Why Denominations Exist?

The tension between Christ’s prayer for unity and Christianity’s visible divisions reflects a gap between theological ideal and human reality—not a failure of Scripture itself, but of those who follow it.

The Historical Development

Jesus prayed that his followers “may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”[1] Yet the church remained largely unified for its first thousand years until 1054, when the Eastern church separated from the Western church over the pope’s addition of a phrase to the Nicene Creed.[1] The Western church then split during the sixteenth-century Reformation into Roman Catholic and various Protestant groups, with most divisions stemming from disagreements over which doctrines to emphasize and where doctrinal authority was located.[1] The Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther, resulted in churches independent of Rome based on Scripture and salvation by faith alone, including Lutherans, Presbyterians influenced by John Calvin, and Anabaptists focused on believer’s baptism.[2]

Why Denominations Exist

Denominations form for mixed reasons. Often they began as renewal movements—the Reformed movements of the sixteenth century arose to restore teachings about justification by faith and God’s sovereignty that had been eclipsed in the church.[3] Positive reasons include starting new churches in growing areas and denominations formed when churches separated from groups with unbiblical theology.[2] However, negative reasons include splits based on leaders with integrity issues and divisions over theological decline, such as rejecting biblical inspiration.[2]

Is Any Denomination Perfect?

No. Denominational divisions actually prove what the Bible teaches—that Christian people have remaining corruption. If the church were perfect and enjoyed complete harmony, the Bible would be proved wrong, as Scripture everywhere teaches that Christians fall short of Christ’s character.[4] Since Christians are not perfectly sanctified, they see some things differently and act accordingly—differences are to be expected among God’s children, and the Bible’s theology is essentially the theology of denominations.[4]

Rather than seeking a perfect denomination, evaluate each independent congregation, as the local church usually operates best at the local level, offering hope to those in its community.[2] The goal must be working together with other believers on the foundations of God’s Word to make disciples of all nations.[2]

[1] Rick Cornish, 5 Minute Theologian: Maximum Truth in Minimum Time (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2004), 283–284.
[2] Alex McFarland and Bert Harper, 100 Bible Questions and Answers: Inspiring Truths, Historical Facts, Practical Insights (BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC, 2021), 184–186.
[3] Charles Draper, “Why So Many Denominations?,” in The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith, ed. Ted Cabal et al. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1709.
[4] John H. Gerstner, Reasons for Faith (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2014), 219–220.