Anglican practices and rituals are primarily found in the Book of Common Prayer, the prayer book of Anglicanism, which helps define Anglican beliefs and worship practices on every level. The book is almost as important as the Bible itself to Anglicans. The Book of Common Prayer, which defines the “common”
The Baptist denomination is the largest free church denomination in the world with 43 million members. It is one of the largest Protestant Free Church denominations. More than 75 percent of all Baptists – about 33 million – live in America. There are about 216,000 Baptists in Great Britain, 850,000
The Catholic Church, known as the Roman Catholic Church, has well over one billion members, about one-sixth of the world’s population. It’s the world’s largest Christian denomination. It’s also the largest organized body of any world religion. Catholics are led by the Pope, also known as the Bishop of Rome,
Lutheranism is not a single entity. It is organized in autonomous regional or national churches. Globally, there are some 150 such Lutheran church bodies. Lutheranism is one of the largest Protestant denominations. It is also the oldest Protestant denomination. Lutheranism retains much of the tradition of the ancient and medieval
There are Methodist Churches in nearly every country in the world and global membership numbers about 70 million in 138 countries. The World Methodist Council (WMC), an association of churches in the Methodist tradition, comprises more than 40.5 million Methodists. There are at least 19 Wesleyan Methodist denominations in the
This fall I am teaching ecclesiology, and as before I began the semester by rooting the Church in creation. Using Book 13 of Augustine’s Confessions and selections from Joseph Ratzinger’s masterful The Divine Project, I try to help my students see that the Church is not an afterthought, a roughly-fitting
What’s Right with the Church By Mike Powers One of the best-known testimonies in Scripture is also a timely illustration of what is right about the Church as criticism of everything that is wrong with the Church continues. Consider Saul the antagonist of Christianity who became Paul the protagonist of
By Alex Parker, ELCA Advocacy Coordinator August may be a couple of months away, but now is actually an important time to think about August Recess. Steps now can help Congress’ summertime break be your time to shine. What is August Recess? Sometimes advocating is tricky. When your lawmakers are all the way in Washington, D.C., and letters and phone
The Unfinished Calling: How Older Believers Are a Gift to the Church “The Unfinished Calling” is a challenge to adults of all ages to commit themselves to nurture the next generation of disciples in the church. Also See: The Unfinished Calling – An 8-Part Series by Rev. Joe Novenson Thinking
It is not often that I am grateful for not living in Ireland. Yet, as I look at the title, this is one of them. Loud whistles and catcalls from friends; the wit shouting “what life!,” the wag greeting the adjective “theological” as if it were an expletive to be
Scot Welcome to Meridian Magazine’s Come Follow Me podcast. We’re Scot and Maurine Proctor, and we are delighted to be with you again. this week, as we discuss 1st Samuel chapters 8 through 10, 13, and chapters 15 through 18 in a lesson entitled, “The Battle is the Lord’s.” This
A Mind Strangely Warmed By Stephen Rankin I love John Wesley’s journal entry of May 24, 1738 on his famous Aldersgate experience, which many of us recently commemorated. It just so happens, for us in the West, the event coincided with Pentecost this year. The convergence of these two events
June 11, ELCA Churchwide Organization (CWO) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Learning Day! The ELCA churchwide organization will host a learning day for CWO staff highlighting ministries that reach historically underrepresented groups in church and society. The day will feature 55-minute workshops, presented by churchwide staff and ELCA affiliated organization.