Protestant1517
Lutheran
📍 Wittenberg, Germany
Born from Martin Luther's reformation. Salvation by grace through faith alone.
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Denomination Explorer
Christianity is not one tradition. It is a family shaped by centuries of faith, geography, and the many ways people have met God. Explore the full family here. All branches. No judgment.
Protestant1536–1560
Reformed / Presbyterian
📍 Geneva, Switzerland; Scotland
Calvin's legacy: God's sovereignty, covenant theology, and Presbyterian governance.
Learn moreProtestant1738 (Wesley's conversion); formally 1784
Methodist
📍 England
John Wesley's movement of grace, holiness, and social action.
Learn moreProtestant1525
Mennonite
📍 Zurich, Switzerland
Radical Reformation heirs: peace, believers' baptism, and simple discipleship.
Learn moreProtestant1693
Amish
📍 Alsace (France/Germany border); now primarily Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, USA
Radical separation from the world: horse and buggy, plain dress, and Gelassenheit.
Learn moreProtestant1647–1652
Quaker (Religious Society of Friends)
📍 England (Midlands and North)
Silent waiting on God: no clergy, no creed, no sacraments.
Learn moreProtestant1832
Disciples of Christ
📍 American frontier (Kentucky and Virginia)
Unity, freedom, and weekly communion - the moderate Stone-Campbell tradition.
Learn moreProtestant~1173
Waldensian
📍 Lyon, France; Piedmont valleys, Italy
Medieval proto-Reformers who survived centuries of persecution in the Alpine valleys.
Learn moreProtestant~1415
Hussite / Czech Brethren
📍 Bohemia (Czech Republic)
Jan Hus's reform movement - the first to break with Rome before Luther.
Learn moreProtestant1457 (Unitas Fratrum); renewed 1722 (Herrnhut)
Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum)
📍 Bohemia (Czech Republic); renewed at Herrnhut, Saxony
The Renewed Brethren: mission, joy, and the Lamb of God.
Learn moreProtestant1843
Free Church of Scotland
📍 Scotland
The Disruption of 1843: when Scottish ministers chose conscience over Crown.
Learn moreProtestant1528
Hutterite
📍 Moravia (Czech Republic); now South Dakota, Alberta, Manitoba
Radical communalism: all things held in common on farming colonies across North America.
Learn moreProtestant1708
Church of the Brethren (Dunkers)
📍 Schwarzenau, Germany; emigrated to Pennsylvania 1719–1729
Triple-immersion baptism, love feasts, and Anabaptist-Pietist pacifism.
Learn moreProtestant1620 (Pilgrim roots); UCC formed 1957
Congregationalist (United Church of Christ)
📍 England; Plymouth Colony, New England, USA
Puritan covenant theology, Mayflower pilgrims, and locally governed churches.
Learn moreProtestant1628
Reformed Church in America
📍 New Amsterdam (New York City), Dutch colony
America's oldest Protestant denomination - Dutch Calvinist since 1628.
Learn moreProtestant1811
Primitive Methodist
📍 Mow Cop, Staffordshire, England
Camp meetings, outdoor preaching, and the religion of the common worker.
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Church of the Brethren (Dunkers)
Protestant1708
📍 Schwarzenau, Germany; emigrated to Pennsylvania 1719–1729
🌍 ~130,000
Origin
The Brethren - nicknamed 'Dunkers' for their practice of triple-forward immersion baptism - were founded in Schwarzenau, Germany in 1708 by Alexander Mack and seven others, blending Anabaptist discipline with German Pietist spirituality. Facing persecution in the Holy Roman Empire, they emigrated to Pennsylvania between 1719 and 1729. They have historically opposed war, oaths, and worldliness, and continue the annual Love Feast as a liturgical highlight.
Core beliefs
- Triple-forward immersion baptism of adult believers
- The annual Love Feast: footwashing, agape meal, and communion together
- Pacifism and conscientious objection to war as a gospel imperative
- Simple living and non-conformity to the world
- No creed but the New Testament: open to continuing reformation
Worship style
Simple, non-liturgical worship with Scripture, congregational singing, and preaching. The Love Feast is the most distinctive practice - a full evening service of footwashing, a common meal, and communion. Conservative attire in traditional congregations. Three streams: Church of the Brethren (moderate), Old German Baptist Brethren (very conservative), and Brethren Church (evangelical).
Key scriptures
- John 13:14–15
- Matthew 5:39
- Romans 12:2
- Acts 2:42
Relationship to other denominations
Part of the Anabaptist-Pietist family alongside Mennonites and Brethren in Christ. Historically persecuted alongside other Anabaptists. Known for founding Bethany Theological Seminary and a strong peace witness.