How Old is Your Church?
by Sebastian R. Fama
|
Name of Church |
Year Founded |
Name of Founder |
|
|
|
|
|
Catholic |
33 |
Jesus Christ |
|
|
Orthodox |
1439 |
Separated from Catholic Church |
|
|
Lutheran |
1517 |
Martin Luther |
|
|
The Church of England |
1534 |
King Henry VIII |
|
|
Presbyterian |
1560 |
John Knox |
|
|
Congregationalist |
1582 |
Robert Browne |
|
|
Baptist |
1605 |
John Smyth |
|
|
Dutch Reformed |
1628 |
Michaelis Jones |
|
|
Quaker |
1652 |
George Fox |
|
|
Amish |
1693 |
Jacob Amman |
|
|
Methodist |
1744 |
John & Charles Wesley |
|
|
Unitarian |
1774 |
Theophilus Lindley |
|
|
Episcopal |
1789 |
Samuel Seabury |
|
|
Disciples of Christ |
1804 |
A group of Presbyterian ministers |
|
|
Mormon |
1830 |
Joseph Smith Jr. |
|
|
Seventh Day Adventist |
1860 |
Ellen White |
|
|
Salvation Army |
1865 |
William Booth |
|
|
Christian & Missionary Alliance |
1865 |
Albert Simpson |
|
|
Jehovah's Witnesses |
1872 |
Charles Taze Russell |
|
|
Christian Scientist |
1879 |
Mary Baker Eddy |
|
|
Assemblies of God |
1914 |
A group of Pentecostal preachers |
|
|
Foursquare Gospel |
1918 |
Aimee Semple McPherson |
|
|
United Pentecostal |
1945 |
A merger of Oneness churches |
|
|
United Church of Christ |
1957 |
A union of different traditions |
|
|
Calvary Chapel |
1965 |
Chuck Smith |
Copyright © 2001 StayCatholic.com
This is so ridiculous. The church began, as noted in Genesis 4, when “men began to call on the name of the LORD.” Their trust was grounded in the Seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head. In other words, they confessed the Messiah/Christ who was to come into the world in order to be crucified for them (having His heel crushed), but in so doing destroy the Serpent, i.e., Satan (whose head would be crushed). This is the church of all the faithful, all the sons and daughters of Abraham, whether before the incarnation or after. They, like their father Abraham, longed to see Messiah’s day, and they saw it and were glad. (John 8:56) This is the church represented by Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. This is the only church that will stand, as it always has, until the end of the world.
So, if you want to claim that your church was founded only in 33 A.D., it is a johnny-come-(very)lately church.