With 2.1 billion devoted followers all around the world, Christianity is the biggest religion in the world. Although the central ideology and faith of all Christians – that Jesus is the Son of God and He is the Messiah – remain constant, the fact that despite this common stronghold of faith, Christians are still divided into many sects cannot be denied. While this may lead us to wonder why this division when each Christian has the same belief – the factions came into existence because of the slight difference in ideologies, theories and belief concepts that led to the creation of different denominations. Let’s have a look at the most popular Christian denominations in the world:
- The Roman Catholic Church:
The headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church is in Vatican – the land of priests. 24 Latin Churches and a set of 23 Eastern Catholic Churches form part of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic church considers itself to be the predecessor of all other sects of Christianity, with it being the oldest Church, believed to be founded by St. Peter, who is also the Apostle who is known as ‘The Rock’ on which the foundation of Christianity would be laid. Catholics occupy a huge chunk of Christianity, with around 1,285,000,000 people actively involved int he Roman Catholic Church.
- Protestantism:
Former Catholics, who diverged from Roman Catholicism to form their own sect, later came to be known as Protestants. The beliefs of this sect differ from that of Roman Catholicism, which leads to the formation of this sect. Also, the manner of worship and devotion of the Protestants differs from Catholicism. This sect came into existence during the Reformation – and has had an increasing number of followers since then.
- Methodists:
The Methodists have around 80 million members across the world. The practical approach of the Methodists to religion and God make it more relatable, according to followers. This sect also has had an ever-increasing membership since it was founded way back in the 18th century.
- Seventh Day Adventists:
With a popular following all over the world, the Seventh Day Adventists are known for their unique and original approach to Christianity. Every word mentioned in the Bible is what the Seventh Day Adventists follow to the core, making this one of the much-loved Christian denomination in the world.
Minor differences in the beliefs and approach to Christianity is the reason behind these differences – keeping them apart, Christianity remains one of the largest religions in the world.
