Which churches are considered “mainline denominations” and why?

what does the bible say?

Mainline denominations are historic Protestant churches in the U.S. with roots reaching back to Europe and the Protestant Reformation. While they share core Christian beliefs with evangelicals, they differ in theology, worship style, and cultural engagement, often taking more liberal stances on doctrine and social issues. The Bible emphasizes unity in Christ, sound teaching, and faithful leadership, rather than denominational labels, which these churches reflect in varying ways. From an evangelical perspective, mainline churches may compromise doctrinally and be more rigid, while from a mainline view, evangelicals can seem overly informal. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify the diversity within Protestantism, though all remain part of the broader Christian faith and God’s universal Church.

from the old testament

• The Bible does not specifically mention “mainline denominations” because these are a modern classification of churches, not a biblical category. But the Old Testament emphasizes the covenant community and faithfulness to God’s Word, rather than human institutions (Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Psalm 119:105).
• Obedience, worship, and justice serve as markers of God-centered leadership and community (Micah 6:6–8; 1 Samuel 15:22).
• God raises up leaders, prophets, and priests to guide His people according to His Word, not human hierarchy (Exodus 18; Numbers 27).

from the new testament

• The New Testament stresses unity in Christ above human divisions, warning against factions or reliance on human traditions over God’s Word (Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 1:10–13).
• The authority of Scripture and sound teaching are central to a faithful church (2 Timothy 3:16–17; Acts 2:42–47).
• The Bible encourages oversight, accountability, and pastoral care in local congregations without dictating denominational labels (Ephesians 4:11–16; Titus 1:5–9).

implications for today

When people refer to “mainline denominations,” they generally mean the “old” denominations that have long been active in the U.S. and have deep historical roots, some reaching back to the Protestant Reformation. These denominations came into the U.S. from all over Europe, or they were developed from a similar denomination already established in Europe. The mainline denominations contrast significantly with evangelical churches in a number of ways, and yet they were, at one time, nearly parallel theologically. Which denominations are mainline? There are a few slightly altering opinions on this. William Hutchison coined the term “seven sisters of American Protestantism” in his 1989 book, Between the Times, referring to a group of seven denominations, which differs only by adding one denomination to the list used by Barna Group as of 2009. However, the list used by Barna has become the standard measure of which churches are “mainline,” and it is likely the most correct according to belief, history, and popularity. They consider the following denominations to be mainline: - American Baptist Churches in the USA - The Episcopal Church - The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - The Presbyterian Church, USA - The United Church of Christ - The United Methodist Church From the perspective of evangelicals, these denominations are considered over-compromising with cultural moves, and thus “liberal,” or unwilling to stick with certain doctrinal stances, and thus “theologically liberal.” Many of these denominations now have mirror denominations, which are focused on remaining more conservative than their older counterparts (for instance, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America vs. the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, or the Presbyterian Church, USA vs. the Presbyterian Church in America). However, from the standpoint of many mainline congregations, evangelical churches are no longer connected to the “vine” of theology passed down from doctrinal forebears and are either too morally stringent (in the case of fundamentalists) or too irreverent or informal (in the case of charismatic movements and standard megachurches). Mainline churches and evangelical churches all fit under the umbrella of Protestantism, and as such, have many similar beliefs. But each has differing views on one or more distinctive doctrinal concerns, such as baptism, communion, liturgy, monergism/synergism, along with social concerns, such as marriage and social justice (how it should be carried out, not whether it should be). These doctrines and concerns will not likely be agreed upon until Christ’s return, but they do help us differentiate between various arms of the Protestant world—though no measurement is exact.

Recap

understand

• Mainline denominations are historic Protestant churches in the U.S. with roots reaching back to Europe and the Protestant Reformation.
• Mainline churches and evangelical churches all fit under the umbrella of Protestantism.
• From an evangelical perspective, mainline churches may compromise doctrinally and be more rigid, while from a mainline view, evangelicals can seem overly informal.

reflect

• How do you evaluate a church’s faithfulness to Scripture apart from its denominational label?
• Where are you most tempted to prioritize cultural comfort over biblical conviction?
• How does understanding the differences within Protestantism help you remain rooted in Christ rather than in tradition or preference?

engage

• How can we uphold unity in Christ while still taking doctrine and sound teaching seriously?
• How can we pursue faithfulness to Scripture without reacting defensively to other traditions?
• How can we engage charitably with Christians from mainline or evangelical backgrounds while holding firm convictions?