For those highly active in the religious community, they may have no problem understanding one’s Christian denomination. Though numerous people are familiar with Catholics, Baptists and Methodists, many lack the understanding of what those classifications actually mean.
The Indianapolis Recorder did some research to identify some of Christianity’s most well known denominations to explain what they are and how they differ from one another.
Baptist: Advocate that baptisms should be performed by believing adults who receive Jesus Christ as their personal savior. Those of the Baptist denomination believe in the Holy Bible and hold all information to be truth. They believe information in the Bible serves as the final written authority for living out the Christian faith.
Catholic: Those of the Catholic denomination believe Jesus is the Son of God, the creator, and that the Holy Bible is error free. One must love and serve God in the world to have happiness in heaven. God is revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which encompasses the belief in three divine Persons in one God, the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.
Churches of Christ: Believe in God the Eternal Father, who is supreme and the creator of the universe. One will be punished for their sins, and a second coming of Jesus Christ will happen. Church of Christ beliefs also see appropriation of laying on of hands for: ordination, blessing of children, confirmation and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and healing of the sick.
Jehovah’s Witness: Worship one God, who is the creator and named Jehovah. He is the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. While the Bible is believed to be true, they recognize parts of the Bible are written in figurative or symbolic language and are not to be understood literally. They learned from the Bible that Jesus is not Almighty God.
Lutheran: Proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior by believing in the Triune God (trinity) that Jesus revealed. It should be noted that Lutherans do not worship Luther, as they worship none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. They practice a closed communion where not everyone who worships receives the bread and wine, until they’ve been faithfully instructed and confirmed in the same faith that is taught.
Methodist: Believe God is three persons — the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Those of Methodist denomination read the writings of the Old Testament and New Testament, as they are believed to be God’s final words. John Wesley, a clergyman of 18th century England and the founder of the Methodist movement, established three basic principles to live by: doing no harm, doing good and using the means of grace.
Mormon/Latter-Day Saints: Believe in the Book of Mormon and often refer to themselves as Latter-day Saints or, sometimes, just Saints. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and “Christ’s Atonement allows mankind to be saved from their sins and return to live with God and their families forever.”
Pentecostal: Do not believe in the idea of Trinity, that God is comprised of three different persons. They do believe that when it comes to health, modern day doctors play a vital role, but ultimately God is the source for healing. Pentecostal women practice modesty by wearing hemlines of dresses below the knee, while sleeves should reach past the elbow.
Presbyterian: Are protestant and believe in the Bible. They rely heavily on others in the Presbyterian community to keep their faith and servitude alive. Often they act as missionaries all around the globe, completing activities in a specific community. They believe in two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Seventh-Day Adventist: Accept the Bible as their only source of belief, while holding 28 fundamental beliefs that can be organized into six categories: the doctrines of God, man, salvation, the church, the Christian life and last day events. Seen as a gift of God’s freedom, Seventh-Day Adventists observe the weekly Sabbath by pausing self-striving, day-to-day business and seeking to serve and bless others by doing good.
Sources: LifeWay Christian Resources, American Baptist Churches USA, Church of Christ, jw.org, elca.org, umc.org, mormonnewsroom.org, adventist.org.
