“It most certainly is a denomination”
Nope. Christ’s Church - the Catholic Church - can never be a denomination.
Those “few” Christians took the church where God intended it should go and away from Catholicism....just as He chose just 12 men in the beginning.....and for that the True Church is World wide to this day...and it's work continues despite Catholicism getting in it's way.
The True Church practicies 'Christianity' with Christ as center...not Churchianity which catholicism teaches.