While working on an unrelated research project, I recently came across some data published by the Hartford Institute of Religion Research. Though the information was five years old, it still seemed highly relevant today. In essence, the data showed that non-denominational churches are now the second largest Protestant group in America. Only the Southern Baptist Convention is larger.
Here are some of the fascinating nuggets from that study:
- There are more than 12 million people who affiliate with non-denominational churches.
- The research found at least 35,000 non-denominational churches in America.
- Non-denominational churches are in 88% of the counties in the United States.
- Non-denominational churches are one of the top five largest religious groups in 48 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
In light of the growth of these churches, I conducted an informal Twitter poll and asked why people are moving to non-denominational congregations from churches affiliated with denominations. Here are the top eight responses in order. There is obvious overlap in some of the responses.
- Denominational churches have a negative reputation. Some respondents used the phrase “negative brand” to communicate this reason.
- Denominations are known more for what they are against than what they are for.
- There is too much infighting and politics in denominations.
- The denominational churches are too liberal. From what I can tell from these respondents, they are current and former members of mainline churches.
- There is a general waning of institutional loyalty in institutions such as denominations.
- Denominations have inefficient systems and organizations. They are too bureaucratic.
- Some of the respondents could see no perceived benefit to belonging to denominations.
- Denominations are not good stewards of their financial resources.
I plan on doing a second poll in the near future to see how respondents view denominations positively. In the meantime, let me hear from you.
Posted on April 22, 2015
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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191 Comments
Not surprised by these results. I spent most of my time in a denomination, and everything was backwards. It seemed like everything flowed from the local church up to a district level, then up to the General level, when in reality support, vision, resources, training/equipping should have been flowing into the local church. Once we decided to go the Non-Denom. route we took those resources and put back into outreach programs, and experienced growth like I have never seen in the denomination before. Local churches need to be engaged in their local communities.
Imo, the main reason to leave a church should be doctrinal, that is, the church started teaching doctrine the one deems to be false. Getting your feelings hurt, or petty disagreements should not cause one to leave. I wonder how many people join a church without reading their statement of faith and agreeing with it?
Great article. I have been in predominantly non-denoms my whole life. I have been involved with a few United Methodist Churches and I have to say that their checks and balances far surpass ANY non-denom that I have been associated with. An extremely high percentage of non-denoms that I have seen lack severely in the area of being good stewards of their financial resources.
As a former denominational worker and lifelong Southern Baptist, it seems that reasons 2 & 3 may be the most compelling on the list. Our constant bickering and divisions over various personalities has caused those within the fold to grow weary of such distracting behavior. This along with our overly political message may have gotten us lumped in with other denominations and their stance on various hot-button issues. I would love to know just how many of those involved in non-denominational churches are former Southern Baptists.
My heart was grieved when I realized that a number of my friends at work were Christians but did not attend church. I asked why and they said the judgmentalism was too much. What is going on with the Church that this happens? I find there are many claiming to carry the banner of Christ but it is a whip. As Christians, we need to love without ceasing (sorry for mixing verses).
I grew up Baptist, went Assembly of God as an adult, changed to non-denominational in my 30s and went to both a Vineyard and a Messianic in my late 40 and early 50s. All of them have the same problem. The hierarchy structure [i.e. nicolaitans] is unreachable by the every-day member. They are taught and believe that they have ultimate control of the church they run and the people in the pews (or chairs, as the case may be). If they are teaching or living in opposition to the Scriptures, they are untouchable and unteachable especially by someone who is not in the inner elite circle. Each one, denomination, non-denomination or inter-denomination all have one thing in common … denomination or a set of “pet doctrines” that they adhere to more than Scripture itself.
Thus, we (my husband and I agree) that we would have a small home fellowship and actually learn the Word of Yahweh [Genesis to Revelation as all one book] rather than follow doctrines and commandments of men.
Do not conform of the world as of yet to live in the world, the small home fellowship and hear the Word.
Just a nit-picking point… you mentioned that “non-denominational are the second largest Protestant denomination… and only the SBC is larger”. Baptists are not protestants. That point was hammered home with historical evidence to back it up in my first year in Seminary.
I’m a lifelong Southern Baptist, an active pastor of an SBC church who believes that the convention is out of touch with anything or any need outside of big church, new churches, and the southeastern part of the country. The Cooperative Program used to mean something to me. Now it is the funding for a NAMB agenda that is disagreeable to most Southern Baptists.
I’m pretty much disillusioned by my denomination and detatched from it. I see it as wasteful and bureaucratic with little if any concern for the health and welfare of existing churches. I’m not sure how you can be one of 40K plus churches and feel alone.
Amen Hallelujah psalms 199;9= Beth alpha+Omega=? = YHWH ELOHIM
Question: “What is a non-denominational church? What do non-denominational churches believe?”
“Answer: This question really has several answers, and they can be either simple or complex. The simplest answer is that a non-denominational church is any church which is not part of a larger denomination. A denomination is a church organization that exercises some sort of authority over the local churches that comprise it.”
I have been a Pastor in the Southern Baptist Convention for 38 years and I have never considered the SBC to be a ‘denomination’. The churches I have belonged to before I became a Pastor and the two churches where I served as Pastor were all autonomous and chose to affiliate with the SBC. We were never ruled or told what to do. The doctrine that we taught and lived by was directly from the Bible. We participated in the Cooperative Program because we were/are convinced that we can do more training (colleges & seminaries) and keep more missionaries (national & international) on the field than we could ever do by ourselves. The vast majority of Protestant churches are small but collectively we can accomplish much more than individually.
If you only consider the large (Super Church) non-denominational churches, they can obviously get some things done better and faster than the smaller church but so can the large SBC church.
I would want to know what any church I am going to attend or belong to teaches and what they believe. The name on their sign doesn’t matter and could be generic but what they believe and who they cooperate with does make a difference to me.
Maybe a study on the difference in church polity (who runs the church) would be more beneficial.
I am a Free Will Baptist minister, and something becoming very prominent in our denomination is dropping ‘Free Will Baptist Church’ from the name in favor of the more inclusive ‘Community Church’. It seems to me that people just have a negative connotation of denominations. I, however, think it dangerous to do away with denominational names. Obviously, there is not one denomination alone that is the way to heaven-Jesus is the only way- but it is important to know where churches stand, and what doctrines they teach. Denominations also make it much easier to support overseas missionaries, and help to fulfill the Great Commission!
It saddens me that people don’t want to affiliate with particular denominations, but I seem to be in the minority these days.
I’ve been in ministry for nearly 30 years, both in denominational and non-denominational. I pastored a non-denominational for 13 years, and have worked with three denominations, currently serving as pastor of a denominational church.
There are advantages a denomination; the synergy and economy of scale of a large organization, the fellowship and networking opportunities, the support of a larger group. But there are also disadvantages- administrative costs, diseconomy of scale, unwillingness to move, change, cultural relevancy challenges. These are the things I see as a pastor.
The organization I’m currently affiliated with is firmly rooted somewhere in the early fifties, and rarely communicates with us about anything but fund raising for the denomination or to tell us that some dear old saint, well known among the hierarchy, went to be with the Lord. I see almost no focus on Christ and growing the Kingdom in their meetings and publications; instead, they have become an inward focused group, much like an inward focused church.
We receive no support from the national denomination, and, as such, while I have no inclination to lead this church away from its roots, I have no real incentive to draw them closer either.