- by Carrie Shaw
- on April 21, 2026
Why are there so many different churches?
That is a really great question!
I’m so glad you asked (let’s be real, I’m frothing). I loooove church history and I’m a bit of a nerd about it, so I could definitely get wordy on this one.
But what you’re probably looking for is a simple-ish answer to a sort of simple-ish question, without all the fluff and faff.
So, in the words of Inigo Montoya, “….there is too much – let me sum up:” (ok, I may yap a little, but I’ll try my best…)
AD 30.25 or 33.25* The Church Is Born
Jesus dies, the disciples are demoralised and scared and sad. Three days later, Jesus is miraculously resurrected – yay! The disciples have a total change of heart and attitude, helped along by the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Church is started and, against all the odds and facing horrible persecution – think burnt at the stake, eaten by lions, beheading – it grows like wildfire.
Important people from this period include figures like Ignatius of Antioch, John of Patmos, Polycarp, and Athanasius – along with remarkable women such as Priscilla, one of the early teachers of the faith; Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs remembered for their courage; and Macrina the Younger, a theologian and mentor to the Cappadocian Fathers.
AD 313 – Constantine The Great Legalises Christianity
There’s still just one Church, but now, it’s fortunes suddenly change. After three centuries of wild persecution, a guy called Constantine – a Roman Emperor – decides to legalise Christianity. He supports the movement by funding the construction of churches (buildings) and bestowing imperial favour.
There’s good news and bad news. Freedom of worship is now a thing – good news – but now the Christian faith is suddenly popular and trendy, and everyone wants in, especially those who are politically ambitious and religiously disinterested – bad news. Church meets state, and things are never quite the same.
There’s a bunch of creeds – official statements of Christian faith – written around this time, the most well-known being the Nicene Creed, which affirms the deity of Christ and condemns a false doctrine known as the Arian heresy.
The Church is mentioned in the creeds as being ‘the holy *catholic* church, which is just another word for universal (not to be confused with the Roman Catholic Church, which comes later…)
AD 476 The Fall Of The Western Roman Empire
The Roman Empire, which was split into East and West in 285 AD and ruled from two places, Rome in the West and Constantinople in the East, falls to the barbarians in the West. (The Eastern Empire would continue on for another thousand years, finally falling in AD 1453).
This is important because it sets the stage for the Church to become the main stabilising force in Europe, rather than the empire.
There’s still only one Church and still no such thing as denominations.
AD 800 The Pope Crowns The Emperor
Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne, a Frankish king, as Emperor of a revived Roman Empire, now called the Holy Roman Empire, uniting much of Western Europe under a Christian monarchy and giving the papacy unprecedented political influence.
This move symbolises the fusion of Church and state power in Western Europe. It also sets the stage for the next chapter in church history: the big fight between the church in Rome and the church in Constantinople – still one Church for now, but starting to show a few cracks.
When the Empire was split in 285 AD, the Church followed similar lines, still one Church, but with subtle differences that grew over time.
The church in the West spoke Latin, was centred in Rome, and considered the Pope as the supreme leader. The church in the East spoke Greek, was centred in Constantinople, which had continued to flourish despite Rome’s demise, and followed the Patriarch as leader.
AD 1054 The Church Breaks Up With Itself
This pivotal moment in church history is known as The Great Schism. The Great Schism: so dramatic!
The church in Rome (‘the West’) and the church in Constantinople (‘the East’) finally had significant words over theological, cultural, and practical differences – tensions that had been brewing for centuries.
It started with an accusation of heresy by Rome against Constantinople, followed by a bull of excommunication (very bad news).
Constantinople responded by issuing its own bull of excommunication against Rome (also very bad news).
It was the equivalent of “you’re not my friend and I’m not talking to you anymore”, followed by “well, you’re not my friend and I’m not talking to you either.”
This was the moment when the one Church formally separated into two distinct branches, each claiming supremacy and legitimacy. From this point on, we know them as the Roman Catholic Church (the West) and the Eastern Orthodox Church (the East).
For a thousand years, there had only been one Church, but now, it would begin to splinter and branch into the diverse and sometimes divided expressions of Christianity we see today.
It’s 1054, and denominations – distinct groups of the Church – are now a thing.
AD 1517 Martin Luther Gets His Crank On
Long called the ‘spark of the Protestant Reformation’ (although it could be rightly argued that plenty of small movements and moments before this also contributed), the nailing of his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg by Martin Luther, a German priest, famously marked the beginning of yet another branch of Christianity – Protestantism.
Protestantism – from ‘protestor’ – was a movement that protested, among many things, the excesses and false teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther’s theses challenged these abuses and called for reform within the church.
The Roman Catholic Church responded (to cut a long story short) by excommunicating Luther, who went on to form his own movement – Lutheranism – the first major denomination in what became a new branch of Christianity: Protestantism.
Luther wrote copiously, and much of his work was spread rapidly thanks to the recent invention of the printing press, by a man called Johannes Gutenberg. One of the earliest Bibles, which is now very famous, was a German-printed Bible known as the Gutenberg Bible.
But the Reformation in Germany wasn’t done yet. It would go through more refining, reshaping, and a fair bit of upheaval – and that’s where a man named John Calvin steps onto the scene.
Calvin, a French theologian working mainly in Switzerland, took Luther’s ideas and gave them structure. He emphasised God’s sovereignty, Scripture’s authority, and a disciplined, orderly faith – what became known as the Reformed tradition.
From his work came movements like the Presbyterians and Dutch Reformed Church, shaping much of Protestant thought for centuries to come.
AD 1534 England Gets On The Bandwagon
Over the English Channel, things are also heating up. The printing press had reached England as early as 1476, introduced by a man called William Caxton.
By 1526, English copies of the New Testament, translated by a man called William Tyndale and printed in Germany, were being smuggled into England. Smuggled, because printing the Bible in English was illegal in England at the time! Crazy, right?
Anyway, so that was one thing going on, but the second and more pressing issue was that King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry his mistress, Anne Boleyn – and the mean Pope over in Rome wouldn’t let him.
So Henry decided that the Pope was rubbish, that the English church didn’t need him as its head and that he – Henry – could do the job well enough.
He decided, dramatically, to break with Rome – not over doctrine but over authority. The Church of England was created with the King as its head (yet it still functioned much like the Roman Catholic Church in worship and theology).
But don’t forget that the Reformation is already raging in Europe. It makes its way to English shores not long after, meaning that the Church of England goes through much upheaval over the next few decades, oscillating between Roman Catholic faith and Protestant confession.
Finally, by 1559, the Church of England, as we know it, was settled under Elizabeth I, Henry’s daughter, setting England on its path as the distinct home of Protestantism. Yet another branch was born – Anglicanism.
We now have the Roman Catholic Church (based in Rome), the Lutheran Church in Europe (Protestant), the Eastern Orthodox Church in Constantinople, and the Church of England (Anglican) in England.
Head starting to explode yet?
1600AD+ The Mayflower Sets Sail And Other Adventures Abroad
This is where the Christian landscape starts to get a little busy and more than a bit crowded.
The Puritans upped sticks from England to America in late 1620, in order to escape persecution and find somewhere they could exercise their religious freedom in peace. They thought the Church of England was still too Catholic (read Roman Catholic) and wanted to purify the church more. They settled in America and, somewhat ironically, ended up persecuting other minorities.
The Puritans are most famous for the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts (which… didn’t end well).
The Wesleyans Go All Method(ist)
Meanwhile, back in England, a priest named John Wesley decided to go all method – literally – about his faith. Along with his brother Charles, he founded the Methodist movement, emphasising holiness, personal conversion, and practical faith.
Their focus on heartfelt devotion and organised discipleship would later sweep across the Atlantic, helping to spark what became known as The Great Awakening – a series of revivals that spread through England and the American colonies in the 18th century.
The Mormons Discover A New Revelation (Really?)
Meanwhile, in Vermont, in the 1820s, a teenager named Joseph Smith decided to take church reform to a whole new level. After claiming that God told him all existing churches were corrupt (sound familiar?), he later announced that an angel called Moroni had delivered directions to some golden plates hidden in a hill.
Smith translated them into the Book of Mormon – another testament of Jesus Christ (spoiler – the Bible is the only revelation of Jesus Christ), and thus began another uniquely American chapter in church history – equal parts (supposed) revelation, controversy, and marketing genius.
The Seventh Day Adventists Are Disappointed
Not far behind Joseph Smith came William Miller, a preacher who was absolutely certain Jesus would return in 1844. Spoiler: he didn’t. (When Jesus said that no one knows the day nor hour of his return, it turns out he really meant it.)
The event became known, somewhat awkwardly, as The Great Disappointment – though to be fair, the name does rather sum it up. Out of the ashes (and probably some red faces) came the Seventh Day Adventist movement, which carried on the flame with a renewed focus on Sabbath-keeping and healthy living.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses Start, Well, Witnessing…
In the late 19th century, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Charles Taze Russell stepped up with his own interpretation of prophecy, founding what would become the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Like many restoration movements of the time, Russell and his crowd came to regard Christian creeds and traditions as harmful errors. They saw their work as restoring Christianity to the purity of the first century.
They were known for their door-to-door evangelism and a strict focus on the end times, which, in fairness, they’ve been expecting any day now for quite a while.
The Pentecostals Join The Chat
Then along came Charles Parham, an American Methodist, in the late 1800s, with some rather bold ideas.
He opened the Bethel Bible School in Topeka, Kansas, and decided that speaking in tongues was the official sign of being baptised with the Holy Spirit (spoiler, it’s not).
During one of his classes, a student reportedly began to do just that – and Parham took it as scientific confirmation (peer review pending).
And with that, the modern Pentecostal movement had officially entered the chat.
Europe Forms Committees and Writes Documents
Across the ditch in Europe, things were a little more buttoned-up. While America was discovering tongues and tambourines, Europe was busy refining theology and forming committees.
The Dutch Reformed Church was settling into its strong Calvinist roots, the Presbyterians in Scotland were polishing their confessions, and the Lutherans across Germany and Scandinavia were holding tight to their hymnals and solid doctrine.
Meanwhile, the Moravians were quietly sending missionaries to the ends of the earth (long before it was trendy), the Anabaptists were still insisting that baptism was for believers only (I agree), and the Baptists – bless them – were multiplying faster than anyone could keep count.
Even within the Church of England, there were little offshoots sprouting everywhere: Congregationalists, Quakers, and just about every flavour of Protestant you could imagine.
Europe may not have had the same emotional revivals as America, but it certainly wasn’t short on opinions – or denominations.
By this point, the Christian world looked less like a single tree and more like a vast forest – full of shared roots, but with many distinct branches.
Different expressions of faith, worship styles, and traditions developed, yet all traced back to that same moment sometime around AD 30 when the Church was born.
2025 Okay, Enough. Which One Is The Right One?
Unsurprisingly, a great many denominations all claim to be the legitimate one – or at least the one that’s “most correct.” Each has its own history, heroes, and hills to die on, whether it’s about baptism, communion, worship style, or which translation of the Bible Jesus would have personally preferred (KJV only-ists, we’re looking at you…).
After two thousand years, we’ve managed to produce churches that are both beautifully diverse and occasionally a bit chaotic. From cathedrals to converted warehouses, incense to electric guitars, robes to ripped jeans – the expressions of Christianity are endless.
So which one’s the right one?
Well, here’s the first thing: they’re all going to get something wrong. Because denominations and, by extension, churches, are made up of humans, and humans are fallible, flawed creatures.
Also, sometimes, we’re a lot stupid.
I’m personally Protestant in persuasion – I think Luther was on to something with his criticism of indulgences and his emphasis on salvation by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone.
But Protestantism itself is wildly diverse. I think some of the modern expressions could do with importing some of the liturgical flavour of the ancient Roman church back into their services…
While denominations all have their distinctives, the best way to decide which church is a good church isn’t by the logo on their website or the style of their worship band, but by their substance.
Look at what they teach, how they live it out, and whether Christ genuinely sits at the centre of everything they do.
So, What Is A Good Church?
Here are some things to look for:
1. A church that is committed to the authority of the Word.
Scripture isn’t just quoted – it’s believed, taught, and lived.
2. A church that affirms the creeds – the big non-negotiables of the faith: the virgin birth, the resurrection, the return and judgment of Christ, and the Trinity. These are the anchors that keep the Church tethered to historic Christianity, no matter how modern the music or casual the dress code.
3. A church that encourages the pursuit of personal holiness – not as a box to tick or a badge to earn, but as the natural outworking of a heart changed by grace. True faith isn’t just believed; it’s lived. As James wrote, “faith without works is dead.”
4. A church that teaches the gospel of grace, not guilt – one that points people to Jesus’ finished work, not to human performance.
5. A church that loves people well – not just the people who already fit in.
6. A church that cultivates a culture of hospitality – where people genuinely share life together. Like the early believers in Acts 2:42, they devote themselves to teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. It’s less about programs and more about people, living out the gospel in community.
7. A church that encourages and develops discipleship – where believers are taught, equipped, and challenged to grow in maturity and mission. Following Jesus isn’t meant to be a spectator sport; it’s a daily apprenticeship in grace.
8. And finally, a church that keeps Christ at the centre – not the pastor’s personality, not politics, not personal preferences.
To Conclude The Summing Up
So, two thousand years on, countless creeds, and more denominations than you can count on both hands (and feet) later, the Church is still here.
Battered, sometimes confused, often beautiful, – but still here. Through all the branching, breaking, reforming, and reviving, one thing hasn’t changed: it’s all meant to be about Jesus.
The real question isn’t which church is right so much as whether the church you’re in helps you know him, love him, and live like him.
Because in the end, that’s what the Church was always supposed to be – not a brand, not a building, but a people following a risen King.
