Christian denominations in the United States
Explore churches by denominational tradition. Each tradition has a distinct history, theology, and worship style — but all share faith in Jesus Christ. Below you'll find every major church family in America, how they compare, and links to congregations in each tradition across all 50 states.
Protestant
Baptist churches are Protestant Christian congregations that practice believer's baptism by immersion and emphasize the autonomy of the local church. The Baptist tradition is one of the largest Protestant families in the United States.
Methodist churches trace their heritage to the 18th-century revival led by John Wesley. Methodism emphasizes personal faith, social holiness, and outreach.
Lutheran churches stem from the 16th-century Reformation under Martin Luther and emphasize justification by faith alone, the authority of scripture, and the priesthood of all believers.
Presbyterian churches follow Reformed theology and a representative form of governance through elders. The tradition descends from the Scottish Reformation under John Knox.
Pentecostal churches emphasize a personal experience of the Holy Spirit, including spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy. The movement began in the early 1900s.
Non-denominational churches are independent congregations not formally affiliated with a denomination. They are one of the fastest-growing segments of American Christianity.
Evangelical churches stress the authority of the Bible, personal conversion, and the importance of evangelism. Evangelicalism cuts across denominations.
The Episcopal Church is the United States member of the Anglican Communion. It traces its heritage to the Church of England and combines Catholic and Reformed traditions.
Anglican churches in North America follow the worldwide Anglican Communion's historic Book of Common Prayer worship and three-fold ministry.
Seventh-day Adventists worship on Saturday and emphasize the imminent return of Christ, healthful living, and global mission.
Reformed churches share a Calvinist theological heritage and include the Christian Reformed Church, Reformed Church in America, and others.
Mennonites are part of the Anabaptist tradition, emphasizing peace, simple living, and adult baptism.
Quakers (Religious Society of Friends) emphasize the inward Light of Christ, simplicity, equality, and peace, often gathering in unprogrammed silent worship.
The Church of the Nazarene is a Wesleyan-holiness denomination emphasizing entire sanctification and global mission.
The Assemblies of God is the largest classical Pentecostal denomination in the United States, founded in 1914.
The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States.
Calvary Chapel is a movement of evangelical churches founded by Chuck Smith in California in the late 1960s, emphasizing verse-by-verse Bible teaching.
The Vineyard movement is a charismatic evangelical fellowship of churches that began in California in the 1970s.
Catholic
Orthodox
Restorationist
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, founded by Joseph Smith in 1830, is the largest of several Restorationist movements emerging from 19th-century America.
Jehovah's Witnesses meet in Kingdom Halls, emphasize door-to-door evangelism, and follow distinctive teachings on the Kingdom of God and biblical interpretation.
Churches of Christ are autonomous congregations from the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, practicing weekly communion and a cappella worship.
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Restorationist denomination with congregations across the United States.
Other Christian
Messianic congregations affirm Yeshua (Jesus) as the Jewish Messiah while observing Jewish festivals and traditions.
Unity is a New Thought movement founded in the late 1800s emphasizing positive prayer, metaphysical interpretation of scripture, and oneness with God.
Unitarian Universalist congregations welcome people of many beliefs and emphasize the inherent worth of every person and the free search for truth.
Independent and other Christian congregations that do not fit neatly into the major denominational families.
Church denominations compared
The chart below compares the major American church traditions by family, founding era, and estimated U.S. membership.
| Denomination | Family | Founded | U.S. members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Churches | Protestant | Early 17th century | ~50 million in the U.S. |
| Catholic Churches | Catholic | 1st century | ~70 million in the U.S. |
| Methodist Churches | Protestant | 18th century | ~12 million in the U.S. |
| Lutheran Churches | Protestant | 1517 | ~7 million in the U.S. |
| Presbyterian Churches | Protestant | 16th century | ~3 million in the U.S. |
| Pentecostal Churches | Protestant | Early 20th century | ~10 million in the U.S. |
| Non-Denominational Churches | Protestant | — | ~20 million in the U.S. |
| Episcopal Churches | Protestant | 1789 | ~1.5 million in the U.S. |
| Eastern Orthodox Churches | Orthodox | 1st century | ~1 million in the U.S. |
| Adventist Churches | Protestant | 1863 | ~1.2 million in the U.S. |
| Latter-day Saints (Mormon) | Restorationist | 1830 | ~6.7 million in the U.S. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Restorationist | — | ~1.3 million in the U.S. |
| Assemblies of God | Protestant | 1914 | ~3 million in the U.S. |
| Southern Baptist Churches | Protestant | 1845 | ~13 million in the U.S. |
Understanding the church families
American Christianity is usually grouped into a handful of broad families. Catholic parishes are part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church and celebrate the Mass and seven sacraments. Protestant churches — Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Episcopal, and many more — grew out of the 16th-century Reformation and emphasize the authority of Scripture. Orthodox churches preserve the ancient liturgies of Eastern Christianity. Restorationist movements such as the Churches of Christ and the Latter-day Saints arose in 19th-century America seeking to restore the church of the New Testament. And a rapidly growing share of American congregations are non-denominational, operating independently of any historic body.
For a deeper dive, read our guides to Protestant denominations, types of Christian churches, Catholic vs. Protestant, and the comparisons Baptist vs. Methodist, Lutheran vs. Catholic, Methodist vs. Presbyterian, and Catholic vs. Orthodox.
Frequently asked questions
What is a church denomination?
A denomination is a family of churches that share a common theology, history, and organizational structure. Denominations emerged as Christians organized around distinct convictions — about baptism, church governance, worship, and how to read Scripture. All Christian denominations share the central beliefs of the faith: the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and his death and resurrection.
How many church denominations are there in the United States?
Researchers count more than 200 distinct Christian denominations in the United States, and thousands worldwide. Most American churchgoers, however, belong to one of roughly two dozen major traditions — Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Orthodox, and the fast-growing non-denominational movement.
What is the largest church denomination in America?
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest single denomination in the United States with roughly 70 million members. The largest Protestant body is the Southern Baptist Convention with about 13 million members. Counted together, non-denominational churches now represent one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of American Christianity.
What is the difference between Protestant and Catholic churches?
Protestant churches trace their origins to the 16th-century Reformation, which broke from the Roman Catholic Church over questions of authority, salvation, and the sacraments. Catholics recognize the Pope as the head of the church and celebrate seven sacraments; Protestants emphasize the authority of Scripture alone and salvation by grace through faith alone.
How do I choose between denominations?
Start with what matters most to you: worship style (liturgical or contemporary), theology, church size, and community. Visiting services in two or three different traditions is the fastest way to find where you belong — most churches warmly welcome first-time visitors.