kids encyclopedia robot

Christian denomination facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The word denomination is used to describe a large group of Christian people around the world. These groups share the same name, a similar way of organizing themselves, and often have very similar beliefs. Christianity started with the followers of Jesus. Over time, different groups formed because people sometimes disagreed on certain beliefs or practices. Each of these separate groups with its own name is called a "denomination." The word "denomination" simply means "having a name."

What are Christian Denominations?

Worldwide, Christianity is divided into several main groups of Churches. Here are ten of the largest:

Each of these large groups also has smaller groups within them. There are many other Christian groups too, but these are the main ones.

How Denominations Are Different

The Evangelical and Nontrinitarian branches of Christianity have many more separate groups than the others. Often, each separate Evangelical church is called a "denomination."

The Roman Catholic Church has one main leader, the Pope. Its beliefs are very similar all over the world. However, many Protestant denominations do not have a single leader. Their beliefs can sometimes be quite different from each other.

Protestant branches
Major branches and movements within Protestantism

Many Christian denominations see themselves as part of one big worldwide Church. This means they believe other denominations are also part of God's church. However, some denominations, like the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and some Protestant Churches, believe they are the only true Christian church.

Sometimes, a denomination might have beliefs that almost all other denominations strongly disagree with. These beliefs are sometimes called "heresy" by other churches.

The biggest divisions in Christianity today are between Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and the many different denominations that formed during and after the Protestant Reformation.

Ten Branches of Christianity
Major divisions within Christianity.

Related Pages



Images for kids

  • Lutherstadt Wittenberg 09-2016 photo06

    Door of the Schlosskirche (castle church) in Wittenberg. Martin Luther is said to have nailed his 95 Theses here in 1517, starting the Reformation.

  • Church of Saint John the Arab

    A 6th-century Nestorian church, St. John the Arab, in the Assyrian village of Geramon.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Confesión cristiana para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Christian denomination Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.