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And God told His children: "I love you.  Play nice."

Progressive Denominations Print E-mail
Written by LCNdiva   
Monday, 12 December 2005

Are you searching for a new church home?  Have you tried the belief-o-matic quiz yet?

My suggestion is that you prepare a litmus test of what you want in a church that you can ask prospective pastors about. Some topics that might come up:

  • Style of church service: Do you want the mystic rituals of Catholicism, the quiet simplicity of Quaker meetings, or the exuberance of an evangelical/pentecostal service? (See Liberalis for the hallmarks of each type of service.)

  • Size of congregation: Some people love the awesome adventure of meeting with thousands of other seekers in mega-churches, others prefer the cozy intimacy of a tiny church.  

  • Theology:  stands on Biblical literalism, infallibility, and inerrancy; salvation (faith, grace, or works; is it for this lifetime or the next; who is saved and how?); evangelism; tolerance, inclusion and plurality; compassionate ministry; war; the death penalty; women's choice.

    These are all topics you may want to know beforehand how the church stands on these subjects. Once you have narrowed down possible denominations attend a few services at various churches. Just because it works for you on paper doesn't mean it works in reality. I find that after the general theological points, it is the pastor who makes or breaks the church for me. If I like the pastor and his or her leadership style, odds are I will like the church as a whole.

See also:

A master list of all denominations 

A synopsis of the new "Handbook of Denominations in the United States".

Leave a comment in our Religion Blog

The following Christian denominations and independent churches are varying shades of liberal:

American Baptist Churches, USA  

American Friends  

Catholic Church of Antioch  

Community of Christ  

Disciples of Christ  

The Emerging (postmodern) Church  

Episcopal/Anglican Church  

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  

Liberal Catholic Church  

Liberal Catholic International  

Metropolitan Community Church
  

Reformed Catholic Church  

Presbyterian Church, USA  

Progressive Seventh-Day Adventists  

Quaker Universalists  

United Church of Christ  

United Methodist Church  

Unitarian Universalist Association  

Unity Church

Last Updated ( Sunday, 12 February 2006 )
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