Protestant Denominations and Differences in America

It was only recently that I realized the great diversity of beliefs among Christians who call themselves Protestants. We could be broken up into three broad categories of Conservative, Mainline, and Liberal; or we could also see some differences in different denominations. Although scripture reveals God’s will for a unified body of believers, it is helpful to know the differences and beliefs in denominations when we want to visit churches while traveling or when we are looking for a home church.

The biggest three listed in one source are Baptists, Methodists, and Lutherans. There are further differences between the actual beliefs and interpretation of the Bible. Individual lifestyles are sometimes progressive depending on what doctrines each individual accepts and incorporates into his or her life.

Another distinction between different Protestants could be called charismatic or noncharismatic. The primary public differences include the open praying or singing in unknown tongues and prophetic utterances in tongues during public services as well as people being “slain in the Spirit” or falling to the floor at certain times in response to an “anointed” person functioning as an authoritative representative of God. There are some charismatic churches that do not manifest these behaviors in their main services, but teach and otherwise advocate such practices in smaller groups. There are also charismatics who are members of noncharismatic churches as well as noncharismatics who attend charismatic gatherings.

One of the latest movements has been described as the Holy Laughter Movement, Revival, or Rodney Howard Browne Ministry, which is sometimes associated with Toronto. There have been some manifestations that have been associated with this movement such as an overabundance of laughter, a drunkenlike behavior of some participants, people laying on the floor for hours, and a manifestation of freedom from usual retraints of behavior. I have heard personal testimonies of miraculous healings, renewed passion for the things of God, and unprecedented growth in some churches. The negatives that I have heard are lack of "usual" order, loud laughing or other sounds that make it extremely difficult to hear a speaker, and divisions in churches when this movement is allowed to manifest.

The primary aspects of being a Protestant is that you love God and others and that you look to Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Whatever else that you believe and practice is God's responsibility to enable, lead, and change as you progressively allow Jesus Christ to be formed in you. “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:4 NIV

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