Many churches.
Shared questions.
What the names mean, how the families developed, and where their beliefs differ. Meet familiar traditions and others you may know less about.
A map, before the names.
Denominations, church families, and movements are related but different. Catholic and Orthodox communities understand themselves as continuing the church of Jesus’ first followers, the apostles. Protestant names may refer to a broad family of churches or to a particular organization. These profiles explain each tradition’s own claims and the differences within it.
The selection includes both well-known church families and traditions whose names may be less familiar where you live. Some have large communities in other parts of the world. Learn the terms →
A few questions to begin with.
What is a denomination?
An organized group of local churches with shared beliefs and ways of working together. A church family is broader, and a movement can cross several families.
Did all the churches split from one another?
Separation is part of the history, but so are reform, revival, independent beginnings, migration, and churches joining together. The story is not one simple branching tree.
Are non-denominational churches free of tradition?
They generally operate independently of a denomination. They still have beliefs, leadership, and a history, and some belong to networks.
Does a label tell me everything about a congregation?
No. Worship, leadership, and interpretations can differ within the same family. Read the community’s own teaching alongside its wider history.
A history of relationships.
- Early centuriesCommunities, councils, and ancient church families.
- Medieval centuriesEastern and Western churches grow apart.
- Sixteenth centurySeveral reform movements and new church bodies.
- Later centuriesRevival, religious freedom, global growth, and cooperation.
Find a church family.
21 profiles.
No names match. Try another name or clear the search.
Ancient church families
Churches rooted in the early centuries, with distinct histories of councils, authority, and communion.
Reformation and later Protestant families
Western reform movements, revival traditions, and the many communities that developed from them.
Other historic traditions
Other historic traditions with distinctive approaches to community, worship, service, or biblical interpretation.
Independent and global movements
Broad families of locally organized churches and networks. They do not share one founder or one set of beliefs.
Christian identity and disputed boundaries
Communities that identify as Christian while differing substantially from the Nicene faith of Catholic, Orthodox, and most Protestant churches.
Hear the reasons
behind a view.
Compare arguments about baptism, communion, church leadership, Scripture, and other questions. A family name is a starting point, not the whole conversation.
Explore different Christian readings ↗