History Pages
A Brief History of Denominations
- 325 - The First Council of Nicaea
- The First Council of Nicaea was called by the Emperor Constantine to debate the teaching of Arius (ca.250-ca.336). Arius taught that the Person of Christ was subordinate to that of God the Father, and that Christ was created by God. His view was condemned by the Council, but groups of his followers continued to hold and teach it for the next couple of centuries.
- 431 - The Council of Ephesus
- The Council of Ephesus was called to deal with the Nestorian controversy. Nestorius (d.ca.451) was the bishop of Constantinople. Nestorius thought that the incarnate Christ had two Persons (one divine, and the other human); he protested against the title "Theotokos" (Bearer of God) used for the Virgin Mary. The Council of Ephesus upheld the doctrine of the one Person, or Nature, of Christ (fully God and fully human), allowed the use of the title "Theotokos" for the Virgin Mary, and deposed Nestorius from his see.
However, Nestorius had been supported by a group of Syrian bishops, who refused to accept the decision of the Council of Ephesus and broke away to form the "Church of the East" (known in the West as the Nestorian Church). Its center was in Persia, but missionaries traveled along the trade routes further East, as far as southern India, western China, and amongst the Mongols. The Nestorian Churches met with difficulties after the Arabs conquered Persia. The Assyrian Church (with scriptures and liturgy in Syriac), and Mar Thoma Church of Malabar (India) exist to this day. - 451 - The Council of Chalcedon
- The Council of Chalcedon was called to deal with the teachings of Eutyches (ca.378-454). Eutyches had opposed Nestorianism, but took such an extreme view that he was accused of confounding the two Natures (human and divine) of Christ. The Council of Chalcedon upheld the decisions of the previous Ecumenical Councils and repudiated the views of both Nestorius and Eutyches.
A group of bishops did not agree with the decisions of the Council, and eventually broke away to form the Miaphysite (or Monophysite) churches. The Miaphysite churches prefer to use that description (One-nature), but the western churches commonly refer to them as Monophysites (uniform-Nature) implying that the incarnate Christ had only one (divine) Nature, rather than two Natures (divine and human).
Miaphysite churches today include the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches, the Syrian Orthodox Church, and the Armenian Orthodox Church. - ca.500 - 1054
- From the sixth to the eleventh centuries there was increased misunderstanding between the Eastern and Western branches of the Church, culminating in the Great Schism of 1054
- 1022
- A group of Cathars were condemned in France. Cathars were a group of sects with dualistic teachings related to Manichaeism. They included the Albigensians (France), Cathars (Italy, Germany), Paulicians (Armenia, Bulgaria), Bogomils (Bulgaria). They died out in the fourteenth century
- 1054
- The Great Schism between East and West - the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches excommunicated one another
- ca. 1173
- Peter Waldo began preaching apostolic poverty and founded the Poor Men of Lyon (France). In 1215 the teachings were declared to be heretical and Waldensians were persecuted. Most of them merged with other Protestant groups at the time of the Reformation
- ca.1300-ca.1400
- Groups of English laypeople and clerics started calling for reform of the Church. They were nicknames Lollards. John Wycliffe became one of the principle leaders of the movement. His ideas spread to Bohemia, and influenced Jan Huss.
- 1414
- The Council of Constance condemned the teachings of Jan Huss
- 1415
- Jan Huss was burned at the stake after being condemned by the Council of Constance. His followers became the Hussites
- 1517
- Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses for discussion for reformation of the Roman Catholic Church
- 1521
- The Diet of Worms condemned the teachings of Martin Luther.
- 1525
- An Anabaptist group started in Zurich, under the leadership of Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531), as part of the Swiss Reformation. They became the Swiss Brethren.
- 1527
- The Schleitheim Confession (an Anabaptist confession of faith) led to the formation of communities by Jakob Hutter in 1528. These were later called the Hutterites.
- 1534
- The Act of Supremacy, passed by the English parliament, gave the title "Supreme Head of the Church (of England)" to Henry VIII. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, set about reforming the Church of England or Anglican Church
- 1536
- The first edition of Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion" was published
- 1556
- Peter Gonesius spoke against the doctrine of the Trinity during a synod of the Reformed Churches of Poland, and in 1565 his followers were expelled from the Reformed Churches in Poland and formed the Polish Brethren - a Unitarian Church
- 1568
- The government of Transylvania recognized the Unitarian Church in Transylvania
- 1572
- The reformed Church of Scotland (The Kirk) was formed as a Presbyterian church, under the leadership of John Knox who had been with John Calvin in Geneva.
- 1582
- Robert Browne, a separatist in England, published his ideas about church governance, which led to the formation of nonconformist Congregational churches.
- 1603
- The Millenary Petition, brought by a group of Puritans to James I of England (James VI of Scotland) led to the Hampton Court Conference of 1604. Those who did not agree with the rulings of the Conference were known as Dissenters. Some Dissenters remained within the Church of England (the Anglican Church). Some Dissenters separated from the Church of England and were known as Separatists. Seperatists eventually formed the Independents, Congregationalists, Baptists, and similar churches.
- 1609
- John Smyth, an English Seperatist in Amsterdam, influenced by Anabaptist teachings, reintroduced Believer's Baptism - regarded as the start of the Baptist Churches.
- 1620
- The Pilgrim Fathers (English dissenters) set sail from Bristol in the Mayflower to found a colony on Congregational line in America
- 1645
- Daniil Filippovich a Russian peasant, broke eith Eastern Orthodoxy and founded the Khlysty in Russia. They rejected the priesthood and sought direct revelation from the Holy Spirit. They practised asceticism and practised ecstatic rituals. They were organized into small cells called Arks, under combined male and female leadership. They were heavily persecuted by the Communist regimes.
- 1648
- Puritans in New England wrote the Cambridge Platform for church governance, which became the model for Congregational churches.
- 1652
- George Fox started preaching in the north of England, and his followers became known as Quakers
- 1658
- The parliament of Poland disbanded the Polish Brethren and ordered them to become Roman Catholics or leave Poland. Many of them moved to Transylvania or Holland, where they were known as Unitarians
- 1667
- Peasants and lower clergy who resisted the Reforms of Patriarch Nikon of the Russian Orthodox Church were excommunicated and became the Old Believers or Raskolniki (schismatics)
- 1693
- Jakob Ammann became leader of a group of Swiss Anabaptists and formed the Amish. They split into the Old Order Amish and the Amish Mennonites later. In the early eighteenth century they immigrated to America and settled in communities in Pennsylvania. Amish who remained in Europe gradually assimilated into the Mennonites.
- Early 1700s
- Groups of "Spiritual Christians" (Doukhobors) began to spread in Russia. They were pacifists who rejected the Russian Orthodox Church and held that the Bible was their source of divine revelation. Later on, some of them sought spiritual enlightenment beyond the Bible.
- 1702
- A group of Dutch Roman Catholics broke with Rome and formed the Church of Utrecht, which joined with others later to become the Old Catholic Church
- 1708
- Alexander Mack in Germany founded the Schwarzenau New Baptists or Schwarzenau Brethren as an Anabaptist society. In America they were initially called the Dunkers. In 1908 they took the name Church of the Brethren.
- 1710
- The followers of Jakob Amman were first called Amish by their opponents.
- 1738
- John Wesley and his brother Charles experienced evangelical conversion, and started to preach 'salvation by faith'. John Wesley's followers formed the Methodists
- 1774
- The first Unitarian congregation in England was founded, with Theophilus Lindsey and Joseph Priestly as members
- 1779
- Semen Matveev Uklein led a reformation of the Doukhobors, calling for a return reliance on the Bible rather than on mysticism. The resulting groups were known as the Molokans (milk-drinkers) because they drank milk on days forbidden by the Russian Orthodox Church)
- 1784
- After the American Revolution, the Anglicans in America became the Episcopal Church. John Wesley appointed Methodist preachers for America, and Methodism split from the Anglican Church.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in America - 1787
- The New Church (Christadelphian Church) was founded in England by followers of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). They repudiated the doctrine of the Trinity, and taught that God was one person, Jesus.
- 1801
- The Cane Ridge Revival resulted in the formation of the Christian Church by Barton Stone
- 1809
- Disciples of Christ (Campbellites) started by Alexander Campbell
- 1816
- Bishop Richard Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church as an African-American denomination in response to racial discrimination in white Episcopalian Churches
- 1825
- The American Unitarian Association (AUA) was formed on March 26 by the union of several Unitarian groups. In 1961 it joined with the Universalist Church of America to became the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Also on March 26 in 1825 the British and Foreign Unitarian Association was founded in England.
- 1830
- J. N. Darby (1800-1882) a former Anglican priest, founded a center for the Plymouth Brethren in Plymouth, England. He was influenced by Calvinism, Pietism, and Adventism. Plymouth Brethren stress complete autonomy of the individual church, and tended to split into various groups. In 1849 they split into 'Open Brethren' and 'Exclusive Brethren'
- 1830
- Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons)
- 1831
- William Miller, a Baptist preacher, announced that the Second Coming of Christ would occur in 1844. His followers were called the Millerites. Some of them formed the Christadelphians in 1844, others formed the Advent Christian Church in 1861, and others formed the Seventh Day Adventists in 1863.
- 1832
- Christian Church and Disciples of Christ merged
- 1833
- Molokans in Russia were exiled to the Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Siberia. At this time there was a pentecostal/charismatic outpouring, and the Molokans split into the "Constant Molkans" (who did not agree with charismatic phenomena) and "Pryguny" (Jumpers)
- 1838
- Saxon Lutherans were persecuted in Prussia, so emigrated to the USA and formed the basis of the Missouri Synod
- 1844
- Christadelphians broke away from Millerites
- 1845
- The Southern Baptist Convention was formed in Augusta, Georgia
- 1847
- The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LC-MS) was founded
- 1850
- The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) was founded
- 1861-1865 - The American Civil War
- Several Churches in the USA split into Northern and Southern groups, often divided by their stance on the abolition of slavery. In the years after the war, some of the divided groups re-united, but some continued as separate churches.
- 1861
- Advent Christian Church formed from Millerites
- 1863
- Seventh Day Adventists formed from Millerites
- 1864
- John Thomas chose the name Christadelphians for the Campbellites, Unitarians, and Adventists who had become his followers.
- 1865
- William Booth founded the Salvation Army to bring the message of the Gospel to the poor
- 1866
- The Universalist General Convention was formed; it changed its name in 1942 to the Universalist Church of America, and formed part of the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1961
- 1870
- The First Vatican Council introduced the dogma of Infallibility (of the Pope when defining doctrine under particular circumstances)). Groups of European Catholics did not accept the decision and formed the Old Catholic Church
- 1872
- The Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America (ELCA) was founded
- 1879
- Mary Baker Eddy founded the Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science) in Boston
- 1881
- The Church of God (Anderson) was formed by Daniel Sidney Warner in the Holiness and pacifist traditions.
- 1884
- Charles Taize Russell founded the Bible Student Movement, which led to Jehovah's Witnesses
- 1886
- The Church of God (Cleveland, TN) began at a meeting of Baptists in Barney Creek, Tennessee. At a revival meeting in 1896 members began speaking in Pentecostal signs, including speaking in tongues, were manifested. After contact in 1907 with the Azusa Street Revival the Church of God became part of the Pentecostal movement. The 'Church of God of Prophecy' separated from the Church of God in 1923 due to financial disputes. Also in the 1920s a group who practised snake-handling separated, to become the 'Church of God with Signs Following'.
- 1906
- The Azusa Street Revival began in Los Angeles, led by William J. Seymour. Although Pentecostal signs had occurred in other groups previously, this was the first time that speaking in tongues was emphasized as evidence for the Baptism in the noly Spirit, and is regarded as the birth of Pentecostalism.
- 1914-1918 - World War I
- The German language was suppressed in the USA. Nearly all German-speaking religious groups in the USA, except for the Amish, gradually began using English.
- 1918
- The United Lutheran Church in America was founded
- 1923
- The Church of God of Prophecy separated from the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) over issues about the structure of church governance.
- 1923
- Aimee Semple McPherson built the Angelus Temple, foundation of the Church of the Four Square Gospel
- 1927-1971
- The split of the 'Disciples of Christ' into the 'Churches of Christ' and the 'Christian Church' took place over a long period. Exact dates are difficult to set, because the individual churches act autonomously. A dispute about open or closed membership in 1920 led to a convention in 1926 which was unable to resolve the conflict. From then on churches began to withdraw and form other associations. Separation was complete by 1971 when the Independent Churches were listed separately in the Yearbook of American churches
- 1930
- Rastafari was founded in Jamaica
- 1931
- The Jehovah's Witnesses formelly split from the Bible Student Movement
- 1934
- Herbert Armstrong founded the Radio Church of God
- 1939
- The Southern and Northern branches of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Methodist Protestant Church, reunite, to form The Methodist Church
- 1952
- The Redeemed Christian Church of God was founded by the Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi among the Yoruba in Nigeria
- 1954
- The Rev. Sun Myung Mun founded the "Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity", claiming that he was sent to accomplish the work Jesus had been unable to do because of His death. This became the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies
- 1957
- The United Church of Christ was formed by the union of groups of Congregationalists, Calvinists, and Lutherans
- 1961
- The Unitarian Universalist Association was formed by the merger of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America
- 1968
- The United Methodist Church was formed by the union of the Methodist Church with the Evangelical United Brethren Church
- 1986
- After the death of Herbert Armstrong in 1986, the Worldwide Church of God started to move back towards traditional Christian teachings. Some members left, to start other churches.
- 1988
- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was founded
- 2009
- The Worldwide Church of God changed its name to Grace Communion International.
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
