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HOW MANY CHURCHES AND DENOMINATIONS ARE THERE IN AMERICA AND THE WORLD? (continued)

September 22, 2018 By Howard Kramer 5 Comments

 

Christian Denominations in Europe

Christian Denominations in Europe (www.reddit.com; originator unknown)

Google did not yield much in the way of specific numbers for the entire globe, but according to the World Christian Encyclopedia there are at least 33,000 Christian denominations in the United States.  Going out on a limb and assuming that there is at least one person from every Christian denomination in the world living in America (not unreasonable), then we can assume that there are 33,000 Christian denominations around the world.  But maybe there’s a lot more independent churches out there.  Its really difficult to tell.

The fact that there are 33,000 Christian Denominations is quoted on many websites, frequently with the tone that this is a good thing.  Personally I think that it suggests that Christianity is hopelessly fractured along more dogmatic fault lines than can be reasonably allowed for in a single faith.  But that’s just my opinion.

In any event, a deeper look at the numbers shows that Christianity is not nearly so divided as the number 33,000 might indicate.  For one thing, it includes that there are multiple denominations for many churches based on how many countries that church is present in.  For example, the Roman Catholic Church, which is a single entity under the authority of the Vatican, counts 242 independent denominations, which is, of course, not really factual.

Not surprisingly, Protestant Christianity makes up the bulk of different denominations, counting 9,000 mainstream and 22,000 independent for a total of 31,000.  The vast majority of these ‘denominations’ are in fact stand alone congregations, many of which share essentially common beliefs but with no mutual association with one another.

For true denominations involving multiple churches under common leadership, the number is almost certainly less than two thousand.  Major ones, with over a million members, probably less than five hundred.

So, in conclusion, The Complete Pilgrim will almost certainly not be visiting every church on Earth; but I hope there are at least another five hundred in our future.

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Filed Under: Random Ramblings

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About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Comments

  1. HenryK says

    September 21, 2021 at 6:35 pm

    I am aware of a former “Church of Christ” where the new minister openly denies that Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, ever existed. This church has dropped “Christ” from its locational name.
    Another “Church of Christ” in the same area has also dropped “Christ” from its locational name.
    Local churches, or congregations, are founded by men and are gradually corrupted. The church of Christ, which Jesus said that He would build, prevails overall. With no central headquarters to dictate doctrine and practice, corruption has a difficult time spreading from one church to another. Each is autonomous.

    Reply
    • Howard Kramer says

      November 13, 2021 at 3:36 pm

      I would be interested in knowing what church you are talking about.

  2. Edward Abrams says

    October 7, 2019 at 10:30 am

    Does all churches preach Jesus Christ?&

    Reply
    • Howard Kramer says

      October 20, 2019 at 2:35 pm

      In theory

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Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

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Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

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Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

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