Why isn’t authority the simple means to determine how many separate groups there actually are? Like if one group writes to another group telling them to change something or fire someone and they obey, they are the same. If they don’t accept it, everyone recognizes they are different.
Freegards
Because that overlooks subgroups giving lip-service to unity while functioning practically independently. Kinda like the United Kingdom with the Queen ruling over a Commonwealth, declaring a single sovereign entity while major components really going their own way and occasionally asking her permission or consenting to her rare decrees; when confronted said royalty will assert absolute sovereign monarchy over a unified "sun never sets" empire, yet nobody seriously considers Canada, Australia, et al anything but independent nations.
>> Like if one group writes to another group telling them to change something or fire someone and they obey, they are the same. If they don’t accept it, everyone recognizes they are different. <<
By that standard, the 38,000 count is very low. The SBC can tell any Southern Baptist Church to make a change, and certainly be ignored.