Genealogy of Christian Faith Communities

The following chart shows a timeline of some of the events which lead to the multiplicity of Christian denominations. The chart is constructed to scale, so that each century takes the same amount of vertical space (with the exception of a slight vertical expansion for 1510-1530 to include the various Protestant denominational origins.) Note that there were long periods of time during which the interpretation of the Bible and doctrine were discussed and resolved without division into different communities.

Click here for a graphical version of the timeline. 

 

Year

Roman Catholicism

Other Christian Communities

Christ's birth

4 BC

 

 

Church's birth

.

30 Pentecost

 

First Epistles

.

50 Council of Jerusalem

 

First Gospels

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

Apostolic Age

100

 

 

ends

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

200

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

300

 

 

 

.

325 Council of Nicea I

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

381 Council of Constantinople I

 

73 book canon

400

397 Local African

 

of The Bible

.

Council of Carthage

 

 

.

431 Council of Ephesus

 

 

.

451 Council of Chalcedon

 

 

.

 

 

 

500

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

553 Council of Constantinople II

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

600

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

680 Council of Constantinople III

 

 

700

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

787 Council of Nicea II

 

 

800

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

870 Council of Constantinople IV

 

 

.

 

 

 

900

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

1000

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

1054 Greek Orthodox

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

1100

 

 

 

.

1123 Council of Lateran I

 

 

.

1139 Council of Lateran II

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

1179 Council of Lateran III

 

 

1200

 

 

 

.

1215 Council of Lateran IV

 

 

.

1245 Council of Lyons I

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

1274 Council of Lyons II

 

 

1300

1312 Council of Vienne

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

1400

1414 Council of Constance

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

1438 Council of Florence

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

1500

 

 

66 book canon Reformers' Bible

.

1517 Council of Lateran V

1517 Lutheran,1520 Reformed,1525 Anabaptists

 

.

1545 Council of Trent

1534 Anglican

 

.

 

1560 Presbyterian

 

.

 

 

 

1600

 

1612 Baptist

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

1700

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

1787 Methodist

 

1800

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

1870 Council of Vatican I

 

 

1900

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

.

1965 Council of Vatican II

 

 

.

 

 

 

2000

 

 

 

American Christian Branches Among European Founded Churches

The following American Christian branches to European founded churches take their beginning from the history chart of the preceding page. The date before each denomination indicates the beginning of that American branch church fellowship.

Lutheran Branch

1818 - Ohio Lutheran Synod

1930 - American Lutheran Church

1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

1820 - General Lutheran Synod

1863 - United Synod South

1867 - General Lutheran Council

1918 - United Lutheran Church in America

1962 - Lutheran Church in America

1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

1847 - Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

1976 - Association of Evangelical Lutherans

1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

1854 Iowa Lutheran Synod

1930 - American Lutheran Church

1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

1860 - Swedish Augustana Synod

1962 - Lutheran Church in America

1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

1872 - American Evangelical Lutheran Church

1962 - Lutheran Church in America

1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

1890 - Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church

1962 - Lutheran Church in America

1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

1896 - United Evangelical Lutheran Church

1960 - American Lutheran Church

1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

1900 - Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America

1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

1918 - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

1929 - Apostolic Lutheran Church of America

Reformed Branch

1628 - Dutch Reformed Church

1857 - Christian Reformed Church

1926 - Protestant Reformed Churches of America

1867 - Reformed Church in America

1628 - Puritans/Congregationalists

Evangelical Protestant Church of North America

1931 - Congregational Christian Churches

1957 - United Church of Christ

1790 - Universalists

1961 - Unitarian Universalist Association

1793 - German Reformed Church

1826 - Churches of God in North America

1869 - Reformed Church in the United States

1934 - Evangelical and Reformed Church

1957 - United Church of Christ

1801 - Christians/Churches of Christ

1832 - Christian Church/Disciples of Christ

1807 - Disciples of Christ

1832 - Christian Church/Disciples of Christ

1849 - Evangelical Synod of North America

1934 - Evangelical and Reformed Church

1957 - United Church of Christ

Anglican Branch

1787 - Protestant Episcopal Church

1861 - North Protestant Episcopal Church

1865 Protestant Episcopal Church

1873 - Reformed Episcopal Church

1861 - South Protestant Episcopal Church

1865 Protestant Episcopal Church

1873 - Reformed Episcopal Church

Presbyterian Branch

1706 - Presbyterian Church

1741 - New Side Presbyterian Church

1758 - Presbyterian Church

1741 - Old Side Presbyterian Church

1758 - Presbyterian Church

1810 - Cumberland Presbyterian Church

1837 - New School

1870 - Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.

1937 - Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Bible Presbyterian Church

1956 - Bible Presbyterian Church

1965 - Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod

1982 - Presbyterian Church of America

1837 - Old School

1861 - Presbyterian Church, Confederate States

Presbyterian Church in the United States

1973 - Presbyterian Church of America

1983 - Presbyterian Church, USA

1870 - Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.

1937 - Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Bible Presbyterian Church

1956 - Bible Presbyterian Church

1965 - Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod

1982 - Presbyterian Church of America

1752 - Reformed Presbytery

1833 - Reformed Presbyterian Church of No. America (Covenanters)

Associate Presbyterian Church

1858 - United Presbyterian Church of No. America

1958 - United Presbyterian Church, USA

1983 - Presbyterian Church, USA

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

1822 - Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (Covenanters)

1958 - United Presbyterian Church, USA

1983 - Presbyterian Church, USA

1774 - Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America

1965 - Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod

1982 - Presbyterian Church of America

Baptist Branch

1639 - British Separatists

1672 - Seventh-Day Baptists

1727 - Free Will Baptists

1770 - Old Lights

1787 - General Association of Separatists Baptists

1814 - Baptist Missionary Convention

1827 - Primitive Baptists

1845 - Northern Baptist Convention

1932 - General Assoc. of Regular Baptist Churches

1947 - Conservative Baptist Assoc. of America

1950 - America Baptist Convention

1770 - New Lights

1780 - Free Will Baptists (North)

1827 - Primitive Baptists

1910 - Northern Baptist Convention

1814 - Baptist Missionary Convention

1845 - Southern Baptist Convention

1895 - National Baptist Convention of America

1915 - National Baptist Convention of the U.S.A., Inc.

1961 - Progressive Baptist Convention

1905 - American Baptist Association

1895 - Northern Baptist Convention of America

1932 - General Assoc. of Regular Baptist Churches

1947 - Conservative Baptist Association of America

1950 - American Baptist Convention

Anabaptists

1840 - North American Baptist General Conference

1852 - Baptist General Conference

Methodist

1784 - Methodist Episcopal Church

1816 - African Methodist Episcopal Church

1821 - African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

1830 - Methodist Protestant Church/Bible Protestant Church

1939 - Methodist Church

1946 - Evangelical Methodist Church

1968 - United Methodist Church

1843 - Wesleyan Methodist Church of America

1968 - Wesleyan Church

1844 - Methodist Episcopal

1860 - Free Methodist Church

1908 - Church of the Nazarene

1939 - Methodist Church

1946 - Evangelical Methodist Church

1968 - United Methodist Church

1844 - Methodist Episcopal Church (South)

1870 - Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

1897 - Pilgrim Holiness Church

1968 - Wesleyan Church

1800 - Church of the United Brethren in Christ

1946 - Evangelical United Brethren Church

1807 - Evangelical Church

1946 - Evangelical United Brethren Church

1829 - Primitive Methodist Church

1886 - Church of God (Cleveland, TN)

1923 - Tomlinson Church of God

1943 - Church of God (Queens Village, NY)

1953 - Church of God of Prophecy

1957 - Church of God of All Nations

1886 - Church of God

1922 - Original Church of God, Inc.

1886 - United Holy Church of America, Inc.

1898 - Fire-Baptized Holiness Church

1953 - Emanuel Holiness Church

1911 - Pentecostal Holiness Church

1918 - Pentecostal Fire-Baptized Holiness Church

1899 - Pentecostal Holiness Church

1911 - Pentecostal Holiness Church

1901 - Pentecostal Union

1917 - Pillar of Fire

1914 - Assemblies of God, General Council

1914 - Church of God by Faith, Inc.

1914 - Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc.

1924 - Pentecostal Church, Inc.

1945 - United Pentecostal Church, Inc.

Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ, Inc.

1917 - Pentecostal Church of Christ

1918 - International Church of the Foursquare Gospel

1919 - Pentecostal Church of God of America, Inc.

1919 - International Pentecostal Assemblies

1919 - Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc.

1957 - Bible Way Church, World-Wide

1919 - Bible Standard, Inc.

1935 - Open Bible Standard Churches, Inc.

1932 - Open Bible Evangelistic Association

1935 - Open Bible Standard Churches, Inc.

1932 - Calvary Pentecostal Church, Inc.

1947 - Elim Missionary Assemblies