Mainstreams

of Christian Faith

Early in its history, Christianity developed autonomous, regional churches.  The first major schism occurred in the fifth century when the Copts broke away.  Other separations followed.  The reformation spread seeds of further division across the Atlantic to America.

In this chart, each denominational group numbers nearly half a million members in the United States alone.  Some of these are independent churches, some families (the Methodists), and some organizations formed by recent mergers (the United Church of Christ).

All of these denominations spring from a single source: the advent of Jesus, whose life and sacrifice and resurrection gives a creed to nearly one third of the people in the world today!