Posted on 04/08/2006 3:52:35 PM PDT by NYer
NEW YORK (AP) - The Assemblies of God, the Mormon church and the Roman Catholic Church were the fastest-growing major denominations in the United States last year, according to the just-released 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.
The Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal church, grew 1.81 percent to just under 2.8 million members. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints increased 1.74 percent to nearly 6 million people. And the Catholic Church, by the far the largest denomination in the United States, grew .83 percent to 67.8 million parishioners.
Only three mainline Protestant churches remain among the 10 biggest denominations in the country. The United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., stayed in the top 10 despite experiencing declines in membership last year.
The Methodists ranked third, with about 8.2 million members. The Evangelical Lutherans Ranked seventh, with nearly 4.9 million people. And the Presbyterians ranked ninth with just under 3.2 million congregants.
The Southern Baptist Convention remains the largest U.S. Protestant group, with 16.3 million members. It is the second-largest denomination in the country, behind the Catholic Church.
The yearbook has been published for 89 years by the National Council of Churches, which represents 35 mainline Protestant, Episcopalian and Orthodox Christian groups.
The "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" should not be included in a count of "denominations" labeled "Christian." It is not, and never has been, despite how they are now trying to market it.
For more analysis on this subject, and existing conversations, visit this thread, based on the same study:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1606634/posts
I'm referring to independent Christian churches which adhere to most traditional evangelical/protestant doctrines, not the kooky false "churches" which are nothing more than cults posing as churches.
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The article does not group the Mormon Church as Christian. It simply states ....
"The Assemblies of God, the Mormon church and the Roman Catholic Church were the fastest-growing major denominations in the United States last year, according to the just-released 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. "
And which ones fit that category? Seriously, I have no idea which churches you are referring to.
It is definitely Christian...
The "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" should not be included in a count of "denominations" labeled "Christian." It is not, and never has been, despite how they are now trying to market it.
You are right but NOT for the reasons you stated!
The LDS were never was a "denominations" for the LDS did not break aways from another "denominations".
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" was restored by Jesus Christ with the help of the Lord's restored Priesthood which you can choose to accept or not and by your comments it is noted you do not accept it!
If there were NO "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" I would have been most likely Catholic for they seem to have more of the Spirit of the Lord in this day an age then any other "denomination"
Maybe I should not have used the term "churches". There are so many cults and "churches" which claim to be Christian yet deny the fundamentals of the Christian faith that I don't think it's possible to compile a comprehensive list.
I don't want to start a religious flame war on this thread, but I think it's safe to say that groups such as the Jim Jones "church", whose members all committed suicide, or the Branch Davidians would have to be included in any such list. Those are extreme examples, but there are many, many groups who call themselves Christians but don't acknowledge Jesus Christ as the ONLY divine, virgin born, sinless, crucified, risen Son of God and the 2nd person of the Trinity, being of one substance and equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. And in my book that makes them false churches and/or cults.
As I said, I don't want to start a flame war, but I think most of us know which religious group is the largest and most prominent example of such "churches". A somewhat less prominent example of that kind of "church" leaves it's cleverly deceptive literature on my front porch every couple of months in spite of my requests not to do so. I don't let it lie around long before it goes into the burn barrel where it belongs.
Interestingly, no "superdupermegachurches" even place in the top 10.
""The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" was restored by Jesus Christ with the help of the Lord's restored Priesthood"
Hmmm.... Was God the Father ever a man - like we are?
1. Who is Jesus Christ?
2. What must you do to be saved?
"... ring out the same tired old assertion that members of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints aren't "Christian"?"
pinging you to post #16
I have to -- with all due respect to our Mormon FReepers -- agree with your comments.
A church that considers Christ to be a sub-level "personage" beneath "Adam" and preaches a doctrine that says "believers" will be "exalted" (that is, become "gods" themselves) is not (IMHO) a Christian church. It borders on the silly.
...and I'm not even going to go into the childish nature in which JP Smith created this group. Following the "translations" of "reformed Egyptian" (whatever that is supposed to be) on plates viewed through "stones" -- plates that nobody has ever seen...
Don't some of the fundamentalist churches consider Catholics to be non-Christian because they feel they worship Mary and pray to saints? I know that Pat Boone was kicked out of the Church of Christ when he joined the "charismatic movement" back in the early 70s because they did not consider such people to be Christian.
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