ScottS said:

---

Think 1947 is part of one of these??

---

I think he said he was United Methodist but I could be misremembering.

Happy to be a card carrying Presbyterian! I've attended both and like both. HPPC, PCPC. From a 30yr sober recoving Baptist. Baptist be a little creepy for me.

J.R. said:

---

Happy to be a card carrying Presbyterian! I've attended both and like both. HPPC, PCPC. From a 30yr sober recoving Baptist. Baptist be a little creepy for me.

---

The combined declines of the four denominations listed do not equal the 3.6million exiting Southern Baptists in the same timeframe. So, who's winning?

The Church disowned, the tower overthrown, the bells up-
turned, what have we to do
But stand with empty hands and palms turned upwards
In an age which advances progressively backwards?

T.S. Eliot https://t.co/gckLEiTrEN

— Mark W. (@DurhamWASP) January 28, 2026

Are any Christian Denominations growing?

BaylorFTW said:

---

FLBear5630 said:

---

Are any Christian Denominations growing?

---

Yes, Pentecostal denominations like Assemblies of God. Non-denominational churches are growing as well. Of the mainlines, I know the conservative side PCA is growing while the liberal side PCUSA is declining. Orthodox is growing and think Catholicism is too thanks to immigration.

---

I always wonder what Christ would have thought of non-denominational churches... Not the denominations or even the post 4th Century Christians. But, the 1st Century Christians before it became formalized...

TWD 1974 said:

---

J.R. said:

---

Happy to be a card carrying Presbyterian! I've attended both and like both. HPPC, PCPC. From a 30yr sober recoving Baptist. Baptist be a little creepy for me.

---

The combined declines of the four denominations listed do not equal the 3.6million exiting Southern Baptists in the same timeframe. So, who's winning?

---

Non-denominational bible churches.

TWD 1974 said:

---

Mothra said:

---

TWD 1974 said:

---

J.R. said:

---

Happy to be a card carrying Presbyterian! I've attended both and like both. HPPC, PCPC. From a 30yr sober recoving Baptist. Baptist be a little creepy for me.

---

The combined declines of the four denominations listed do not equal the 3.6million exiting Southern Baptists in the same timeframe. So, who's winning?

---

Non-denominational bible churches.

---

Someone close to me (who was herself the closest thing to a saint I have ever known) once told me something a long time ago. It was during a discussion of the particular denominational struggles of that time; "God breaks us apart," she said, "So that we can grow." I think sometimes about her words, when I think of the great awakenings in this Nation's history--the spiritual movements on the American frontier that occurred without the input of the established denominations of the time, or in this timeframe the rise of the secret house churches in communist China where over 100mm people have come to Christ. I think there is a longer vision of all this that we only get a tiny glimpse of.

---

Bottom line is the big denominations are pretty much bleeding members, the vast majority of which are flocking to non-denominational evangelical churches, with much smaller numbers to the more charismatic churches, or orthodoxy.

Not a surprise. When you stop preaching the Word and stray off into heresy, this is what happens.

Redbrickbear said:

---

BaylorFTW said:

---

FLBear5630 said:

---

Are any Christian Denominations growing?

---

Yes, Pentecostal denominations like Assemblies of God. Non-denominational churches are growing as well. Of the mainlines, I know the conservative side PCA is growing while the liberal side PCUSA is declining. Orthodox is growing and think Catholicism is too thanks to immigration.

---

There are also the super small...but super-fast growing.... anabaptist type Christian groups.

Amish double every 20-25 years.

[Last year the total estimated Amish population crossed 400,000 for the first time. It continues to blow past that milestone figure, clocking in this year at 411,060 people.
This is 99%+ natural growth, as outsiders rarely join and remain in the Amish church (though it happens on occasion).]

Old order Mennonites and Hutterites also have similar explosive growth models.

But all grow via large birth rates and not much converts

---

The Amish have an interesting life and community. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to grow up in such a community. I suspect I would like it but at the end of the day, do not think I am called to it.

Mothra said:

---

Bottom line is the big denominations are pretty much bleeding members, the vast majority of which are flocking to non-denominational evangelical churches, with much smaller numbers to the more charismatic churches, or orthodoxy.

Not a surprise. When you stop preaching the Word and stray off into heresy, this is what happens.

---

When you go against God's natural law, it has a lot of problems. Also, families want to be with other families so they will seek out churches with them.

The people that were considered radical during the reformation are the ones who basically won out. Basically non denoms and charismatics. They have a very high rate of growth but also a very low rate of retention: so they get a lot of people in that leave just as quickly.

All the original magisterial reformed churches pointed out in the OP are now woke and full of skittles people.

Gen Z and Millennials are rushing toward Catholic and Orthodoxy. In 2022, 16% of Millennials were Catholic it's over 20% now. Among Gen Z, 15% were Catholic and they're also over 20% now. Part of it is they like the structure, continuity, defined boundaries and rigid unbending traditions that demand a lot from you and seek to transform you.

I think Gavin Ortlund makes a good case for why evangelical churches really need a massive overhaul. They've got to stop this entertainment-driven worship. All Christian worship should center on God, not us. They really need something that mimics confession. Like there's no reason any protestant church shouldn't require everyone to discuss their sins and how they're going to address them and then hold them accountable. They kind of wait for people to come to them when it should be a mandatory thing.

Doc Holliday said:

---

The people that were considered radical during the reformation are the ones who basically won out. Basically non denoms and charismatics. They have a very high rate of growth but also a very low rate of retention: so they get a lot of people in that leave just as quickly.

All the original magisterial reformed churches pointed out in the OP are now woke and full of skittles people.

Gen Z and Millennials are rushing toward Catholic and Orthodoxy. In 2022, 16% of Millennials were Catholic it's over 20% now. Among Gen Z, 15% were Catholic and they're also over 20% now. Part of it is they like the structure, continuity, defined boundaries and rigid unbending traditions that demand a lot from you and seek to transform you.

I think Gavin Ortlund makes a good case for why evangelical churches really need a massive overhaul. They've got to stop this entertainment-driven worship. All Christian worship should center on God, not us. They really need something that mimics confession. Like there's no reason any protestant church shouldn't require everyone to discuss their sins and how they're going to address them and then hold them accountable. They kind of wait for people to come to them when it should be a mandatory thing.

---

You seem like a bright guy, so it's always interesting to me that you believe "evangelical" churches to be some homogenized group. Which of the evangelical churches in particular are you referencing? Can you be a little more specific?

Clearly you've never been to a reformed church like the one I attend. Your description couldn't be any less accurate.

Which orthodox sect do you attend? Greek, Russian, and Antiochian, Coptic, Ethiopian, or Armenian?

Mothra said:

---

Doc Holliday said:

---

The people that were considered radical during the reformation are the ones who basically won out. Basically non denoms and charismatics. They have a very high rate of growth but also a very low rate of retention: so they get a lot of people in that leave just as quickly.

All the original magisterial reformed churches pointed out in the OP are now woke and full of skittles people.

Gen Z and Millennials are rushing toward Catholic and Orthodoxy. In 2022, 16% of Millennials were Catholic it's over 20% now. Among Gen Z, 15% were Catholic and they're also over 20% now. Part of it is they like the structure, continuity, defined boundaries and rigid unbending traditions that demand a lot from you and seek to transform you.

I think Gavin Ortlund makes a good case for why evangelical churches really need a massive overhaul. They've got to stop this entertainment-driven worship. All Christian worship should center on God, not us. They really need something that mimics confession. Like there's no reason any protestant church shouldn't require everyone to discuss their sins and how they're going to address them and then hold them accountable. They kind of wait for people to come to them when it should be a mandatory thing.

---

You seem like a bright guy, so it's always interesting to me that you believe "evangelical" churches to be some homogenized group. Which of the evangelical churches in particular are you referencing? Can you be a little more specific?

Clearly you've never been to a reformed church like the one I attend. Your description couldn't be any less accurate.

Which orthodox sect do you attend? Greek, Russian, and Antiochian, Coptic, Ethiopian, or Armenian?

---

My post isn't intended to group all evangelical churches as exactly the same. They're actually multi denominational. Services can vary in many ways. Even pastors and elders within the same churches can radically disagree on a lot and have different types of services each week.

The ones I'm referencing are most of the mid size to large churches which is where most evangelicals attend (Roughly 70% of churchgoers attend the largest 10% of congregations). They share the same kind of service nowadays that features a concert-like worship, high-end production, and engaging stages, and focus on emotional experience. Ex. Gateway, Prestonwood, Watermark or Fellowship (Ed Young). There's several mid size offshoots that are smaller clones of these that are popping up everywhere. That's mostly what I'm referring to and what Gavin Ortlund was talking about needing to change.

Of course its not all evangelicals. The point I was trying to make was they're all pretty much anti-magisterial which is a common distinction from the original reformed churches.

Eastern Orthodox under an autonomous branch of Russian Orthodox Church
Some of the ones you listed are Oriental orthodox which are schismatics. Oriental Orthodox (Coptic, Armenian) believe in one united divine-human nature (miaphysitism), while Eastern Orthodox (Greek, Russian) believe in two distinct natures (Dyophysitism), what you also believe.

A lot of folks assume that many Protestant denominations will just slowly decline over the next few decades.

That's not what is going to happen.

The Boomers are propping most of them up right now.

When they age out, it's gonna get bad. Really fast. No one is ready. pic.twitter.com/u98dGHO3L5

— Ryan Burge 📊 (@ryanburge) January 29, 2026

Mothra said:

---

TWD 1974 said:

---

J.R. said:

---

Happy to be a card carrying Presbyterian! I've attended both and like both. HPPC, PCPC. From a 30yr sober recoving Baptist. Baptist be a little creepy for me.

---

The combined declines of the four denominations listed do not equal the 3.6million exiting Southern Baptists in the same timeframe. So, who's winning?

---

Non-denominational bible churches.

---

Most denominations already claim to be Bible-based. Southern Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, and others all say they follow Scripture. Labeling yourself a "non-denominational Bible church" doesn't make you free of a denominational identityit just creates another one.

Redbrickbear said:

---

A lot of folks assume that many Protestant denominations will just slowly decline over the next few decades.

That's not what is going to happen.

The Boomers are propping most of them up right now.

When they age out, it's gonna get bad. Really fast. No one is ready. pic.twitter.com/u98dGHO3L5

— Ryan Burge 📊 (@ryanburge) January 29, 2026

---

I haven't heard of many of these now.

SipEmBears said:

---

Redbrickbear said:

---

A lot of folks assume that many Protestant denominations will just slowly decline over the next few decades.

That's not what is going to happen.

The Boomers are propping most of them up right now.

When they age out, it's gonna get bad. Really fast. No one is ready. pic.twitter.com/u98dGHO3L5

— Ryan Burge 📊 (@ryanburge) January 29, 2026

---

I haven't heard of many of these now.

---

Many are highly regional - very small congregations spread out except for their "home" region.

Redbrickbear said:

---

A lot of folks assume that many Protestant denominations will just slowly decline over the next few decades.

That's not what is going to happen.

The Boomers are propping most of them up right now.

When they age out, it's gonna get bad. Really fast. No one is ready. pic.twitter.com/u98dGHO3L5

— Ryan Burge 📊 (@ryanburge) January 29, 2026

---

In a general sense, the Boomer and GenX generations weren't really all that evangelical in that inviting others to a relationship with Christ is done only by a very small fraction. There was little replacement of young families as talking about religion became clinical and even seen as backward. Before the 1960s such conversation was more acceptable. My guess is that all the turmoil of the first half of the 1900s kept people looking for stability in religious ways. It would be interesting to see if there could be a proven connection to affluence of the masses and the drop in interest in religion. My hypothesis would be that there is. My kids haven't got a clue what their great and great great grandparents really went through. For them, they believe there will always be material goods and services like there are now. Maybe even better. They cannot see the days of war landing on their own doorstep. Even if they ponder about it, they don't understand. If I talk bluntly with them about the possibility of economic and societal disaster, they think I'm a crazy alarmist to bring it up.