POL-325, RELIGION & POLITICS IN AMERICA, SPRING 2009

BRIEF GUIDE TO U.S. DENOMINATIONS & FAITH TRADITIONS

The lists below include the largest or most visible denominations, grouped according to categories typically used by social scientists who study religion in America (there is certainly some dispute as to some placements, of course). Protestant denominational groupings or "families" have enough in common to be grouped together usefully. However, in grouping them, we should not overemphasize what they have in common; significant differences remain. Faith traditions sometimes have subgroupings (Judaism, for example); technically the term ‘denomination’ applies only within Protestantism, but the term ‘denomination’ is used by some scholars generically to refer to denominations and faith traditions together.

Most recent membership totals in parentheses. Common names included with formal denominational names.

The on-line version of this document links to the main home page for as many of these denominations/faith traditions as possible.

WHITE EVANGELICAL PROTESTANTS (20% of US population)

Baptist: Southern Baptist Convention (16.3 million, largest Protestant denomination)

American Baptist Churches USA (1.4 million)

Holiness: Church of the Nazarene (630,000)

Christian and Missionary Alliance (420,000)

Salvation Army (427,000)

Lutheran: Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) (2.5 million)

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) (400,000)

Nondenominational Evangelical churches (at least 3.5 million)

Pentecostal: Assemblies of God (2.8 million)

Church of God (Cleveland TN) (990,000)

Presbyterian: Presbyterian Church in America (325,000)

Reformed: Christian Reformed Church (191,000)

Restorationist: Churches of Christ (1.5 million)

Others: Seventh Day Adventists (935,000)

Mennonite Church USA (111,000)

Evangelical Free Church of America (350,000)

Evangelical Covenant Church (116,000)

Church of the Brethren (131,000)

WHITE MAINLINE PROTESTANTS (19% of population)

Anglican: Episcopal Church USA (2.3 million)

Congregational: United Church of Christ (UCC) (1.3 million)

Lutheran: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) (4.9 million)

Methodist: United Methodist Church (8.25 million, largest mainline denomination)

Presbyterian: Presbyterian Church (USA) (3.2 million)

Reformed: Reformed Church in America (276,000)

Restorationist: Christian Church/Disciples of Christ (750,000)

Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (215,000)

BLACK PROTESTANTS (11% of population)

Baptist: National Baptist Convention USA (5 million)

National Missionary Baptist Convention of America (2.5 million)

Progressive National Baptist Convention (2.5 million)

Methodist: African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) (2.5 million)

AME Zion Church (1.4 million)

Pentecostal: Church of God in Christ (5.5 million)

Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (1.5 million)

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (25% of population, 65.9 million members)

US Conference of Catholic Bishops website

JUDAISM (2% of population, 5.7 million)

Union for Reform Judaism (1.5 million)

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (over 1.5 million)

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (no official membership count, 1000 synagogues)

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka Mormons) (5.6 million)

Jehovah's Witnesses (1 million)

ISLAM (Muslims) (4.7 million, though estimates vary widely around this number)

Nation of Islam (African-American Muslims)

EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCHES

(organized by "home" country, 14 different churches; Greek Orthodox is largest in U.S., 1.5 million)

Society of Friends (Quakers) (200,000 total, four main groups)

BUDDHISTS (2.7 million)

HINDUS (1.1 million)

SIKHS (270,000)

BAHA’I (830,000)