Genealogy of Christian Faith Communities
The following chart shows a timeline of some of the events
which lead to the multiplicity of Christian denominations. The
chart is constructed to scale, so that each century takes the
same amount of vertical space (with the exception of a slight
vertical expansion for 1510-1530 to include the various Protestant denominational
origins.) Note that there were long periods of time during which
the interpretation of the Bible and doctrine were discussed and
resolved without division into different communities.
The following American Christian branches to European founded
churches take their beginning from the history chart of the
preceding page. The date before each denomination indicates the
beginning of that American branch church fellowship.
- 1818 - Ohio Lutheran Synod
- 1930 - American Lutheran Church
- 1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America
- 1820 - General Lutheran Synod
- 1863 - United Synod South
- 1867 - General Lutheran Council
- 1918 - United Lutheran Church in America
- 1962 - Lutheran Church in America
- 1988 - Evangelical
Lutheran Church of
America
- 1847 - Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
- 1976 - Association of Evangelical Lutherans
- 1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America
- 1854 Iowa Lutheran Synod
- 1930 - American Lutheran Church
- 1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America
- 1860 - Swedish Augustana Synod
- 1962 - Lutheran Church in America
- 1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America
- 1872 - American Evangelical Lutheran Church
- 1962 - Lutheran Church in America
- 1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America
- 1890 - Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church
- 1962 - Lutheran Church in America
- 1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America
- 1896 - United Evangelical Lutheran Church
- 1960 - American Lutheran Church
- 1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America
- 1900 - Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America
- 1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
- 1918 - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
1929 - Apostolic Lutheran Church of America
- 1628 - Dutch Reformed Church
- 1857 - Christian Reformed Church
- 1926 - Protestant Reformed Churches of
America
- 1867 - Reformed Church in America
- 1628 - Puritans/Congregationalists
- Evangelical Protestant Church of North America
- 1931 - Congregational Christian Churches
- 1957 - United Church of Christ
- 1790 - Universalists
- 1961 - Unitarian Universalist Association
- 1793 - German Reformed Church
- 1826 - Churches of God in North America
- 1869 - Reformed Church in the United States
- 1934 - Evangelical and Reformed Church
- 1957 - United Church of Christ
- 1801 - Christians/Churches of Christ
- 1832 - Christian Church/Disciples of Christ
- 1807 - Disciples of Christ
- 1832 - Christian Church/Disciples of Christ
- 1849 - Evangelical Synod of North America
- 1934 - Evangelical and Reformed Church
- 1957 - United Church of Christ
- 1787 - Protestant Episcopal Church
- 1861 - North Protestant Episcopal Church
- 1865 Protestant Episcopal Church
- 1873 - Reformed Episcopal Church
- 1861 - South Protestant Episcopal Church
- 1865 Protestant Episcopal Church
- 1873 - Reformed Episcopal Church
- 1706 - Presbyterian Church
- 1741 - New Side Presbyterian Church
- 1758 - Presbyterian Church
- 1741 - Old Side Presbyterian Church
- 1758 - Presbyterian Church
- 1810 - Cumberland Presbyterian Church
- 1837 - New School
- 1870 - Presbyterian Church,
U.S.A.
- 1937 - Orthodox
Presbyterian Church
- Bible Presbyterian
Church
- 1956 - Bible
Presbyterian Church
- 1965 - Reformed
Presbyterian Church, Evangelical
Synod
- 1982 - Presbyterian
Church of America
- 1837 - Old School
- 1861 - Presbyterian Church,
Confederate States
- Presbyterian Church in
the United States
- 1973 - Presbyterian
Church of America
- 1983 - Presbyterian
Church, USA
- 1870 - Presbyterian Church,
U.S.A.
- 1937 - Orthodox
Presbyterian Church
- Bible Presbyterian
Church
- 1956 - Bible
Presbyterian Church
- 1965 - Reformed
Presbyterian Church, Evangelical
Synod
- 1982 - Presbyterian
Church of America
- 1752 - Reformed Presbytery
- 1833 - Reformed Presbyterian Church of
No. America (Covenanters)
- Associate Presbyterian Church
- 1858 - United
Presbyterian Church of
No. America
- 1958 - United
Presbyterian Church, USA
- 1983 - Presbyterian
Church, USA
- Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Church
- 1822 - Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church (Covenanters)
- 1958 - United
Presbyterian Church, USA
- 1983 - Presbyterian
Church, USA
- 1774 - Reformed Presbyterian Church in North
America
- 1965 - Reformed Presbyterian Church,
Evangelical Synod
- 1982 - Presbyterian Church of
America
- 1639 - British Separatists
- 1672 - Seventh-Day Baptists
- 1727 - Free Will Baptists
- 1770 - Old Lights
- 1787 - General Association of Separatists
Baptists
- 1814 - Baptist Missionary Convention
- 1827 - Primitive Baptists
- 1845 - Northern Baptist
Convention
- 1932 - General Assoc. of
Regular Baptist Churches
- 1947 - Conservative Baptist
Assoc. of America
- 1950 - America Baptist Convention
- 1770 - New Lights
- 1780 - Free Will Baptists (North)
- 1827 - Primitive Baptists
- 1910 - Northern Baptist
Convention
- 1814 - Baptist Missionary Convention
- 1845 - Southern Baptist
Convention
- 1895 - National Baptist
Convention of America
- 1915 - National
Baptist Convention of the
U.S.A., Inc.
- 1961 - Progressive
Baptist Convention
- 1905 - American Baptist
Association
- 1895 - Northern Baptist
Convention of America
- 1932 - General Assoc. of
Regular Baptist Churches
- 1947 - Conservative
Baptist Association of
America
- 1950 - American Baptist
Convention
- 1840 - North American Baptist General Conference
- 1852 - Baptist General Conference
- 1784 - Methodist Episcopal Church
- 1816 - African Methodist Episcopal Church
- 1821 - African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
- 1830 - Methodist Protestant Church/Bible
Protestant Church
- 1939 - Methodist Church
- 1946 - Evangelical Methodist
Church
- 1968 - United Methodist Church
- 1843 - Wesleyan Methodist Church of America
- 1968 Wesleyan Church
- 1844 - Methodist Episcopal
- 1860 - Free Methodist Church
- 1908 - Church of the Nazarene
- 1939 - Methodist Church
- 1946 - Evangelical Methodist
Church
- 1968 - United Methodist Church
- 1844 - Methodist Episcopal Church (South)
- 1870 - Christian Methodist Episcopal
Church
- 1897 - Pilgrim Holiness Church
- 1968 - Wesleyan Church
- 1800 - Church of the United Brethren in Christ
- 1946 - Evangelical United Brethren Church
- 1807 - Evangelical Church
- 1946 - Evangelical United Brethren Church
- 1829 - Primitive Methodist Church
- 1886 - Church of God (Cleveland, TN)
- 1923 - Tomlinson Church of God
- 1943 - Church of God (Queens Village, NY)
- 1953 - Church of God of Prophecy
- 1957 - Church of God of
All Nations
- 1886 - Church of God
- 1922 - Original Church of God, Inc.
- 1886 - United Holy Church of America, Inc.
- 1898 - Fire-Baptized Holiness Church
- 1953 - Emanuel Holiness Church
- 1911 - Pentecostal Holiness Church
- 1918 - Pentecostal Fire-Baptized
Holiness Church
- 1899 - Pentecostal Holiness Church
- 1911 - Pentecostal Holiness
Church
- 1901 - Pentecostal Union
- 1917 - Pillar of Fire
- 1914 - Assemblies of God, General Council
- 1914 - Church of God by Faith, Inc.
- 1914 - Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc.
- 1924 - Pentecostal Church, Inc.
- 1945 - United Pentecostal Church, Inc.
- Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus
Christ, Inc.
- 1917 - Pentecostal Church of Christ
- 1918 - International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
- 1919 - Pentecostal Church of God of America, Inc.
- 1919 - International Pentecostal Assemblies
- 1919 - Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic
Faith, Inc.
- 1957 - Bible Way Church, World-Wide
- 1919 - Bible Standard, Inc.
- 1935 - Open Bible Standard Churches, Inc.
- 1932 - Open Bible Evangelistic Association
- 1935 - Open Bible Standard Churches, Inc.
- 1932 - Calvary Pentecostal Church, Inc.
- 1947 - Elim Missionary Assemblies
By Paul Flanagan
and Robert Schihl.
Catholic Biblical Apologetics, © Copyright 1985-1997, Paul
Flanagan and Robert Schihl Unless otherwise noted, all
Scripture texts are taken from the New American Bible with Revised
New Testament, © 1986, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
Email comments to pdflan@mindspring.com
Last Updated: January 9, 1997