More precisely, why did they seem to have to wait 1500 years?
If the Church was so very bad, one would THINK that
--the Reformation might have happened sooner;
--some other Catholic (European) priests would have begun the process of separation;
--there would be ONE or even TEN Protestant denominations instead of 30,000+ different Protestant denominations in the world, divided among 1.6 billion Christians:
--that there wouldn't be 1.6 billion Catholics in the world
--that those 1.6 billion Catholics wouldn't be united in one faith, one doctrine, one denomination, under ONE Pope, from an unbroken line of popes, beginning with St. Peter, who received the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Luther received no keys. Do you really think that 30,000 different Protestant (protesting no more) is what Jesus had in mind?
Here are some of the Protestant denominations that were on the Internet, the list garnered by Protestants themselves.
Estimates of the total number of Protestants are very uncertain, partly because of the difficulty in determining which denominations should be placed in the category. It seems however clear that Protestantism is the second largest major group of Christians after Catholicism by number of followers. Often that number is put at 800 million.
Some sources, which put the number at 800 million, include also Anglicanism within Protestantism. However, Protestant denominations in the world differ vastly to slightly theologically and do not form a single communion.
Historical Protestantism - 300-400 million
Baptist churches - 75-105 million
1. Southern Baptist Convention - 15.7 million
2. National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. - 8.5 million
3. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. - 3.1 million
4. Nigerian Baptist Convention - 2.5 million
5. Progressive National Baptist Convention - 2.5 million
6. Baptist General Convention of Texas - 2.3 million
7. Baptist Union of Uganda - 1.5 million
8. American Baptist Churches USA - 1.4 million
9. Brazilian Baptist Convention - 1.3 million
10. Baptist Bible Fellowship International - 1.2 million
11. Baptist Community of the Congo River - 1 million
12. National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A. - 1 million
13. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America - 1 million
14. Myanmar Baptist Convention - 0.9 million
15. Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches - 0.8 million
16. Korea Baptist Convention - 0.8 million
18. Baptist Convention of Kenya - 0.8 million
19. Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India - 0.6 million
20. Cooperative Baptist Fellowship - 0.5 million
21. Nagaland Baptist Church Council - 0.5 million
22. Baptist Convention in Tanzania - 0.5 million
23. Orissa Evangelical Baptist Crusade - 0.5 million
24. Baptist General Association of Virginia - 0.5 million
25. National Baptist Convention (Brazil) - 0.4 million
26. Church of Christ in Congo–Baptist Community of Congo - 0.4 million
27. Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches - 0.3
28. American Baptist Association - 0.3 million
29. Union of Baptist Churches in Rwanda - 0.3 million
30. Association of Baptist Churches in Rwanda - 0.3 million
31. Garo Baptist Convention - 0.2 million
32. Baptist Community of Western Congo - 0.2 million
33. Baptist Missionary Association of America - 0.2 million
34. Conservative Baptist Association of America - 0.2 million
35. National Association of Free Will Baptists - 0.2 million
36. Canadian Baptist Ministries - 0.2 million
37. National Baptist Convention of Mexico - 0.2 million
38. Manipur Baptist Convention - 0.2 million[15]
39. Convention of Baptist Churches of the Northern Circars - 0.2 million
40. Baptist Community in Central Africa - 0.2 million
41. Baptist Convention of Malawi - 0.2 million
Lutheranism - 65-90 million
42. Evangelical Church in Germany - 24.5 million
43. Church of Sweden - 6.5 million
44. Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus - 6.4 million
45. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania - 5.8 million
46. United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India - 4.5 million
47. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - 4.5 million
48. Church of Denmark - 4.4 million
49. Batak Christian Protestant Church - 4.2 million
50. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland - 4.1 million
51. Church of Norway - 3.8 million
52. Malagasy Lutheran Church - 3.0 million
53. Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod - 2.2 million
54. The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria - 2.2 million
55. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea - 0.9 million
56. Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil - 0.7 million
57. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia - 0.7 million
58. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa - 0.6 million
59. Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia - 0.6 million
60. Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia - 0.4 million
61. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod - 0.4 million
62. Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in
63. Slovakia - 0.4 million
64. The Indonesian Protestant Church - 0.4 million
65. The Protestant Christian Church - 0.4 million
66. Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria - 0.3 million
67. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon - 0.2 million
68. Church of Iceland - 0.2 million
69. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil - 0.2 million
70. Simalungun Protestant Christian Church - 0.2 million
71. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe - 0.2 million
71. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia - 0.2 million
72. Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary - 0.2 million
74. Protestant Church of Augsburg Confession of Alsace and Lorraine - 0.2 million
75. The Lutheran Council of Great Britain - 0.2 million
76. Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church - 0.2 million
77. Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ - 0.2 million
78. North American Lutheran Church - 0.2 million
Reformed churches - 55-85 million[11][32][33]
Presbyterianism - 40-50 million
79. Presbyterian Church of East Africa - 4.0 million
80. Presbyterian Church of Nigeria - 3.8 million
81. Presbyterian Church of Africa - 3.4 million
82. Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) - 3.0 million
83. The Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap) - 2.9 million
84. United Church of Canada - 2.8 million
85. Church of Christ in Congo–Presbyterian Community of Congo - 2.5 million
86. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - 1.8 million
87. Presbyterian Church of Cameroon - 1.8 million
88. Presbyterian Church of India - 1.3 million
89. Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian - 1.3 million
90. Church of Scotland - 1.1 million
91. Presbyterian Church of Brazil - 1.0 million
92. Presbyterian Church in Sudan - 1.0 million
93. Presbyterian Church in Cameroon - 0.7 million
94. Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDongBoSu II.) - 0.7 million
95. Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDongChunTong) - 0.6 million
96. Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana - 0.6 million]
97. United Church of Christ in the Philippines - 0.5 million
98. Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa - 0.5 million
99. Presbyterian Church in America - 0.4 million
100. Presbyterian Church of Pakistan - 0.4 million
101. Korean Presbyterian Church - 0.4 million
102. Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin) - 0.4 million
103. Presbyterian Church in Ireland - 0.3 million
104. Uniting Church in Australia - 0.3 million
105. Presbyterian Church in Rwanda - 0.3 million
106. Presbyterian Church in Taiwan - 0.3 million
107. Continental Reformed churches - 20-30 million
108. Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar - 3.5 million
109. Protestant Church in Indonesia - 3.1 million
110. United Church of Zambia - 3.0 million
111. Protestant Church in the Netherlands - 2.5 million
112. Evangelical Church of Cameroon - 2.5 million
113. Swiss Reformed Church - 2.4 million
114. Protestant Evangelical Church in Timor - 2.0 million
115. Dutch Reformed Church - 1.1 million
116. Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa - 0.7 million
117. United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands - 0.6 million
118. Protestant Church in Western Indonesia - 0.6 million
119. Evangelical Christian Church in Tanah Papua - 0.6 million
120. Protestant Church in the Moluccas - 0.6 million
121. Reformed Church in Hungary - 0.6 million
122. Reformed Church in Romania - 0.6 million
123. Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa - 0.5 million
124. Toraja Church - 0.4 million
125. Reformed Church of France - 0.4 million
126. Lesotho Evangelical Church - 0.3 million
127. Evangelical Christian Church in Halmahera - 0.3 million
128. Evangelical Reformed Church in Angola - 0.3 million
129. Christian Church of Sumba - 0.3 million
130. Karo Batak Protestant Church - 0.3 million
131. Reformed Church in America - 0.3 million
132. Christian Reformed Church in North America - 0.3 million
133. Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria - 0.3 million
134. Reformed Church in Zambia - 0.3 million
135. Kalimantan Evangelical Church - 0.2 million
136. Javanese Christian Churches - 0.2 million
137. Indonesia Christian Church - 0.2 million
138. hurch of Christ in the Sudan Among the Tiv - 0.2 million
139. Church of Lippe - 0.2 million
140. Evangelical Church of Congo - 0.2 million
141. Evangelical Church of Gabon - 0.2 million
142. Christian Evangelical Church of Sangihe Talaud - 0.2 million
143. Central Sulawesi Christian Church - 0.2 million
144. Evangelical Reformed Church in Bavaria and Northwestern Germany - 0.2 million
Congregationalism - 5 million
145. United Church of Christ - 1.2 million br>146. Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola - 0.9 million
147. United Congregational Church of Southern Africa - 0.5 million
Methodism - 30-80 million
148. United Methodist Church - 12 million
149. African Methodist Episcopal Church - 2.5 million
150. Methodist Church Nigeria - 2 million
151. Church of the Nazarene - 2 million
152. Methodist Church of Southern Africa - 1.7 million
153. Korean Methodist Church - 1.5 million
154. African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church - 1.5 million
155. The Salvation Army - 1.4 million
156. United Methodist Church of Ivory Coast - 1 million
157. Free Methodist Church - 0.9 million
158. Christian Methodist Episcopal Church - 0.9 million
159. Methodist Church Ghana - 0.8 million
160. Methodist Church in India - 0.6 million
161. Methodist Church in Kenya - 0.5 million
162. Wesleyan Church - 0.4 million
163. Evangelical Free Church of America - 0.4 million
164. Methodist Church of Great Britain - 0.3 million
165. Methodist Church in Brazil - 0.2 million
166. Anabaptism and Schwarzenau Brethren - 3.5 million
167. Schwarzenau Brethren/German Baptist groups - 1.5 million
168. Mennonites - 1.7 million
169. Amish - 0.25 million
170. Hutterites - 0.05 million
170. Hussites - 1 million
171. Moravians - 0.825 million
172. Czechoslovak Hussite Church - 0.14 million
173. Unity of the Brethren - 0.035 million
174. Quakers (Religious Society of Friends) - 0.4 million
Modern Protestantism - 400-500 million
175. Pentecostalism - 280 million
176. Assemblies of God - 65 million
177. Fangcheng Fellowship - 12 million
178. International Circle of Faith - 11 million
179. China Gospel Fellowship - 10 million
180. Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) - 9 million
181. International Church of the Foursquare Gospel - 8 million
182. Church of God in Christ - 6.5 million
183. Apostolic Church - 6 million
184. Jesus is Lord Church - 6 million
185. International Pentecostal Holiness Church - 4 million
186. United Pentecostal Church International - 4 million
187. The Pentecostal Mission - 2.5 million
188. Christian Congregation of Brazil - 2.5 million
189. True Jesus Church - 2.5 million
190. Church of Pentecost - 2.1 million
191. Universal Church of the Kingdom of God - 2 million
192. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World - 1.5 million
193. Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa - 1.2 million
194. Church of God of Prophecy - 1.5 million
195. Association of Pentecostal Churches of Rwanda - 1 million
196. God is Love Pentecostal Church - 0.8 million
Nondenominational evangelicalism - 80 million
197. Calvary Chapel - 25 million
198. Born Again Movement - 3 million
199. Association of Vineyard Churches - 15 million
200. Christian and Missionary Alliance - 4 million
201. Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) - 1.2 million
African initiated Protestant churches - 60 million
201. Zion Christian Church - 15 million
203. Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim - 10 million
204. Kimbanguist Church - 5.5 million
205. Church of the Lord (Aladura) - 3.6 million
206. Council of African Instituted Churches - 3 million
207. Church of Christ Light of the Holy Spirit - 1.4 million
208. African Church of the Holy Spirit - 0.7 million
209. African Israel Church Nineveh - 0.5 million
210. Seventh-day Adventist Church - 17 million
211. New Apostolic Church - 10 million
Chinese-originated and Chinese Independent Churches – 10 million
Groups listed have origins in the Lord's Recovery movement associated with Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. The Shouters are an offshoot of the Local Churches considered a dangerous sect by the Chinese government; due to the extremely decentralized nature of both groups, there is controversy over which house churches should be actually considered part of each. Eastern Lightning, which is in turn an offshoot of The Shouters, is very hierarchical (in contrast to its predecessors) and teaches that Christ has already returned as a woman named Lightning Deng.
Local Churches – between 1 and 10 million
213. Eastern Lightning – 1 million
214. The Shouters – unknown, probably less than 1 million
215. Restoration Movement - 7 million
216. Churches of Christ - 5 million
Christian churches and churches of Christ - 1.1 million
217. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - 0.7 million
218. Community of Disciples of Christ in Congo - 0.7 million
219. Plymouth Brethren - 1 million
=============================================
Chinese churches in the U.S.A. are offshoots of Protestant denominations, VERY specific to local Chinese populations.
Please don’t criticize Protestants having rites and I won’t criticize Catholics having rites. Al-rite?
And the point of your list is....??????
The Roman Catholics remind me of a creepy ex-girlfriend that keeps telling you how wrong you are, and how you need to stop being happy where you are. And is always scheming how to get you back.
We aren’t coming back, even if you keep metaphorically keep slashing our tires and stalking us. Go away.
>> “More precisely, why did they seem to have to wait 1500 years?” <<
.
Let’s look at the reality.
Millions died at the hands of the RCC for following God’s word instead of knuckling under to Rome’s paganism.
Its scary to leave your ‘church’ when it is the government of the known world.
.
***More precisely, why did they seem to have to wait 1500 years? ***
Because the Sacred Scriptures in original languages did not become available and the printing press was not yet invented to allow mass distribution of the gospels, and men became more educated a LEARNED TO READ about that time.
The first thing so many of them realized when they got hold of a copy of the new Testament was...”Hey, THAT’s not what I’ve been taught”!
I will not denigrate the ancient church, as during the DARK AGES, they were responsible for keeping knowledge alive in the worst time in Human History. They may not have realized what a treasure they really had in their hot little hands!
The One true Church -- the Catholic Church and how to recognize it.
Use this guideline as a measure...
*It was founded by Jesus Christ Himself in Mt 16:18.
*It would be built on Simon Peter, Mt 16:18.
*It would be defended by GOD Himself, Mt 16:18-19.
*It would have authority given by Jesus Christ, Mt 16:19,18:17-18.
*It would be guided by the Holy Spirit who will dwell within it, Jn 14:15-17, Act 15:28,16:6.
*It would be one and undivided, Mk 3:24-25.
*It would have one fold and one shepherd, Jn 10:16.
*It would have Priests, Bishops, and Deacons, 1Tim 3:1-13.
*It must have the Holy Eucharist celebration, Jn 6:42-70, Acts 2:42.
*It must be found in all nations, Mt 28:19.
*It must be found in all centuries, Mt 28:20.
*Jesus Christ said He would be with His Church every day, in every year, until the end of the world, Mt 28:20. (This means no gaps in time.)
Many tried to leave or reform the Roman church earlier. The Heugonots, Albigensians and others. They were dealt with ruthlessly and many were martyred. There was not one big happy family prior to the Reformation, heresy has always been called out, often at the cost of one’s life
That is just another lie of Rome
In an article entitled “30,000 Protestant Denominations?”, Evangelical apologist Eric Svendsen exposes the falsehood of this fabrication. Briefly:
Svendsen shows that the source of this figure is the World Christian Encyclopedia (David A. Barrett; Oxford University Press, 1982).
Barrett cites a figure of 20,780 denominations. However not all of them are Protestants. According to Barrett, Protestants account for 8,196 (and incidentally, Roman Catholics account for 223).
However, even this figure of eight thousand Protestant denominations is misleading, for Barrett defines “distinct denominations” as any group that might have a slightly different emphasis than another group. The distinction is made on the basis of jurisdiction, rather than differing beliefs and practices.
Barrett breaks down the Protestant bloc into twenty-one major “traditions” which are much closer to what we usually mean by the word “denominations.” It is interesting that Roman Catholics are subdivided into sixteen such “traditions.”
Svendsen concludes, “In short, Roman Catholic apologists have hurriedly, carelessly - and, as a result, irresponsibly - glanced at Barrett’s work, found a large number (22,189), and arrived at all sorts of absurdities that Barrett never concluded.”