Evangelical~1609
Baptist
📍 Amsterdam, Netherlands (English Separatists); spread to England and America
Scripture alone, believer's baptism by immersion, congregational governance.
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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.
Evangelical1863
Seventh-day Adventist
📍 Battle Creek, Michigan, USA
Saturday Sabbath, healthy living, and the imminent return of Christ.
Learn moreEvangelical~1906 (formal separation)
Churches of Christ (a cappella)
📍 Southern USA (Tennessee, Texas)
Scripture only: no instruments in worship, no creed, believer's baptism for salvation.
Learn moreEvangelical~1927 (identified as distinct body)
Christian Churches (Independent)
📍 USA (Midwest)
Instrumental Stone-Campbell conservatives: direct New Testament Christianity.
Learn moreEvangelical~1860s
Stundists
📍 Ukraine (Odessa region), Russian Empire
Ukrainian Protestant movement born from German pietist Bible hours.
Learn moreEvangelical~1970s–present
Non-denominational Evangelical
📍 USA (primarily); now global
Bible-believing, Jesus-centred Christianity without traditional denominational labels.
Learn moreEvangelical1831
Plymouth Brethren
📍 Plymouth, England; Dublin, Ireland
No clergy, no creed: just the Lord's Table and Scripture exposition.
Learn moreEvangelical1908
Church of the Nazarene (Holiness)
📍 Pilot Point, Texas, USA
Entire sanctification: Wesley's second blessing in the American heartland.
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Salvation Army
📍 East London, England
An army for God: evangelism, soup kitchens, and no sacraments.
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Primitive Baptist
📍 Southern USA
Old-school Calvinist Baptists: no Sunday schools, no paid ministers, no instruments.
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Free Methodist Church
📍 Pekin, New York, USA
Free pews, free slaves, free grace - the abolitionist breakaway from Methodism.
Learn moreEvangelical1968 (merger); roots in 1843
Wesleyan Church
📍 Indiana, USA
Holiness, social action, and entire sanctification in the Wesleyan tradition.
Learn moreEvangelical1881
Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)
📍 Anderson, Indiana, USA
No membership roll, no creed - just the restored New Testament Church.
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Christian Missionary Alliance (C&MA)
📍 New York City, USA
A.B. Simpson's Fourfold Gospel: Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer, Coming King.
Learn moreEvangelical~1770s
Brethren in Christ
📍 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA
Where Anabaptist, Pietist, and Holiness streams converge.
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The Wesleyan Church was formed in 1968 through the merger of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection (founded 1843 as an abolitionist breakaway from Methodism) and the Pilgrim Holiness Church. Both bodies shared commitment to Wesleyan Holiness theology - entire sanctification as a second definite work of grace purifying the believer's heart - and to social reform. The church now operates in over 100 countries.
Core beliefs
- Entire sanctification as a second definite work of grace after conversion
- Arminian soteriology: prevenient grace, free will, universal atonement
- The Holy Spirit purifies the heart from the dominion of the carnal nature
- Inerrancy of Scripture as the supreme rule of faith and practice
- Social holiness: justice, compassion, and global mission as integral to the gospel
Worship style
Contemporary evangelical worship with strong Holiness heritage. Small groups and intentional discipleship are central. Global mission is a core commitment. Women have been fully ordained from the denomination's founding.
Key scriptures
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24
- Hebrews 12:14
- 1 John 1:9
- Romans 8:1
Relationship to other denominations
Part of the Wesleyan-Holiness family alongside the Church of the Nazarene, Free Methodist, and Salvation Army. Rooted in abolitionist Methodism and the 19th-century American Holiness revival.