Why are there so many denominations?

Why are there so many denominations?

The Question
Christians claim love and unity. But when we look around town, we see all sorts of churches divided from one another. If Christians can’t even get along with each other, why should one be interested in what they have to say about love and unity, let alone God?

The Answer
We have neither the space nor the brainpower to give justice to a complete answer for this question, but there are a few important realities to keep in mind.

First, we have to make sure that we aren’t seeing division where there is really only the appearance of division. Just because there are distinct pieces of property in a geographical area doesn’t mean the Christians in those locations are necessarily divided from each other.
Many churches have good relationships with other local churches in their neighborhood. In such cases, the appearance of division due to separate locations is simply deceiving.

But let’s be honest, a lot of the apparent division between supposedly Christian churches is more than superficial. Many people have visited a church only to hear negative comments about the church down the street or across town. It’s a real problem.

In short, it’s a people problem. Some pastors have joked that leading a church would be great if it weren’t for the people! The truth behind the joke is that a church is, among other things, a group of flawed human beings.

One specific problem is the abundance of nominal (in name only) Christians in churches. A true Christian is someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ (who did indeed call His people to love & unity). But it is easy for individuals or entire groups to label themselves as Christians and yet not really be followers of Christ. Such people might bring division and give Christianity a bad reputation. They often do.

A second explanation has to do with the fact that even genuine Christians sometimes sin and bring division. This is what Paul was addressing in 1 Corinthians 1:11-13. The people of the church were quarreling and aligning themselves with different church leaders (like Paul, Apollos or Peter). Paul’s response was to remind them that they were all to be followers of Christ.

Christianity today struggles with something similar to the Corinthian context. There are people who are more aligned with men like Luther, Calvin or Wesley than they are with Christ. I find it very hard to see a significant difference between the two situations. It was a shame then and it is a shame today.

In sum, then, the answer to the question is quite complex. In most ways, it is a downright shame that Christianity is so marked by visible division. Even if the problem of nominal Christianity went away, genuine Christians must learn to better maintain unity in the face of genuine differences over disputable matters. Christians agree on the basic points of belief and this should provoke a spirit of unity.

As hard as it may be, you shouldn’t let people who are just pretending to be Christians determine your thoughts about genuine Christianity. And, even though it may be even harder, you shouldn’t let the inconsistent behavior of some Christians influence your thoughts about what Christ is really like.

The church, as we see it, is collection of people who call themselves followers of Christ. In many ways, it is a broken institution just like most/all other institutions in this world. But within that institution, there are many authentic followers of Jesus who are truly interested in His kind of love and His kind of unity.

Maybe you can be part of the answer to this important question!