creeds than Presbyterians and are more European (than Scottish) in history and influence. See http://www.crca.org.au/
Deb on 28 January, 2004 8:54 PM
Karen and Ben, Can you add some info on about Christadelphians and Quakers??? I want to know who they are!!! I only found out that there were such things (But still don’t know what they are) TODAY!!!
Kirsty Last on 31 January, 2004 2:23 AM
My goodness, I’ve already covered 16 denominations and that’s still not enough!!!
/Karen/ on 02 February, 2004 10:15 AM
The Anglican article started with the Thirty-Nine Articles, which I gather hardly any Australian clergy or laity hold to. Why then did the Presbyterian article totally ignore the Westminster Confession of Faith? The WCF is the PCA’s subordinate standard, owned and accepted by all Australian clergy and generally highly valued. There’s more to the Presbyterian and Reformed denomination than just a system of government and Scottish politics!
Furthermore, by definition churches which hold the Presbyterian system of church government do not “usually operate independent of one another.”
Lastly, many Presbyterians do hold their ecclesiastical system to be the only Scriptural one.
Matthew R Sait on 17 February, 2004 12:15 PM
Hmm I never heard of this word before.
Timothy on 23 February, 2004 9:36 AM
I think you need to clarify what you mean when you identify the Brethren movement. The Brethren movement identified in the census is, as I understand it, the Plymouth or Christian Brethren. This movement was birthed in England and heavily influenced by JN Darby. Core values are “every member ministry”, “open worship services”, “plurality of elders” and “independence of assemblies”. FF Bruce was a Brethren.
Geoff Folland on 27 February, 2004 8:29 PM
I am interested in the comment that “hardly any” clergy or laity in the Anglican Church adhere to the 39 Articles of the Church (as most commonly seen in the Book of Common Prayer)
Why is this so (if it is so) and what is the actual evidence for the statement?
What specifically is wrong with the 39 Articles?
Roger H on 28 February, 2004 3:03 PM
I think that most Seventh Day Adventists would believe they are the one true church. They believe that the Sabbath is a sign they are of God and Sunday worshipers are not.
Andrew on 15 April, 2004 11:40 PM
I was a practising (Catholic) Christian up to about 7 years ago ... and (with all due respect) the description of the Catholic faith is a little off base. Thanks for trying though.
For example ... there are many sorts of Catholic Christians. Some believe in the gifts of the holy spirit (speaking in tounges, prophecy, ‘laying on’ of hands), others are liberals (believe in evolution, that scriptures are for meaning and not to be taken as literally) and still others who are traditional (Marian devotion, believe in the shroud of Turin, embrace the pope more vigorously).
But whats this about ‘indulgences’?
Never heared about them before! ... What?
Mary is a ‘co-mediator’ to God?
... What?
Sadly your wrap-up only covers what sounds like the traditionals. No doubt your work is well meaning but it might be an idea to consult a number of catholic Christians.
Wayne on 26 July, 2005 6:29 PM