MERGED: Where are these 40,000 plus Protestant denominations

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As a Catholic I am bemused by the number of times I see this or even much higher figures than 40,000 denominations thrown in to bolster an argument about why sola scriptura is wrong. I think it unfair in debate if it can’t be substantiated.

I want to see a list of these 40,000 denominations. I personally know of perhaps 20 or 30.
 
There are a number of them listed here. I don’t think this is all of them, as some groups aren’t large enough to get an article, but there are people who break away from one group to form their own denomination.

When I think of Protestant, I think of the religious groups from the Protestant reformation. Maybe all non-Catholic Christians (or groups that identify themselves as Christian) are being grouped together? Maybe there really are that many? I don’t know. 🤷

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations#Protestantism
 
Though you could not name them, there are a fantastic number of denominations, often operating under the same name. In my home state, independent churches are everywhere, many, if not most, identifying themselves as Baptist. The others bill themselves as Bible churches or as community churches. Within five minutes of my house are several. In smaller numbers are the independent churches with Pentecostal leanings.

Each independent church becomes, in effect, its own denomination. When I was growing up in one of those churches, we had a close relationship with a Baptist church a few miles away. It had some differing beliefs that we found heretical and likewise ours were to them. Though we called both churches Baptist, we were really different denominations. We had great similarities, immersion baptism, symbolic communion, sola scriptura, and so on, but we had points on which we could not agree. For example, one believed that baptism was necessary for salvation and the other did not. Both our churches rejected affiliation with any convention, fearing it would be dictatorial over beliefs that we had to be convicted about and that it could be too worldly.

The pastor of each independent church becomes the leader and the arbiter of what constitutes his church’s belief set. Friendly arguments between what appear to be like faith churches often go down to statements that “Brother Jones sure doesn’t see it that way.” “Brother” being the title often used by the pastor and by other men in leadership positions. Then there are the Baptist churches with female clergy and those churches are not recognized at all by the majority of Baptist churches.

Church spits happen with some frequency, often over minor doctrinal differences. The feuding sections of the congregation split into what could be considered two denominations, though each would think itself as the true adherent to the faith. Neither will change its stated denominational loyalty.

Most interesting to me is one I have mentioned before in this forum. There are two Baptist churches not far from my home that share something unique, a property line. Yes, just like homes in a neighborhood, the property lines of the two churches meet. Though both have the same denomination on signs out front, they are obviously not identical.
 
roveau said:
As a Catholic I am bemused by the number of times I see this or even much higher figures than 40,000 denominations thrown in to bolster an argument about why sola scriptura is wrong. I think it unfair in debate if it can’t be substantiated.

I want to see a list of these 40,000 denominations. I personally know of perhaps 20 or 30.
Click to expand...
Advent Christian Church
Adventists
African Methodist Episcopal Church
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Agapemone
Aglipayans
Amana Church Society
Amish Church
Anabaptists
Anglican Communion
Anglo-Catholic movement
Armenian Church
Arminianism
Assemblies of God
Baptists
Behmenites
Bereans
Beroeans
Bible Christians
Bible societies
Brethren in Christ
Brethren
Broad Church
Brotherhood of the New Life
Brownists
Burghers
Calixtines
Calvinism
Calvinistic Methodist Church
Camisards
Campbellites
Catholic Apostolic Church
Christadelphians
Christian Catholic Church
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian Endeavor
Christian Reformed Church
Christian Science
Christian socialism
Christians
Church of Christ, Scientist
Church of England
Church of the Brethren
Church of the Nazarene
Churches of Christ
Churches of God, General Conference
Community of Christ
Confessing Church
Congregationalism
Covenanters
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Diggers
Disciples of Christ
dissenters
Doukhobors
Dukhobors
Dunkards
Dunkers
Dutch Reformed Church
England, Church of
Episcopal Church, Reformed
Episcopal Church
Ethical Culture movement
Evangelical Alliance
Evangelical and Reformed Church
Evangelical Church
Evangelical United Brethren Church
Familists
Fifth Monarchy Men
Foursquare Gospel, International Church of the
Free Church of Scotland
Freewill Baptist Church
Friends, Religious Society of
fundamentalism
German Baptist Brethren
German Catholics
German Reformed Church
Gideons
Glassites
Harmony Society
High Church
Huguenots
Hussites
Hutterian Brethren
Illuminati
Independents
Ireland, Church of
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Latter-day Saints, Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints, Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of
Levelers
Lollardry
Low Church
Lutheranism
Mennonites
Methodism
Moral Re-Armament
Moravian Church
Mormons
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
New Church
New Jerusalem, Church of the
New Thought
nonconformists
Oxford Group
Oxford movement
Peculiar People
Pentecostalism
People’s Temple
Pietism
Plymouth Brethren
Presbyterianism
Protestant Episcopal Church
Protestantism
Puritanism
Quakers
quietism
Racovian Catechism
Ranters
Reformation
Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in the United States
Reformed churches
Reformed Episcopal Church
Reformed Presbyterianism
Remonstrants
Renewed Church of the Brethren
River Brethren
Sabbatarians
Salvation Army
Scotland, Church of
Scotland, Free Church of
Second Adventists
separatists
Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh-Day Baptists
Shakers
Social Gospel
Socinianism
Solemn League and Covenant
South India, Church of
Southern Baptist Church
Taborites
Tractarian movement
Tunkers
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarianism
Unitas Fratrum
United Brethren in Christ
United Church of Canada
United Church of Christ
United Methodist Church
United Presbyterian Church
United Zion Church
Unity
Universalist Church of America
Utraquists
Vaudois
Waldenses
World Council of Churches
Yorker Brethren
Zionites

This is a partial list… once you get past these, look at all the independant churchs, the non-demoninationals, etc. I don’t know that there is 40,000 but there are certainly thousands and growing.
 
roveau said:
As a Catholic I am bemused by the number of times I see this or even much higher figures than 40,000 denominations thrown in to bolster an argument about why sola scriptura is wrong. I think it unfair in debate if it can’t be substantiated.

I want to see a list of these 40,000 denominations. I personally know of perhaps 20 or 30.
Click to expand...
Dear roveau,

Cordial greetings.

That figure of 40, 000 denominations is almost next to certain, for as of 1981 the *World *Christian Encyclopaedia (Oxford University Press) listed no fewer than 20,800 differrent Protestant denominations. Thus it would seem perfectly feasible for that figure to have doubled in the intervening years between then and now. Moreover, even the distinguished Evangelical Anglican theologian, John R.W. Stott, has said that evangelicalism has a pathological tendency to divide and in America creating new denominations is almost a national pastime.

Catholic apologists are therefore surely correct in employing this argument to point out the multiparous nature of Protestantism and its very divisive tendencies. Furthemore, if we really do deplore the unhappy divisions of Christendom, then we will seek to underscore the consequences of repudiating the Roman obedience - increasing fragmentation being a primary one.

Our Lord prayed passionately that all His disciples would be one (St. Jn. 17: 21) and He said that the Church was to be one Flock with one Shepherd (St. Jn. 10: 16). It seems quite incontrovertible that the multiplicity of denominations within Protestant religion have their roots in the Reformation when a single, historic and unified Church authority was abandoned. Each new division produces a smaller and, quite often, more extreme splinter group. These interminable divisions are unfortunate per se, but what is also quite tragic is that each new extreme group is one step further from the “One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church” established by Christ upon the “rock”, even Blessed St. Peter.

Whilst the Catholic Church values diversity, the Catholic model is not a myriad, whatever the exact figure, of different denominations existing as a law unto themselves. Rather the diversity of emphasis, culture and theological approach exist within the organic unity of the Catholic Church. We have unity, but not uniformity; sectarian religion expects uniformity and only has internal unity because it has split from everybody else.

Warmest good wishes,

Portrait

Pax
 
Portrait said:
That figure of 40, 000 denominations is almost next to certain, for as of 1981 the *World *Christian Encyclopaedia (Oxford University Press) listed no fewer than 20,800 differrent Protestant denominations.
Click to expand...
That same Encyclopaedia also stated there are 242 Roman Catholic denominations, but I’m sure if I started a thread asking, “Why should I join the Roman Church if there are 242 denominations?” I’d get a lot of people responding with, “Huh? What? There aren’t 242 denominations of Roman Catholicism!”

Picking and choosing the facts, ladies and gentlemen, picking and choosing the facts.
 
originally posted by Byzantine_Wolf
That same Encyclopaedia also stated there are 242 Roman Catholic denominations
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But only ONE Holy Roman Catholic Church established by Christ Himself in the 1st century and administered by Saint Peter.
The rest are splinters and they do not recognize the authority of and are not in union with the Pope, the office of which is a direct descendent of Saint Peter,
Only one.
(encyclopedia)
 
catsrus said:
But only ONE Holy Roman Catholic Church established by Christ Himself in the 1st century and administered by Saint Peter.
The rest are splinters and they do not recognize the authority of and are not in union with the Pope, the office of which is a direct descendent of Saint Peter,
Only one.
(encyclopedia)
Click to expand...
The encyclopedia lists them all as Roman Catholic denominations. It lists over 700 Eastern Orthodox denominations as well, and I’m sure the Eastern Orthodox would disagree with that (as would most rational Roman Catholics).

You say there’s only one…that’s my point. You’d accept one number but reject another, and both from the same source.
 
Portrait said:
Dear roveau,

Cordial greetings.

That figure of 40, 000 denominations is almost next to certain, for as of 1981 the *World *Christian Encyclopaedia (Oxford University Press) listed no fewer than 20,800 differrent Protestant denominations. Thus it would seem perfectly feasible for that figure to have doubled in the intervening years between then and now. Moreover, even the distinguished Evangelical Anglican theologian, John R.W. Stott, has said that evangelicalism has a pathological tendency to divide and in America creating new denominations is almost a national pastime.

Catholic apologists are therefore surely correct in employing this argument to point out the multiparous nature of Protestantism and its very divisive tendencies. Furthemore, if we really do deplore the unhappy divisions of Christendom, then we will seek to underscore the consequences of repudiating the Roman obedience - increasing fragmentation being a primary one.

Our Lord prayed passionately that all His disciples would be one (St. Jn. 17: 21) and He said that the Church was to be one Flock with one Shepherd (St. Jn. 10: 16). It seems quite incontrovertible that the multiplicity of denominations within Protestant religion have their roots in the Reformation when a single, historic and unified Church authority was abandoned. Each new division produces a smaller and, quite often, more extreme splinter group. These interminable divisions are unfortunate per se, but what is also quite tragic is that each new extreme group is one step further from the “One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church” established by Christ upon the “rock”, even Blessed St. Peter.

Whilst the Catholic Church values diversity, the Catholic model is not a myriad, whatever the exact figure, of different denominations existing as a law unto themselves. Rather the diversity of emphasis, culture and theological approach exist within the organic unity of the Catholic Church. We have unity, but not uniformity; sectarian religion expects uniformity and only has internal unity because it has split from everybody else.

Warmest good wishes,

Portrait

Pax
Click to expand...
The WORLD CHRISTIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA uses the term “denomination” in a particular manner. As they say, a denomination, for their purposes,is defined as" Any agency consisting of a number of congregations or churches voluntarily aligning themselves with it. As a statistical unit in this survey, a ‘denomination’ always refers to one single country. Thus the Roman Catholic Church, although a single organization, is described here as consisting of 236 denominations in the world’s 238 countries."

The same is true for the Protestants “denominations”: the total is arrived at by counting denominations, in each country, as separate “denominations”.

GKC
 
Perhaps it’s of relevance to note that most Protestants don’t believe that you have to belong to their denomination to be saved. So a denomination is not the same entity as a “church.”
 
Large numbers like that usually just mean “a lot”. Even Jesus used large numbers in an inexact manner (Instructing us to forgive our brothers 70x7 times).
 
Nine_Two said:
Large numbers like that usually just mean “a lot”. Even Jesus used large numbers in an inexact manner (Instructing us to forgive our brothers 70x7 times).
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Very true, although there’s a big difference between people using what are obviously metaphorical numbers (“seventy times seven”) and people who say, “There are 40,000 Protestant denominations!” and believe it to be a fact.
 
Except for a small number of traditions…not too many Protestant groups claim to be the only true church…MOST Protestant groups believe they belong to the One True Church…not located in a specific denomination…but comprised of those whom Christ has redeemed. If you are “saved”…you are a member of the One True Church. A “denomination” does not make up the One True Chruch…there may be 40K denominations…but One Chruch.
 
roveau said:
As a Catholic I am bemused by the number of times I see this or even much higher figures than 40,000 denominations thrown in to bolster an argument about why sola scriptura is wrong. I think it unfair in debate if it can’t be substantiated.

I want to see a list of these 40,000 denominations. I personally know of perhaps 20 or 30.
Click to expand...
One thing to point is that some Protestant sects do not even have a unified doctrine or teaching. Meaning one church can have a completely different teaching than the next of the same denomination. Would you consider them the same church? Their interpretation of the Bible depends heavily on their own pastor that if they switch churches even within the same denomination, its technically a different one.

Also, while we recognize the Evangelicals for example, how many different kinds of Evangelicals are there? Even the Pentecostals. Heck, even the Anglicans.
 
Byzantine_Wolf said:
Very true, although there’s a big difference between people using what are obviously metaphorical numbers (“seventy times seven”) and people who say, “There are 40,000 Protestant denominations!” and believe it to be a fact.
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True, there are those people, but I think the vast majority are just trying to convey the idea that there are a lot.
 
roveau said:
As a Catholic I am bemused by the number of times I see this or even much higher figures than 40,000 denominations thrown in to bolster an argument about why sola scriptura is wrong. I think it unfair in debate if it can’t be substantiated.

I want to see a list of these 40,000 denominations. I personally know of perhaps 20 or 30.
Click to expand...
I think the 40k number is a good attention grabber, but in the end does the argument more harm than good.
 
Byzantine_Wolf said:
That same Encyclopaedia also stated there are 242 Roman Catholic denominations, but I’m sure if I started a thread asking, “Why should I join the Roman Church if there are 242 denominations?” I’d get a lot of people responding with, “Huh? What? There aren’t 242 denominations of Roman Catholicism!”

Picking and choosing the facts, ladies and gentlemen, picking and choosing the facts.
Click to expand...
I do not know where you are getting 242 RCC denominations? I do not read anywhere where it states there exist 242 RCC denominations. Rites are not denominations.
 
Byzantine_Wolf said:
That same Encyclopaedia also stated there are 242 Roman Catholic denominations, but I’m sure if I started a thread asking, “Why should I join the Roman Church if there are 242 denominations?” I’d get a lot of people responding with, “Huh? What? There aren’t 242 denominations of Roman Catholicism!”

Picking and choosing the facts, ladies and gentlemen, picking and choosing the facts.
Click to expand...
Dear Byzantine_Wolf,

Cordial greetings and thankyou for your response above.

A secular encyclopaedia, the chief aim of which is to provide impartial information, is hardly likely to acknowledge that the Roman Catholic Church is the one true Church founded by Jesus Christ. That issue is simply outside its remit as a non-polemical work of reference.

The Roman Catholic denominations, to which that volume makes mention, are just that, factions that have broken away from the Roman Obedience and hence not in communion with the Holy See. They may very well choose to call themselves “Roman catholic”, much like some Anglican’s call themselves catholic, but it does not necessarily follow that they are authentically Catholic. In point of fact they are on much the same footing as the myriads of Protestant denominations, inasmuch as they have also repudiated the authority of the papacy and the magisterium.

Moreover, one must distinguish between a denomination, which is of man-made origin, and the one true Church, Catholic and Apostolic, founded by Christ upon St. Peter (St. Matt. 16: 18).

The choice with which all those who name the name of Christ are confronted is, does one submit to this authentic Catholic Church established by Christ, or to one of many Protestant denominations with their quagmire of competing and conflicting opinions as to the meaning of Sacred Scripture? Moreover, it is surely reasonable to assert that all these denominations cannot all have the same Holy Spirit leading them into all truth, otherwise they would be the same denomination. That does seem an ineluctable conclusion.

Warmest good wishes,

Portrait

Pax
 
Portrait said:
Dear Byzantine_Wolf,

Cordial greetings and thankyou for your response above.

A secular encyclopaedia, the chief aim of which is to provide impartial information, is hardly likely to acknowledge that the Roman Catholic Church is the one true Church founded by Jesus Christ. That issue is simply outside its remit as a non-polemical work of reference.

The Roman Catholic denominations, to which that volume makes mention, are just that, factions that have broken away from the Roman Obedience and hence not in communion with the Holy See. They may very well choose to call themselves “Roman catholic”, much like some Anglican’s call themselves catholic, but it does not necessarily follow that they are authentically Catholic. In point of fact they are on much the same footing as the myriads of Protestant denominations, inasmuch as they have also repudiated the authority of the papacy and the magisterium.

Moreover, one must distinguish between a denomination, which is of man-made origin, and the one true Church, Catholic and Apostolic, founded by Christ upon St. Peter (St. Matt. 16: 18).

The choice with which all those who name the name of Christ are confronted is, does one submit to this authentic Catholic Church established by Christ, or to one of many Protestant denominations with their quagmire of competing and conflicting opinions as to the meaning of Sacred Scripture? Moreover, it is surely reasonable to assert that all these denominations cannot all have the same Holy Spirit leading them into all truth, otherwise they would be the same denomination. That does seem an ineluctable conclusion.

Warmest good wishes,

Portrait

Pax
Click to expand...
No, read my post above. That encyclopedia counts each country in which a given Church is found as a separate denomination. Thus, if United Methodists are found in, let us say, 200 countries, as an organized church, the encyclopedia (which is most obviously the source of the varying 20,000/30,000/40,00 denominations figures over the years) counts that as 200 denominations. It is a pecularity of that particular book, and how it analyzes Christianity. Thus, the RCC is counted once, in every country in which it appears, which is to say, all countries. Which makes around 240 RC “denominations”.

GKC
 
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