List of the largest Protestant denominations

This is a list of the largest

Protestant denominations. It
aims to include sizable Protestant
communions, federations,
alliances, councils, fellowships,
and other denominational
organisations in the world and
provides information regarding
the membership thereof. The list
is inevitably partial and generally
based on claims by the
denominations themselves. The
numbers should therefore be
considered approximate.
Protestant bodies being
considered in this article are
divided into:
Countries by number of Protestants in 2010
transdenominational
bodies with more than 50
million members
international bodies with
more than 10 million
members
national bodies with more
than 5 million members
non-national bodies with
more than 5 million
members

In 2010, the most numerous

international bodies accounted
for more than a half of
worldwide Protestant
population,[note 1] while the Countries by percentage of Protestants in 2010
most numerous national bodies
accounted for more than 200 of
the world's 800 million Protestants.[note 2][1]

Transdenominational organisations are very large and often characterized by overlapping membership as opposed to international and
national bodies. Some of the national groupings cannot be considered churches in mainstream Protestant ecclesiology even when they
constitute a single denomination. A good example is the Protestant Church in Germany, which differs denominationally and
encompasses Lutheran, Reformed and United subchurches.

Lists of the largest Protestant bodies

Transdenominational bodies

Transdenominational bodies include people across all denominations that participate in a movement which goes beyond their
Protestant branch, like Evangelicalism, the Charismatic movement, or the Neo-charismatic movement. These are of international
scope.

The World Evangelical Alliance is so far the only major transdenominational evangelical Protestant organization that operates
internationally. It represents 600 million Christians. The Porvoo Communion brings Lutherans and Anglicans in Europe into a
common communion.
 Emblem Name Orientation Foundation Leadership Headquarters Region Membership Notes

1846 Secretary-
World New York Aims to unite
General
Evangelical Evangelical London,
Thomas
City, United Worldwide 600,000,000[3] Evangelicals
Alliance England[2] Schirrmacher
States worldwide.

Co-chairmen
1992 Bishop Peter Communion of
Porvoo Skov- Anglican and
Porvoo Anglican
Communion Lutheran
Cathedral, Jakobsen, None Europe 50,000,000[4] Lutheran
Porvoo, Archbishop denominations
Finland Michael in Europe.
Jackson
Communion of
Communion Lutheran,
of Lutheran 1973 Secretary- Reformed,
Vienna,
Protestant Reformed Hölstein, General Mario
Austria
Europe 50,000,000[5] Methodist and
Churches in Methodist Switzerland Fischer United
Europe denominations
in Europe.

International bodies

International bodies tend to bring together only one Protestant branch which shares common founders, tenets and history. Among the
most sizeable international bodies are the Anglican Communion, the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Lutheran
World Federation – each with more than 70 million members.
 Emblem Name Orientation Foundation Leadership Headquarters Region Membership Notes

Brings together
1867 Anglicans from
Lambeth Archbishop of London, all over the
Anglican
Communion
Anglican Conference, Canterbury United Worldwide 85,000,000[6] world, and is
London, Justin Welby Kingdom the largest of
England such
organizations.

Brings together
World Calvinists from
General Hanover,
Communion all over the
Secretary Lower
of Reformed 2010
Chris Saxony,
Worldwide 80,000,000[7] world, and is
Reformed the largest of
Ferguson Germany
Churches such
organizations.
General Waynesville, Brings together
World
Secretary North Methodists
Methodist Methodist 1881
Bishop Ivan Carolina,
Worldwide 40,000,000[8] from all over
Council
M. Abrahams United States the world.

Brings together
Lutherans from
General Geneva,
Lutheran all over the
Secretary Canton of
World Lutheran 1947
Anne Geneva,
Worldwide 75,000,000[9] world, and is
Federation the largest of
Burghardt Switzerland
such
organizations.

Brings together
a substantial
Pentecostal
population,
World General although not
Springfield,
Assemblies Superintendent the majority,
of God
Pentecostal 1988
and Chairman
Missouri, Worldwide 69,189,381[10][11] as it is
United States
Fellowship Doug E. Clay scattered in
various
independent
Pentecostal
denominations.
Brings together
a substantial
Baptist
General
population,
Secretary
although not
Baptist Elijah M. Falls Church,
the majority,
World Baptist 1905 Brown (https:// Virginia, Worldwide 48,000,000[12] as it is
Alliance www.baptistwo United States
scattered in
rld.org/general-
various
secretary/)
independent
Baptist
denominations.

National bodies

Although there are "mostly national" denominations like the United Methodist Church (mainly concentrated in the United States), or
denominations with dispersed membership like the Apostolic Church and the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) (both with
membership dispersed around the world) that have a far larger membership than required to be on this list, they operate worldwide
and cannot be considered alongside other national bodies like, for example, the Church of Christ in Congo, which operates solely in
the Democratic Republic of Congo and is not active beyond that country's borders.

The Church of England, the Church of Christ in Congo, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, the Assembleias de Deus and the
Protestant Church in Germany constitute the most numerous national bodies with more than 20 million members each.
Emblem Name Orientation Foundation Leadership Headquarters Region Membership Notes

The original
denomination
in England
which broke
off from the
Roman
Catholic
Church
following the
controversy
arising from
Supreme the
Governor King annulment of
London,
Church of Charles III; King Henry
England
Anglican 1534[note 3] Archbishop of
United England 26,000,000[13] VIII's
Kingdom
Canterbury marriage to
Justin Welby Catherine of
Aragon
without papal
approval. It is
the largest
Protestant
denomination
in the world,
and the
largest
Anglican
denomination.

Its creation
was largely
state-
supported in
order to
organize all
Protestants
Methodists, of the
Pentecostals, Kinshasa, Democratic
Baptists, Kinshasa Republic of
Church of Mennonites, Democratic
Bishop Pierre Province, Congo in a
Christ in Reformed, 1970
Marini Bodho Democratic
Republic of 25,500,000[15] single
Congo Evangelicals, the Congo
Republic of denomination.
United the Congo The second
Protestants[14] largest
Protestant
denomination
in the world,
and the
largest United
Protestant
denomination.
It is the only
Protestant
denomination
State- Chairperson
approved by
Three-Self regulated Fu Xianwei
Shanghai, the Chinese
Patriotic theology 1951 Secretary
China
China 23,000,000[16] government.
Movement various General
Its theology
Protestants Xu Xiaohong
is regulated
and controlled
by the state.

Fragmented
into smaller
units which
General together
Superintendent gather the
São Paulo,
Assembléias José vast majority
de Deus
Pentecostal 1911
Wellington
State of São Brazil 22,500,000[17] of Brazilian
Paulo, Brazil
Bezerra da Pentecostals.
Costa The largest
Pentecostal
denomination
in the world.

Protestant Prussian, 1948 Praeses of the Hanover, Germany 20,200,000[18] Postwar,

Church in United, Synod Irmgard Lower renewed
Germany Lutheran, Schwaetzer Saxony, church
Reformed Chairman of Germany confederation
the Council of founded to
 the EKD bring all
Heinrich German
Bedford- Protestants
Strohm under one
umbrella.
Earlier, the
German
Evangelical
Church
Confederation
fulfilled that
role during
the Weimar
Republic. If
not
considered a
federation of
churches, it
is the fifth
largest
Protestant
denomination
in the world,
the second
largest in
Europe, and
the second
largest United
Protestant
denomination.

House
Evangelicals,
church, not
Born Again Charismatics,
Movement Chinese
1968 Henan, China China 20,000,000[19] recognized by
the Chinese
house church
government.
Primate of all
Abuja,
Nigeria, Local
Federal
Church of Archbishop of province of
Nigeria
Anglican 1979
Abuja
Capital Nigeria 18,000,000[20] the Anglican
Territory,
Province Communion.
Nigeria
Nicholas Okoh

The world's
largest
Baptist
denomination,
Southern Nashville,
President Ed United and the
Baptist Baptist 1845
Litton
Tennessee,
States 13,200,000[21] largest
Convention United States
Protestant
denomination
in the United
States.

Archbishop of
Uganda and Namirembe Local
Church of Bishop of Hill, Kampala province of
Uganda
Anglican 1897
Kampala District,
Uganda 11,000,000[22] the Anglican
Stanley Uganda Communion.
Ntagali
House
Evangelicals,
church, not
Fangcheng Charismatics,
Fellowship Chinese
1971 China 10,000,000[23] recognised by
the Chinese
house church
government.

Ethiopian Addis Ababa,

The world's
Evangelical Bishop Dr. Chartered city
[24] largest
Church Lutheran 1959 Wakseyoum of Addis Ethiopia 8,310,129 Lutheran
Mekane Idossa Ababa,
denomination.
Yesus Ethiopia

House
Evangelicals,
China church, not
Charismatics,
Gospel
Chinese
1980s China 8,000,000[25] recognized by
Fellowship the Chinese
house church
government.
National Baptist 1880 President Dr. Montgomery, United 7,500,000[26] The second
Baptist Jerry Young Alabama, States largest
Convention, United States Baptist
USA, Inc. denomination
 in the world.
It is
considered a
black church
with its
membership
being largely
African
American.

Rev. Dr.
Samson
Olasupo
The world's
Nigerian Adeniyi
[27] third largest
Baptist Baptist 1915 Ayokunle, Ibadan Nigeria 6,500,000 Baptist
Convention President (and
denomination.
chief
executive
officer)
The world's
Evangelical Arusha,
Bishop Dr. second
Lutheran Arusha
Church in
Lutheran 1963 Fredrick Onael
Region,
Tanzania 6,500,000[28] largest
Shoo Lutheran
Tanzania Tanzania
denomination.

The world's
third largest
Lutheran
Uppsala,
Archbishop of denomination,
Church of Uppsala
Sweden
Lutheran 1593 Uppsala Antje
County,
Sweden 5,600,000[29] and the third
Jackelén largest
Sweden
Protestant
one in
Europe.

Nairobi, Local
Anglican
Jackson Ole Nairobi [29] province of
Church of Anglican 1970 Kenya 5,000,000
Sapit County, the Anglican
Kenya
Kenya Communion.

Non-national bodies

These denominations operate worldwide and cannot be considered alongside other national bodies.

Many sizeable non-national bodies happen to be Pentecostal. The list also includes the largest Adventist church (the Seventh-day
Adventist Church), the largest Methodist church (the United Methodist Church) and the largest African initiated church (the Zion
Christian Church) and the second largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, The Pentecostal Mission (TPM) or (New Testament
Church/Universal Pentecostal Church/Ceylon Pentecostal Mission).
 Emblem Name Orientation Foundation Leadership Headquarters Region Membership Notes

The world's
Assemblies George O. [10] largest
Pentecostal 1914/1988 Worldwide 69,189,381
of God Wood Pentecostal
denomination.

The world's
largest Adventist
Seventh-day Ted N.C. Silver Spring, denomination.
Adventist Adventist 1863 Maryland, Worldwide 21,912,161[31] Brings together
Church Wilson[30] United States the vast majority
of the world's
Adventists.
Trinitarian
Pentecostal
The denomination
Apostolic Pentecostal 1911/1916 Worldwide 20,000,000 which emerged
Church from the 1904-
1905 Welsh
Revival.

The world's
largest African
Zion initiated church
African Southern
Christian 15,000,000 with Anglican,
initiated Africa
Church Pentecostal and
evangelical
influences.

The world's
United
largest
Methodist Methodist 1968 Worldwide 12,000,000
Methodist
Church
denomination.

International
Circle of Pentecostal 2001[32] Worldwide 11,000,000
Faith

New Chief
Apostolic Apostle Zürich,
Church
Irvingian 1863
Jean-Luc Switzerland
Worldwide 9,240,000[33]
International Schneider

International
Church of
the Pentecostal Worldwide 9,000,000
Foursquare
Gospel
Church of
Pentecostal Worldwide 6,500,000
God in Christ

Church of
God Cleveland,
(Cleveland,
Pentecostal 1886 Dr. Tim Hill
Tennessee
Worldwide 7,000,000[34]
Tennessee)

Jesus Is
Bro. Eddie Manila,
Lord Church Full Gospel 1978
Villanueva Philippines
Worldwide 1,000,000[35]
Worldwide

See also
Religion portal

Christianity portal

Calvinism portal

Methodism portal
Evangelical
Christianity portal
 Protestantism by country
List of Christian denominations by number of members
List of Christian denominations
List of the largest Protestant churches in the USA
List of religious organizations

Notes
1. In this comparison, the Pew Forum's figure of 800 million Protestants is used. Mentioned international bodies
together accounted for some 420 million people in 2010.
2. In this comparison, the Pew Forum's figure of 800 million Protestants is used. Mentioned national bodies accounted
for a little more than 200 million people in 2010.
3. The English church can be traced back to 597. It separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534.

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