Denominations

This thread will probably interest you

http://community.logos.com/forums/t/16624.aspx

It's not specific to Pentecostal denominations. However, I image the resource mentioned would include some of the info you want.

Hi Kaye

You'll find some usefule information in many of the Church History books and Encyclopaedias as well as in this series:

http://www.logos.com/product/5774/the-complete-library-of-christian-worship

Plus at the risk of stating the obvious search for denomination* in your entire library.

Most denominations have a web site where you can find their basis of faith and this is a good document to check for orthodoxy.

Of course you need to remember that denominational lines blur at the edges and that many local Churches have an individual identity determined by their own leadership and membership.

The sources that others have cited will give broad overviews of the doctrines they emphasize. May I suggest that the flavor of individual congregations within any denomination may tend toward the vertical dimension (the connection of the worshiper to God), and others may tend toward the horizontal dimension (worshiper to worshiper--family). I prefer a middle ground.

Hmmm. Looks like the Cross, to me.

Rebecca RG said:

The ARDA (Association of Religion Archives) has a fascinating website.  It probably isn't going to give you the information on beliefs that you seek, but its interactive graphics give a good sense of relationships between denominations, here.  See other tabs as well.  However, the character of an individual congregation, as Jack Hairston says, can say a lot about real, lived beliefs as distinct from denominational or website stated beliefs.

Thanks for that link...it's a good one.

Kaye Anderson said:

If someone has time as we lead up to Christmas, can you please recommend a resource that charts out or clearly explains the beliefs and foundations of various Protestant denominations? I am looking for a new church and I am very unclear about doctrinal differences. I feel like, if I had some chart to look at, I could at least rule out some. I recently worked for a non-profit under the lead of a major Protestant denomination and was amazed at what behavior was grouped under "acceptable"...and what was not. :-(

Because I was raised in one cult for 16 years and married into another for 10, you can understand my care in choosing a good, Christian church to make friends and progress spiritually.

I found one post by Rosie ( http://community.logos.com/forums/p/13916/107103.aspx ) but was hoping for something in Logos if possible.

Kaye

Hi Kaye,

God speed in finding a new church home.

I personally would first find the congregations that are near you and read their website. I say this because each denomination has many flavors. For an example, I am a Lutheran, and under the Lutheran umbrella in the United States, there are the following Lutheran bodies: AFLC, ALCC, CLBA, Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC), Concordia Lutheran Conference (CLC), ELS, ELCA, ILD, LCMC, LCMS, LCR, NALC, TAALC, and WELS.

These are the only ones that I know of; there could very well be more Lutheran bodies in the U.S.. All of these Lutheran bodies confess that the Book of Concord is how we understand scripture. Do you think that we can agree with what that means? Not a chance.

Because the Lutheran body is not unique, I would first limit your research to the congregations that are near you.

Handbook of Denominations in the United States, originally edited by Frank Mead (as I recall), has always been a fairly good, concise resource.

It's in a 13th edition at this point.

Is Calvary Chapel considered a denomination? I really enjoy their style. Verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book expository preaching.

Isn't Greg Laurie from this church?

tom collinge said:

 While this episode deals with racism, this same type of hatred is found within Christianity towards other denominations.

Tom,

I'm not sure I'd use the word "hatred"...but certainly we are divided on our beliefs with other denominations...

For myself, I'd find a church closer rather than farther away for the following reason...a church body is LOCAL...and it's really hard to feel like you're part of a body when you have to drive 1.5 hours to get there...and you never see any members of your congregation except for an hour and a half on Sunday...

Robert Pavich said:

I'm not sure I'd use the word "hatred"

Then you haven't seen (or heard) some of the anti-Catholic stuff out there....

Kaye Anderson said:

But I do want to weed out obviously wrong doctrine or doctrine that has changed over time to match what man wants to hear.

Hi Kaye

With the responses that you have received you probably have enough to build a check list that you could use for the Churches near you. I would suggest that you start by making a list of those within 30 minutes of where you live and identify what denomination they belong to. You can then check if the local Church has a web site and what that says about the local congregation as well as checking out the denominational web site. You can then create an ordered list of Churches to visit using any preferences you have i.e. Charismatic, Pentecostal, Baptiost, etc.

When visiting the Churches consider key elements like:

• How welcome did you feel
• Was the worship God focused
• Was Jesus central in all things
• Was the preaching based on the Bible
• How involved were the congregation in the service
• Was there "room for God"
• Did you enjoy it

Addressing your concerns about being drawn into a cult, to me the key is to look for cultic behaviour. I would not regard myself as an expert but from what I have stidied and experienced a cults result when an individual becomes dominant within a group. Whilst incedibly over simplifed I see two phases in this.

Phase 1 - The leader moves from being the shepherd who guides to being God's only authoritative voice within the group. A well organised Church with denominational accountability will notice this shift as it occurs and take correctional action.

Phase 2 - As the only authoritative voice the leader effecively becomes the groups god and controls evey aspect of the groups life. If a Church reaches this point they will typically move from denominational to independent status.

In my experience independent Churches are more susceptible to this issue but even Churches from major denominations can, from time to time, develop cultic behaviours. Note that there are many great independent Churches and so please don't dismiss them based on the preceding comment about susceptibility.  The key here is to look at the relationship that the leaders have with God, is their evidence that they are submitting to God and committed to leading the Church for God's glory. Next look at the relationship of the leaders to the congregation are they shepherding and guiding the people or are they control freaks.

Finally, as hard is this may be, trust your own judgement, you have experience of what can be wrong so let that guide you to what is right. If, based on what you know, a Church feels like a cult then I think there's a good chance that it has some issues in that area, these may be minor and may never develop into much but I doubt that you would ever be happy in a Church that reminds you of your negative past.

Robert Pavich said:

a phone call to the pastor is a good step also

This is a great point, a good pastor will often help you find a good Church even it it is no the one they pastor. Talking to visitors over the years we have been able to point them to good Churches that match what they are looking for.

Graham Owen said:

This is a great point, a good pastor will often help you find a good Church even it it is no the one they pastor.

It's the bad pastors I'd worry about[;)]

MJ. Smith said:

Robert,  I have to agree with fgh here. and Catholics are not the only ones I've seen  or heard targeted.

Well..yes..now that I think of it....I'd agree...(I'm thinking of that horrid cartoon/tract stuff by a person that shall remain nameless.) there is no call for that vile junk.

MJ. Smith said:

and Catholics are not the only ones I've seen  or heard targeted.

I agree

Not only have I been told that I am going to hell (I am not RC, and I was going to hell because the seminary that I decided to attend was "liberal" in the views of this person.), I was told, "I hope you go to hell!" because I would not tell someone else that he/she was going to go to hell because this person was a RC.  

What really gets my goat is that these conversations fell under the title of "Christian Love."

tom collinge said:

Not only have I been told that I am going to hell (I am not RC, and I was going to hell because the seminary that I decided to attend was "liberal" in the views of this person.),

Wow...I never heard that one! That's amazing.

Wow, it sounds like there's way too much anathema talk going on.

Blair Laird said:

Calvary Chapel is a non denomination church. Most people would think because of the growth of C.C that it is now a denomination. I'm  not to sure what the qualifications are to be considered a denomination, but according to the movement it is non denomination ( I believe this is to be more inclusive). C.C are not baptist, although when I started Bible College they required me to purchase Bible Knowledge Commentary. They are not pentecostal, although they do believe in the gifts of the Spirit, and pastor Chuck came from a 4square background.

A denomination is just a name for category of things (like a denomination of currency).  Likewise, a religious denomination is just a name for a religious subgroup that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.  It doesn't imply that there is an overarching authority structure, although some people use the term that way.  For example, Southern Baptists I know like to consider themselves to a part of an association rather than a denomination, because they want to emphasize the lack of a central authority and the independence of each church, thereby attaching a meaning to the word denomination that it doesn't always have.  The Handbook of Denominations in the US is filled with non-denominational churches.

The fact that Calvary Chapel churches do self-identify as Calvary Chapel churches and have similar practices seems to me to be a denomination in the classic sense, but not in the authority sense.

Kaye Anderson said:

you can understand my care in choosing a good, Christian church to make friends and progress spiritually.

Kaye, a few questions I would recommend for prospective
churches:

  . What does it
take to become a member and what is expected of members to remain in good
standing?

  . What beliefs must a member subscribe to?

  . Are there activities that you must either do or refrain
from?

  . Are there activities within the church that are
reserved for members and visitors do not participate in?

Also, don't give too much weight in your evaluation to
the Christmas service.  For many churches
that may not be a representative time, because the people you sit next to are more likely
to be the "I go to church once a year whether I need it or not" types, and the
service may have a different emphasis than the norm.

I enjoy visiting churches. It an adventure for me, and one
of the things I look forward to when travelling. I hope you enjoy it also.

Scott S said:

Did the survey indicate which Lutheran Synod -- ELCA, LCMS, or WELS

I do not know and have not heard of any study concerning this, but I (being a Lutheran) have stated that I would compare the amount of scripture in our worship service to any other service.  You should always hear two lessons, a psalm, and a Gospel reading every Sunday (some exceptions due occur).  On top of this, our liturgy comes straight from scripture.

I do not know the liturgy that the WELS uses, but I am going to take a SWAG and say that it is the same as ELCA and LCMS.  The ELCA and LCMS basically have the same service (including the liturgy).

It's all semantics. If you have a bunch of people meeting at different locations all claiming to be affiliated with a particular group or fellowship doesn't that technically make you a denomination whether you consider it that or not.