List of Christian denominations by number of members
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This is a list of Christian denominations by number of members. It is inevitably partial and generally based on claims by the denominations themselves. The numbers should therefore be considered approximate.
Contents |
[edit] Christian denominational families
Further information: Christian denominations
(Claimed separate lineage)
("Via Media")
(16th century)
(11th century)
"Union"
[edit] Largest denominations in the world
[edit] Catholicism - 1.2 billion
- Catholic Church - 1,147 million[1]
- Roman Catholic Church (Latin Rite) - 1,125.5 million
- Eastern Catholic Churches (Eastern Rite) - 21.5 million
- Alexandrian
- Ethiopian Catholic Church - 0.21 million
- Coptic Catholic Church - 0.17 million
- Antiochian (Antiochene or West Syrian)
- Maronite Catholic Church - 3.1 million
- Syro-Malankara Catholic Church - 0.5 million
- Syriac Catholic Church - 0.17 million
- Armenian
- Armenian Catholic Church - 0.54 million
- Chaldean (Eastern Syrian)
- Syro-Malabar Catholic Church - 4.0 million
- Chaldean Catholic Church - 0.65 million
- Byzantine (Constantinopolitan)
- Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church - 4.3 million
- Melkite Greek Catholic Church - 1.6 million
- Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic - 0.8 million
- Ruthenian Catholic Church - 0.65 million
- Slovak Greek Catholic Church - 0.37 million
- Hungarian Greek Catholic Church - 0.27 million
- Italo-Greek Catholic Church - 0.07 million
- Croatian Greek Catholic Church - 0.06 million
- Belarusian Greek Catholic Church - 0.01 million
- Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church - 0.01 million
- Georgian Byzantine Catholic Church - 0.01 million[2]
- Macedonian Greek Catholic Church - 0.01 million
- Albanian Greek-Catholic Church - 0.01 million
- Greek Byzantine Catholic Church - 0.01 million
- Russian Catholic Church - 0.01 million
- Alexandrian
- Breakaway Catholic Churches - 28 million
- Apostolic Catholic Church - 5 million
- Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association - 4 million[3]
- Philippine Independent Church - 3 million
- Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church - 1 million
- Old Catholic Church - 0.6 million
- Mariavite Church - 0.03 million
[edit] Protestantism - 670 million
- Historical Protestantism - 350 million
- Baptist churches - 105 million[4]
- Southern Baptist Convention - 16.3 million[5]
- National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. - 7.5 million[6]
- National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. - 5 million[7]
- Nigerian Baptist Convention - 3 million[8]
- Progressive National Baptist Convention - 2.5 million[9]
- American Baptist Churches USA - 1.4 million
- Brazilian Baptist Convention - 1.4 million
- Baptist Bible Fellowship International - 1.2 million[10]
- Myanmar Baptist Convention - 1.1 million[11]
- Baptist Community of the Congo River - 1 million[11]
- National Baptist Convention, Brazil - 1 million
- National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A. - 1 million[10]
- National Missionary Baptist Convention of America - 1 million
- Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches - 0.8 million[12]
- Baptist Convention of Kenya - 0.7 million[11]
- Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of Russia - 0.6 million
- Lutheranism - 87 million[13]
- Evangelical Church in Germany - 26.9 million[14]
- Church of Sweden - 6.9 million
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - 4.8 million
- Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus - 4.7 million
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania - 4.6 million[15]
- Danish National Church - 4.5 million
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland - 4.3 million[16]
- Batak Christian Protestant Church - 4 million[17]
- Church of Norway - 3.9 million
- Malagasy Lutheran Church - 3 million
- Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod - 2 million
- Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria - 1.7 million[18]
- United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India - 1.5 million[19]
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea - 0.9 million[20]
- Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church - 0.8 million[21]
- Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil - 0.7 million[22]
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia - 0.6 million[23]
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa - 0.6 million[24]
- Methodism - 75 million
- United Methodist Church - 12 million
- African Methodist Episcopal Church - 3 million
- Methodist Church Nigeria - 2 million[25]
- African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church - 1.5 million
- Church of the Nazarene - 1.8 million
- Methodist Church of Southern Africa - 1.7 million[26]
- Korean Methodist Church - 1.5 million[27]
- United Methodist Church of Ivory Coast[28]
- Christian Methodist Episcopal Church - 0.9 million
- Methodist Church Ghana - 0.8 million[29]
- Free Methodist Church - 0.7 million
- Methodist Church in India - 0.6 million[30]
- Reformed churches - 75 million
- Mainstream Calvinism
- Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar - 3.5 million[31]
- United Church of Zambia - 3.0 million[32]
- Protestant Church in the Netherlands - 2.5 million[33]
- Swiss Reformed Church - 2.4 million
- Evangelical Church of Cameroon - 2 million[34]
- Protestant Evangelical Church in Timor - 2 million[35]
- Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa - 0.7 million[36]
- United Church in Papua New Guinea - 0.6 million[37]
- United Church of Christ in the Philippines - 0.6 million[38]
- Protestant Church in Western Indonesia - 0.6 million[39]
- Evangelical Christian Church in Tanah Papua - 0.6 million[40]
- Protestant Church in the Moluccas - 0.6 million[41]
- Reformed Church in Hungary - 0.6 million[42]
- Reformed Church in Romania - 0.6 million[43]
- Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa - 0.5 million[44]
- Presbyterianism
- Presbyterian Church of East Africa - 4 million[45]
- Presbyterian Church of Africa - 3.4 million[46]
- Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - 3.0 million
- United Church of Canada - 2.5 million
- Church of Christ in Congo–Presbyterian Community of Congo - 2.5 million[47]
- Presbyterian Church of Korea - 2.4 million[48]
- Presbyterian Church of Cameroon - 1.8 million[49]
- Church of Scotland - 1.1 million[50]
- Presbyterian Church of the Sudan - 1 million[51]
- Presbyterian Church in Cameroon - 0.7 million[52]
- Presbyterian Church of Ghana - 0.6 million[53]
- Presbyterian Church of Nigeria - 0.5 million[54]
- Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa - 0.5 million[55]
- Congregationalism
- United Church of Christ - 1.2 million
- Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola - 0.9 million[56]
- United Congregational Church of Southern Africa - 0.5 million[57]
- Mainstream Calvinism
- Anabaptism - 5 million
- Brethren - 1.5 million[58]
- Mennonites - 1.5 million
- Plymouth Brethren - 1 million[59]
- Moravians - 0.7 million[60]
- Amish - 0.2 million
- Hutterites - 0.2 million
- Quakers - 0.4 million
- Waldensians - 0.05 million
- Baptist churches - 105 million[4]
- Modern Protestantism - 588 million[61]
- Pentecostalism - 130 million
- Assemblies of God - 60 million
- New Apostolic Church - 11 million
- International Circle of Faith - 11 million[62]
- The Pentecostal Mission - 10 million
- Church of God (Cleveland) - 9 million
- International Church of the Foursquare Gospel - 8 million
- Church of God in Christ - 5.5 million
- Apostolic Church - 6 million
- Christian Congregation of Brazil - 2.5 million
- Universal Church of the Kingdom of God - 2 million
- Church of God of Prophecy - 1 million
- God is Love Pentecostal Church - 0.8 million
- Indian Pentecostal Church of God - NA
- Non-denominational evangelicalism - 80 million
- Calvary Chapel - 25 million
- Born Again Movement - 20 million
- Association of Vineyard Churches - 15 million
- New Life Fellowship - 10 million[citation needed]
- True Jesus Church - 2.5 million
- Charismatic Episcopal Church - NA
- African initiated churches - 40 million
- Zion Christian Church - 15 million
- Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim - 10 million
- Kimbanguist Church - 5.5 million
- Church of the Lord (Aladura) - 3.6 million[63]
- Council of African Instituted Churches - 3 million[64]
- Church of Christ Light of the Holy Spirit - 1.4 million[65]
- African Church of the Holy Spirit - 0.7 million[66]
- African Israel Niniveh Church[67]
- Seventh-day Adventist Church - 17 million
- Restoration Movement - 7 million
- Churches of Christ - 5 million
- Christian Churches and Churches of Christ - 1.1 million[10]
- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - 0.7 million
- Pentecostalism - 130 million
[edit] Eastern Orthodoxy - 210 million
- Autocephalous churches
- Russian Orthodox Church - 125 million
- Romanian Orthodox Church - 18 million
- Serbian Orthodox Church - 15 million
- Orthodox Church of Greece - 11 million
- Bulgarian Orthodox Church - 10 million
- Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church - 5 million
- Greek Orthodox Church of Constantinople - 3.5 million
- Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch - 2.5 million
- Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria - 1.5 million
- Orthodox Church in America - 1.2 million
- Polish Orthodox Church - 1 million
- Albanian Orthodox Church - 0.8 million
- Cypriot Orthodox Church - 0.7 million
- Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem - 0.14 million
- Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church - 0.07 million
- Autonomous churches
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) - 7.2 million[68]
- Moldovan Orthodox Church - 3.2 million
- Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia - 1.25 million
- Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia - 0.62 million
- Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric - 0.34 million
- Estonian Orthodox Church - 0.3 million
- Patriarchal Exarchate in Western Europe - 0.15 million
- Finnish Orthodox Church - 0.08 million
- Chinese Orthodox Church - 0.03 million
- Japanese Orthodox Church - 0.02 million
- Latvian Orthodox Church - 0.02 million
- Churches in resistance
- Not universally recognized churches
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) - 5.5 million[68]
- Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church - 2.4 million
- Macedonian Orthodox Church - 2 million
- Orthodox Church of Greece (Holy Synod in Resistance) - 0.75 million
- Old Calendar Romanian Orthodox Church - 0.50 million
- Old Calendar Bulgarian Orthodox Church - 0.45 million
- Croatian Orthodox Church - 0.36 million
- Montenegrin Orthodox Church - 0.05 million
- Orthodox Church in Italy - 0.12 million
- Churches which opted out
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church - 5.5 million
- Old Believers - 1.8 million
- Greek Old Calendarists - 0.86 million
- Russian True Orthodox Church - 0.85 million
- Not universally recognized churches
[edit] Oriental Orthodoxy - 75 million
- Autocephalous churches in communion
- Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church - 45 million
- Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria - 15.5 million
- Syriac Orthodox Church - 10 million
- Armenian Orthodox Church - 8 million
- Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church - 2.5 million
- Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church - 2 million[69]
- Armenian Orthodox Church of Cilicia - 1.5 million
- Autonomous churches in communion
- Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church - 2.5 million
- Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople - 0.42 million
- Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem - 0.34 million
- French Coptic Orthodox Church - 0.01 million
- British Orthodox Church - 0.01 million
- Churches not in communion
- Malabar Independent Syrian Church - 0.06 million
[edit] Anglicanism - 82 million
- Anglican Communion - 80 million[70]
- Church of Nigeria - 18 million
- Church of England - 13.4 million
- Church of Uganda - 8.8 million
- Church of South India - 3.8 million
- Anglican Church of Australia - 3.7 million
- Episcopal Church in the Philippines - 3.0 million
- Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia - 2.5 million
- Anglican Church of Tanzania - 2.5 million
- Anglican Church of Southern Africa - 2.4 million
- Episcopal Church of the United States - 2.2 million
- Anglican Church of Canada - 2.0 million
- Anglican Church of Kenya - 1.5 million
- Church of North India - 1.3 million
- Church of the Province of Rwanda - 1 million
- Church of Pakistan - 0.8 million
- Anglican Church of Burundi - 0.8 million[71]
- Church of the Province of Central Africa - 0.6 million
- Church of Christ in Congo–Anglican Community of Congo - 0.5 million[72]
- Scottish Episcopal Church - 0.4 million
- Church of Ireland - 0.4 million
- Continuing Anglican movement - 1.5 million
- Traditional Anglican Communion - 0.5 million
- Anglican Church in North America - 0.1 million
[edit] Nontrinitarianism - 27 million
- Latter Day Saint movement (Mormonism) - 14 million
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - 13.5[73]
- Community of Christ - 0.25 million[74]
- Jehovah's Witnesses - 7.1 million
- Iglesia ni Cristo - 6 million[75]
- Oneness Pentecostalism - 6 million
- United Pentecostal Church International - 4 million
- Pentecostal Assemblies of the World - 1.5 million
- Church of Christ, Scientist - 0.4 million
- Friends of Man - 0.07 million
- Christadelphians - 0.05 million
[edit] Nestorianism - 1 million
- Assyrian Church of the East - 0.5 million
- Ancient Church of the East - 0.3 million
[edit] See also
- List of Christian denominations
- List of the largest Protestant churches of the world
- Parachurch organization
- Major religious groups
[edit] External links
- Adherents.com
- Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches
- National Council of Churches USA
- Pew Research Center - News Release 2002
[edit] References
- ^ "Number of priests showing steady, moderate increase, Vatican says". Catholic News Service. 2008-03-09. http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2009/0309/priests030909.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- ^ http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_PR.HTM
- ^ http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=83&catid=3
- ^ Baptist World Alliance
- ^ http://www.sbcec.net/bor/2007/2007SBCAnnual.pdf
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/north-america/united-states-of-america/national-baptist-convention-usa-inc.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/north-america/united-states-of-america/national-baptist-convention-of-america-inc.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/nigeria/nigerian-baptist-convention.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/north-america/united-states-of-america/progressive-national-baptist-convention-inc.html
- ^ a b c Ron Rhodes, The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations, Harvest House, 2007
- ^ a b c http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=437
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/india/samavesam-of-telugu-baptist-churches.html
- ^ Lutheran World Federation
- ^ Germany
- ^ http://www.lutheranworld.org/Directory/AFR/EvLuthCchinTanzania-EN.html
- ^ http://evl.fi/EVLUutiset.nsf/Documents/0DCC039A551C3C6CC22575320038BE6F?OpenDocument&lang=FI
- ^ http://www.lutheranworld.org/Directory/ASI/ProtChrisBatakCch-EN.html
- ^ http://www.lutheranworld.org/Directory/AFR/LuthCchChristinNigeria-EN.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/india/united-evangelical-lutheran-church-in-india.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/pacific/papua-new-guinea/evangelical-lutheran-church-of-papua-new-guinea.html
- ^ http://www.lutheranworld.org/Directory/ASI/hraEvLuthCch-EN.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/latin-america/brazil/evangelical-church-of-the-lutheran-confession-in-brazil.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/namibia/evangelical-lutheran-church-in-namibia.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/south-africa/evangelical-lutheran-church-in-southern-africa.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/nigeria/methodist-church-nigeria.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/south-africa/methodist-church-of-southern-africa.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/south-korea.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/ivory-coast/united-methodist-church-of-ivory-coast.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/ghana/methodist-church-ghana.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/india/methodist-church-in-india.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/madgascar/church-of-jesus-christ-in-madagascar-fjkm.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/zambia/united-church-of-zambia.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/europe/netherlands/protestant-church-in-the-netherlands.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/cameroon/evangelical-church-of-cameroon.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/indonesia/protestant-evangelical-church-in-timor.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/indonesia/christian-evangelical-church-in-minahasa.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/pacific/papua-new-guinea/united-church-in-papua-new-guinea.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/philippines/united-church-of-christ-in-the-philippines.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/indonesia/protestant-church-in-western-indonesia.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/indonesia/evangelical-christian-church-in-tanah-papua.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/indonesia/protestant-church-in-the-moluccas.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/europe/hungary/reformed-church-in-hungary.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/europe/romania/reformed-church-in-romania.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/south-africa/uniting-reformed-church-in-southern-africa.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/kenya/presbyterian-church-of-east-africa.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/south-africa/presbyterian-church-of-africa.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/democratic-republic-of-congo/church-of-christ-in-congo-presbyterian-community-of-congo.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/south-korea/presbyterian-church-of-korea.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/cameroon/presbyterian-church-of-cameroon.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/europe/united-kingdom/church-of-scotland.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/sudan/presbyterian-church-of-the-sudan.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/cameroon/presbyterian-church-in-cameroon.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/ghana/presbyterian-church-of-ghana.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/nigeria/presbyterian-church-of-nigeria.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/south-africa/uniting-presbyterian-church-in-southern-africa.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/angola/evangelical-congregational-church-in-angola.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/south-africa/united-congregational-church-of-southern-africa.html
- ^ http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_84.html#596
- ^ http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_513.html#3117
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/caribbean/antigua-and-barbuda/moravian-church-eastern-west-indies-province.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/church-families/pentecostal-churches.html
- ^ Association of Christian Churches. Dr. James B. Gould. Washington, DC, USA. 2006.
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/nigeria/church-of-the-lord-aladura-worldwide.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/south-africa/council-of-african-instituted-churches.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/democratic-republic-of-congo/church-of-christ-light-of-the-holy-spirit.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/kenya/african-church-of-the-holy-spirit.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/kenya/african-israel-nineveh-church.html
- ^ a b http://www.patriyarkhat.org.ua/ukr/archive/article;143;388/
- ^ Not recgognized by the Syriac Orthodox Church
- ^ Anglican Communion News Sevice Accessed 22-Aug-09
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/burundi/province-of-the-anglican-church-of-burundi.html
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/democratic-republic-of-congo/church-of-christ-in-congo-anglican-community-of-congo.html
- ^ http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1032-10,00.html
- ^ http://www.cofchrist.org/news/GeneralInfo.asp
- ^ http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Iglesia_ni_Cristo
